Ghost
The Racing Earl
He waits for the race.
Stand where it happened
- What's there
- A great brick and stone mansion in parkland
- Legend from
- Croxteth tradition
- Best time
- Spring (Grand National)
- Tone
- Eerie
Around Grand National time, they say, the gambling Earl still walks the grounds of Croxteth.
Croxteth Hall was the home of the Molyneux family, Earls of Sefton, from the 16th century until the last earl died, childless, in 1972. The hall now belongs to Liverpool. In 2009 CCTV appeared to show a glowing figure moving through the grounds. Council staff suggested it might be the 7th Earl. Another candidate was the 2nd Earl, a gambler and friend of the Prince Regent. He laid the foundation stone of Aintree Racecourse in 1829, placing a cask of sovereigns beneath it. Local legend says he walks the grounds around Grand National time. Visitors have also reported a young boy by the dining-room fireplace and shadows in the corridors.