An ancient woodland in the Wirral is soon to be dedicated to the Queen in celebration of the platinum jubilee, however some say that there are mysterious forces at work among the trees.
Dibbinsdale local nature reserve has recently been chosen as one of 70 ancient woodlands nationwide to be dedicated to the Queen in celebration of her platinum jubilee. The Queen's Grand Canopy project, which will be giving the nature reserve it's Royal recognition, was launched by the Prince of Wales to protect ancient woodlands, and to conserve their histories and the stories behind them.
But Dibbinsdale may stand out as unique among these 70 other locations. This is because of the folk tales that are told of the ancient woodland, which some say are haunted by two mysterious figures.
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The first has been named 'the headless lady of Dibbinsdale' or even more insidiously, just 'the white lady'. The white lady is said to be found, on the right night, at one of the most south westerly points of the ancient woodland, where a humpback bridge crosses the Dibbinsdale Brook, a stream that carves through the reserve.
If you are driving along the Dibbinsdale Road at night, particularly in Winter, you may have a chance of spotting her as you round the bend onto Poulton Road. Her ghostly white form has been said to materialise in front of drivers before disappearing right before they hit her.
Legend says that years ago, when the Wirral was home to many nunneries and monasteries, a local nun fell for a monk from a nearby monastery. The two are said to have had a secret love affair, one that was as passionate as it was ill-fated and forbidden.
Some versions of the story say the white lady, was so torn between her forbidden love and her vows to the church that she took her own life, and now materialises still due to the residual effects of the angst and grief that once killed her. They say she drowned in the stream that crosses under the bridge where she is now reported to be seen.
Other versions say that she was beheaded for her transgressions and for breaking her vows, which would make sense given English society's historical track record (Henry VIII anyone?). This version explains the name 'the headless lady of Dibbinsdale'.
Some brave drivers say that the white lady is simply a lighting trick. They say that her ghostly form is just a reflection of your own headlights as you cross the humpback bridge on the mist that hangs in the air.
As always, people will believe what they choose to believe. Yet, if you're driving along the Dibbinsdale Road late at night in Winter, and you approach the humpback bridge, it is perhaps recommended to think it is all a lighting trick.
