Ghost dog story lives on after almost 150 years

The stuffed dog on display at Lincoln Castle is an arresting sight for visitors, but the story behind it is stranger than even they can imagine.

It is of an unnamed lurcher who died almost 150 years ago, yet regulars at the nearby Strugglers Inn still claim to feel his presence.

The pub stands yards away from the walls of the castle, which is hosting "spooky stories or eerie tales" this Halloween in its former Victorian prison.

It is also where the dog's owner, William Clarke was executed in 1877 after being convicted of murdering a gamekeeper who interrupted his poaching.

Clarke was a regular at The Strugglers Inn, and it was there where he had his final drink before he was executed.

Now, almost 150 years later, drinkers still report feeling a dog passing in their midst and scratching at the door.

The bar staff are sceptical, saying those who make the claims have probably had one too many.

Legend has it that, after the execution, the dog waited for his master to return and began to cry for his owner outside the pub.

The landlord took in the dog to care for him.

After he died, the landlord had the dog stuffed.

It remains on display at the castle.

Jen Watson, who works at Lincoln Castle, said the story shows prisoners at the castle are more than just pieces of history.

"They were once real people with real human connections and also real animal connections as well," she said.

Not everyone believes the legend of a ghostly dog.

Megan Elen-Woodward, who works at The Strugglers Inn, said it "seems to be a little like an old ghost story" that does not have "much truth to it".

She said the history of the pub giving people their final drink before execution helped to build stories of the supernatural for those who visit.

"It is quite a morbid history but yeah it lends itself to the story," she added.

"We do get a lot of people assuming it's haunted."

Watson said she thought the story had stood the test of time because the dog is "so cute".

"His little face, you can't resist it," she said.

The storytelling at the castle is just one of the Halloween events taking place in Lincoln this year.

Outside the castle, an inflatable monster is in place at Exchequergate as a part of the city's Big Spook event.

Across Lincoln the giant inflatable monsters can been seen on rooftops as a part of the event, which also includes a pumpkin patch, a murder mystery and a family of phantoms parade.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.

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