Black Lady of Bradley Woods facts for kids

Bradley Woods

The Black Lady of Bradley Woods is a famous ghost story from the woods near Bradley, Lincolnshire, England. People say she is a young, pretty woman, about 5 feet 6 inches tall. She wears a long, black cloak and a hood that hides her hair. Her face is often described as pale and sad, as if she has been crying. The legend says she has never hurt anyone. Instead, she is seen as a sorrowful, though a bit spooky, sight.

What is the Black Lady?

Many people have claimed to see the Black Lady. They describe her as a young and beautiful woman. She is usually seen wearing a long, black cloak and a black hood. This hood covers her hair. Her face is said to be pale and wet with tears. She looks very sad. People who have seen her say she is not scary in a harmful way. She just seems to be a very sorrowful figure.

Where Does the Story Come From?

The story of the Black Lady has been told for many generations. Long ago, parents in the area sometimes used the tale to make sure children went to bed on time. They would warn their kids that if they were not in bed, "the Black Lady will get you!"

Old Theories About Her Identity

People have come up with different ideas about who the Black Lady might be.

• A Nun? One idea is that she is the ghost of a nun. This is because she wears black. Also, a place called Nunsthorpe (now part of Grimsby) is nearby. A convent, which is a home for nuns, used to be there until a time called the Reformation. However, this idea doesn't explain why she would move about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Nunsthorpe to Bradley. Also, most people who saw her did not think she looked like a nun.
• A Lonely Woman? Another idea is that she was a spinster. A spinster was a woman who never married. This theory suggests she lived alone in a cottage deep in the woods. If children from the village found her, she might have gotten upset if her quiet life was disturbed. This could have led to made-up stories, perhaps even tales of witchcraft, which then grew into the legend.

However, neither of these theories fully matches the old folklore story that has been passed down.

The Legend of the Black Lady

The most common story about the Black Lady takes place during a time of old wars. Some say it was during the Wars of the Roses. Others say it was during the Barons' Wars.

In this legend, a young woodsman lived in a cottage in Bradley Woods with his wife and their baby son. One day, the woodsman left his family to go and fight in the war. His wife was left alone to care for their baby.

Many months passed, and there was no news from the woodsman. Every day, his wife would hold her child. She would walk to the edge of the woods, hoping to see her husband returning home from the war.

Then, one day, an enemy army crossed the Humber river. They marched through the area on their way to attack the city of Lincoln. The legend says that during this time, the woodsman's wife lost her baby and her husband.

Filled with sadness, she wandered through the woods. She searched endlessly for her child and her husband, but she never found them. After she passed away, people began to see her ghost. They say she still wanders the woods today, continuing her never-ending search for her lost family.