30/10/2026
If you're looking for a ghost story for Halloween, then there's a chilling one which is local to here: The tale of Sarkless Kitty, which dates from 1787.
A sark is a smock, though how Kitty came to be without one is one of the main points of variation between different accounts. The main story goes that Kitty thought she'd been abandoned, pregnant, by her lover. They'd had a row, and she didn't realise but he'd gone off to York to get a marriage licence, just took 3 days due to heavy floods. So in the meantime she drowned herself in the River Dove at Lowna which is towards the bottom end of Farndale.
The ghost of a naked Kitty was then said to be seen sitting on a tree by the ford at Lowna. Eighteen men were said to have been killed, either by seeing her remarkable beauty or because their horses were startled, or because when the water was high the ford was difficult to cross. Whatever was happening, the locals were avoiding the crossing, so called on the Vicar of Lastingham to lay the spirit to rest.
Local author Jean Harrod has woven this story together with the present day to create 'It Began with a Ghost Story'. We have a copy in the cottage.
On a happier note there is a lovely walk from the small, free car park in Lowna. It's particularly good in spring as many bulbs from the renowned Farndale - Daffodil Valley have been carried down the river. There are vast swathes of flowers, and it's a lot quieter than the famous bit, though that's good too!
