Markyate Cell, Markyate

Markyate Cell, near Luton, is said to be haunted by the spirit of Lady Katherine Ferrers, remembered in legend as the “Wicked Lady.” Married unhappily at thirteen, she reputedly turned to highway robbery in disguise, storing her weapons and costume in a secret chamber reached by a hidden staircase. During one attempted robbery she was shot, escaping home only to die at the entrance to her secret room. Her ghost, astride a black horse, is still said to ride along the old Watling Street and around the estate, repeating her wild night rides long after her secret was discovered.