Fitz

On the Baxter Gate side, the other three houses in the terrace all have two windows per floor, but the Ripley House only has one and a half.

On the Baxter Gate side, the other three houses in the terrace all have two windows per floor, but the Ripley House only has one and a half.

The other three houses have a front door on the ground floor on the right-hand side, but the Ripley house has three-quarters of a bricked-up door frame that looks like someone has taken a giant cutting implement and sliced away the last section of the building.

The other three houses have a front door on the ground floor on the right-hand side, but the Ripley house has three-quarters of a bricked-up door frame that looks like someone has taken a giant cutting implement and sliced away the last section of the building.

The right-hand windows on the first and second floors are bricked up too, but the halves of the frames remain, cut straight down the middle, just like the door. Walking around to the other side of the building on Victoria Square, the original brickwork that makes up most of the house trails off in a raggedy edge at the further side.

The right-hand windows on the first and second floors are bricked up too, but the halves of the frames remain, cut straight down the middle, just like the door. Walking around to the other side of the building on Victoria Square, the original brickwork that makes up most of the house trails off in a raggedy edge at the further side.

The soft, rounded brown and pink brickwork ending abruptly and jarringly with patches of bright square and obviously newer red brick filling in the gaps and forming what appears to be a replacement wall ending the run of terraces at the corner of the street. But what on earth would have caused anyone to chop off a whole section of their house?

The soft, rounded brown and pink brickwork ending abruptly and jarringly with patches of bright square and obviously newer red brick filling in the gaps and forming what appears to be a replacement wall ending the run of terraces at the corner of the street. But what on earth would have caused anyone to chop off a whole section of their house?

Well, according to James J. Brown, author of the original Ghost Walk of Whitby, it was all down to a particularly bothersome ghost. Brown tells of how the scientifically-minded Dr Ripley encountered quite the problem when, in 1870, his house began to be haunted by a ghost who would appear at one of the windows overlooking Brunswick Street.

Well, according to James J. Brown, author of the original Ghost Walk of Whitby, it was all down to a particularly bothersome ghost. Brown tells of how the scientifically-minded Dr Ripley encountered quite the problem when, in 1870, his house began to be haunted by a ghost who would appear at one of the windows overlooking Brunswick Street.

And if it wasn't bad enough just dealing with the dichotomy of having a spectre he didn't believe could exist haunting him, the ghost made things ten times worse by leaning out of the window and terrifying folk in the street by grimacing at them.

And if it wasn't bad enough just dealing with the dichotomy of having a spectre he didn't believe could exist haunting him, the ghost made things ten times worse by leaning out of the window and terrifying folk in the street by grimacing at them.

The apparition's appearance at the window became so frequent that word got about the town and people started to gather outside the window to gawk, which just seemed to make the haunting worse. The ghost would almost appear to wait until it had attracted sufficient attention and then promptly disappear, drawing gasps of astonishment and horror from the assembled onlookers.

The apparition's appearance at the window became so frequent that word got about the town and people started to gather outside the window to gawk, which just seemed to make the haunting worse. The ghost would almost appear to wait until it had attracted sufficient attention and then promptly disappear, drawing gasps of astonishment and horror from the assembled onlookers.

Eventually, large crowds would wait outside the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Phantom, and the whole debacle just became too much for Dr Ripley. Now, in the 19th century, it wouldn't have been unusual to call in a priest to resolve a problem such as this. But Ripley's issue was that if he called in help to exercise the spirit, it would mean admitting its existence.

Eventually, large crowds would wait outside the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Phantom, and the whole debacle just became too much for Dr Ripley. Now, in the 19th century, it wouldn't have been unusual to call in a priest to resolve a problem such as this. But Ripley's issue was that if he called in help to exercise the spirit, it would mean admitting its existence.

Maybe he truly couldn't reconcile the apparition with his staunch views on science. Or maybe he couldn't face more gossip and speculation after the debacle with Flint Jack. But, whatever his reasons, Dr. Ripley decided to deal with the ghost once and for all, by pulling down the part of his house where it was seen. So, does this tie in with what we can see of the building on the ground today?

Maybe he truly couldn't reconcile the apparition with his staunch views on science. Or maybe he couldn't face more gossip and speculation after the debacle with Flint Jack. But, whatever his reasons, Dr. Ripley decided to deal with the ghost once and for all, by pulling down the part of his house where it was seen. So, does this tie in with what we can see of the building on the ground today?

Well, yes. The story states that the ghost appeared at the window overlooking Baxter Gate, which would indeed be the end of the house where we can see that a chunk has been ripped off and rebuilt in obviously different materials, leaving two half windows and three quarters of a doorframe behind. Did Dr Ripley really tear down bits of his house because of a grimacing ghost?

Well, yes. The story states that the ghost appeared at the window overlooking Baxter Gate, which would indeed be the end of the house where we can see that a chunk has been ripped off and rebuilt in obviously different materials, leaving two half windows and three quarters of a doorframe behind. Did Dr Ripley really tear down bits of his house because of a grimacing ghost?