The apparition of a White Lady reputedly haunts the Abbey Public House.

According to sources, at a number of times during the year, the apparition of a man wearing a hat and clothing of “an old and curious fashion” is seen rowing a boat along the River Derwent. Sometimes a dog accompanies him. He has been reported rowing both up and down stream. However, he is not be the only phantom on the river, as there are said to be reports of various ghosts between Darley Abbey and the Holmes Recreation Ground near Meadow Road in Derby.

Reports cite a particular house in Abbey Lane, where the ghost of a monk in black habit was seen in the bedroom. As it disappeared, a cold breeze would fill the room. Sometimes, it would smile at one of the witnesses as it looked down on them in bed, and on one occasion even touched them.

 

Audible phenomena included banging and scratching noises. However, other houses in the street have also had experiences involving a monk, although it is not known if it is of the same description. The apparition has been seen walking through walls and in the gardens. It is believed that parts of the abbey foundations may lie beneath the ground that the houses have been built on. Some residents have reported the sounds of distant music and monastic chanting.