A BOLTON woman has revealed a photo of what appears to be an apparition at Smithills Hall.

Carole Ogden had visited the Grade I listed manor house in February 2017 on a history tour, which she blogged about at the time.

After The Bolton News’ recent story about a ‘ghostly choir boy’ spotted near Victoria Hall, Carole pulled up her old photo to further investigate the spooky presence.

She said: “It was a history and ghost tour that I was blogging so I thought I’d take photos as I went in and out.

“I took around 30 photos and it was only when I was going through them that I saw this little speck.

“It was quite far away but it wasn’t there in the picture before or the picture after and it couldn’t have been the light.”

Carole snapped the photo on her iPhone and has recently been looking back over the photo to figure out what it could be.

Some friends have suggested it could be a man, while others have suggested an animal.

The hall has allegedly had a host of ghostly inhabitants occupying its rooms and hallways.

A grey lady has made several appearances over the years, as well as the ghost of George Marsh, a farmer who was brought to the hall before being burnt at the stake for his Protestant beliefs in 1555.

There have also been a number of mystery occurrences including objects being moved around and even the sound of children giggling being hear

Carole said: “I took several photos of the window and this was the only one with the anomaly. Some people say it looks like a cat, an owl, a fox or an old man with a beard - one even said it’s like the Lorax.

“I wish I had seen it at the time but then again I might have run a mile.

“There is so much history at the hall so I think that we would be pretty naive to think there is nothing there. It’s funny how you get these things when you’re not looking for them.

“I am sceptical but I don’t know. I honestly can’t find an explanation. It looks like something coming out of the window and beginning to form.

“I watch all of the ghost shows and they never seem to find anything, so I was shocked to see this on my photo. It was just on my iPhone - I wouldn’t know where to start faking or Photoshopping it.”

Grounds around the hall recently re-opened for family activities.

*Do you have a Bolton ghost story to tell? Email daniel.hopkins@nqnw.co.uk