Haunted York ~ Part Two

The Coppergate Centre

The Coppergate Centre

Last time in Haunted York, I talked about the Roman Legionaries who walked roads long since buried by time. This month, I’m skipping to the Viking period of York, or Jorvik.

When I was a child growing up in the Vale of York, it was a wonderful daytrip to visit York. We did it once a year just before Christmas. But I remember one visit, we viewed the archaeological dig in the area which now forms the Viking Centre.

Image unchanged. Credit: Malcolmxl5, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

What has this to do with the Coppergate Centre?

Well, the Viking Centre is located in the Coppergate Centre, which was built over the area where the archaeological excavation took place. For those not in the know, gate comes from the Viking gata, meaning street. And Copper should be a giveaway as to the area of the Viking town, merchants and makers.

I thought this was about ghosts not shopping trips?

Okay, I’ll get onto the Hauntings. Marks and Spencer is a huge chain of shops in the UK, a true department store. It sells good quality food and clothing. In the Coppergate Centre, there was an M&S, as British people affectionately call it. The staff of M&S would come in at the opening time, and find the shelves rearranged from the previous night. They called them Shelf Stackers from the Other Side. Built on top of the former Viking market, it’s not surprising that the late Viking merchants might have opinions on how the merchandise is set out for best sales.

Finally, some ghosts. Are there any more?

Actually, there’s quite a bit of poltergeist activity in the area, not just Viking either. The local Body Shop has a problem with a poltergeist. Where the Body Shop is now established, was once Mrs Craven’s Sweet Shop.

Image unchanged. Credit: Mrs Craven’s sweet shop Malcolmxl5, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

In the upper floor of the shop, they often hear heavy footsteps on wooden floors. The difficulty here is that the shop assistants know there is no one upstairs. AND, the floors are carpeted. It is believed that the Walker is a man who fell into a vat of hot syrup and perished.

Can I visit?

Thankfully, from the staff point of view, M&S has moved from its haunted premises, and now has a large store on Parliament Street, where the ghosts if any, do not hold opinions on how to rearrange the goods. However, other shops in the Coppergate Centre retain their ghosts with pride.