The Ghost of Newby Hall

An enigmatic photograph taken back in 1963 has come to be known as the Newby Spectre or the Newby Monk. It is an artifact that appears on a picture taken of the altar of Christ the Consoler Church at Newby Hall in N. Yorkshire, UK. by the Reverend K. F. Lord. Rev. Lord has stated that nothing was visible to the naked eye when he took the picture of the altar.

It is quite possible that the image is a simple case of "Pareidolia", our primitive survival instinct to see patterns, stoked by an irregularity in either the film or the developing process. It is also quite possible that it is a bonafide paranormal image. A Ghost, spirit, or possibly even the grim reaper himself caught tiptoeing past the altar. The most common speculation is that that it bears a resemblance to a 16th-century monk, with his face shrouded, possibly to mask a disfigurement of some sort. The Newby Church itself only dates back to 1870.

The Church does not have a history of paranormal or supernatural activity such as ghosts, haunting or related phenomena and no such activity or phenomena has been recorded before or after this image was taken.

It has been estimated that in relation to its surroundings the image is about 9 feet tall, however, that has been called into question as what appears to be a robe is actually flowing down the stairs throwing off any reliable calculations.

Supposedly the photo was carefully scrutinized by "experts" who state that the image is not the result of a double exposure or chicanery. Shortly after the Rev. Lord released the image he was accused of faking it. It was placed under the scrutiny of photography experts of the period and examined for possible double exposure or tampering and none was detected.

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