It was 200 years ago that ‘Old Taylor’ haunted Hereford’s Whitecross Road and he would strike fear into anyone that passed along this popular thoroughfare. It had been a favourite place for local folk to walk and where courting couples would wander whispering sweet nothings to each other until ‘Old Taylor’ claimed it for himself.
‘Old Taylor’ enjoyed strutting up and down the road along the row of sally trees adjacent to the Buckingham Inn, sometimes riding a phantom pony and other just times leering from a nearby stile. His presence became so frequent that people began avoiding the area and residents would not answer their doors at night. ‘Old Taylor’ was the conversation in many a household and ale house, in life he had had a bad reputation for financial juggling, intent on getting rich quick at any or anyone’s cost. But as quick as ‘Old Taylor’ had arrived, his ghostly wailing presence suddenly disappeared.
It was a local man from the Nag’s Head called ‘Dennis the Liar’ who claimed he had rid Whitecross Road of this ghostly nuisance. For many years people remained nervous about venturing along the route, scared that he would re-appear. We will never know if it was Dennis who convinced ‘Old Taylor’ to move on or whether he simply grew bored of haunting the good folk of Whitecross Road.
So remember to keep an eye out for ‘Old Taylor’ as you wander down Whitecross road on a dark wintry night, he’s the one wailing from the stile!
These stories are curated from many sources and retold in our fun ESL style, in the true spirit of Folklore.
If you’ve enjoyed this story and love Herefordshire Folklore and History follow our weekly Facebook ‘Folklore Friday’ feature here.
Click here to return to our Herefordshire History and Folklore page for more great stories.