Paranormal investigator explore the dark history of Windermere

Louis Dee, from Workington, who runs the YouTube channel Louis Dee Vlogs - Paranormal Channel, recently visited Windermere.

Louis said that the area has quite a dark history and there have been lots of tragic deaths recorded in the town over the years. 

He says that after reading reports from the archives, he and his girlfriend found out that there had been hundreds of deaths in the lake at Windermere, that won't be known to many people today.

After poring over the archives and articles about deaths on the lake more recently, they read that Sir Henry Segrave died there in 1930 after trying to beat the water speed record. 

On Friday, June 13, 1930, he captured the water speed record on Lake Windermere in Miss England II but was unaware that he had done so.

He decided to do a follow-up run during which the boat capsized, killing the mechanic. Segrave's body was recovered from the water, but he was unconscious.

Further back in history is the tale of the Crier of Claife who was allegedly heard calling the word 'boat' across the water by a ferryman on duty. 

He is said to have set out to collect his passengers from Claife shore but returned alone the next morning terrified. 

There are rumours that the crier may have been a local monk or even Thomas Lancaster, a criminal hanged nearby. 

READ MORE: Cumbrian ghost hunter Louis Dee explores Liverpool's Adelphi Hotel

Since then there is said to have been an exorcism conducted by a monk from Furness Abbey. 

Louis said: "We started out at the Claife viewing station which has been there since the 17th century, as we read online this is where the monk from Furness Abby started out while he conducted an exorcism on the lake.

"We placed trigger objects on the floors and called out to any spirits that resign there and if they had a story to tell us to set a device off (light them up) shockingly one of our devices kept going on and off, so I pulled out my EVP recorder which stands for electromagnetic voice phenomena and can capture voices from spirits.

"As we were asking questions. I asked, 'are you around us now' and the reply was bone-chilling... 'I’m right next to you.' 

"As it said this the device next to me knocked off and knocked back on again, you must flick the switch."

My girlfriend, who was a sceptic before becoming a paranormal investigator, and I were now looking at each other to say 'Oh my, now we’ve started.'

"After conducting our investigation at the viewing station, we decided to head down to the lake at the closest point.

"With stories online saying that the ferry pick-up point is haunted by a man who died on the lake, we set up there.

"As we called out to all spirits of the lake to come forward and talk to us, we conducted what is known as the Red Book Ritual. 

READ MORE: Ghost hunter from Workington describes terrifying encounters

"It’s an ancient method used many centuries ago to contact the dead by getting a red book with no pictures in it, closing your eyes, asking a question, and randomly placing your finger on a word while doing this we used the Para-X spirit box device which was created by me so only the voices come out.

The 'red book ritual' (Image: Supplied)

"We had the man coming through saying he was lonely. Two women came through saying they had died on a boat, the man kept repeating himself saying he was alone which we found odd at the time, and we could hear footsteps around us, this was clear as we’ve caught it on camera too.

"As a person who travels all over the country and even visited the most haunted places in Poland, who would have thought Lake Windermere would be the place to send chills down our spine?"

READ MORE: Ghost Hunter reveals Cumbria's 'most haunted' places

Louis' latest video will be available to watch on his YouTube channel on Sunday, June 18. 

He has asked that if anyone knows of haunted places to contact him if they would like to see it investigated.