Places you should check out in Ards & North Down this Halloween

We’ve compiled a list of places where you can explore some spooky goings-on in the Ards and North Down area.

• Castle Espie Wetland Centre, 78 Ballydrain Rd, Comber

Historical Castle Espie at the Irish Wetland Centre is reported to be the home to the ghost of a young Victorian girl, who wears a shawl, holds a baby close to her chest and carries a flickering lantern or candle.

Many have claimed to have heard disturbing sounds of her crying as she seeks comfort and warmth for her and her baby in the vast surrounding woodlands,

It’s said that if you were to approach the girl however she slips behind a tree and disappears.

• Grace Neill’s, 33 High St, Donaghadee

Built in 1611, Grace Neill’s claims to be the oldest bar in Ireland. Originally called the King’s Arms when it was first established, the bar was taken over by local Grace Neill - and she supposedly has stuck around to this day. Cold spots have been reported in the otherwise cosy nook, and some revellers have seen the ghostly figure of a Victorian-era woman wandering the snugs of the front-bar. Some people say they have heard sweeping noises and footsteps, even poltergeist activity with glasses being flown across the room.

• Crawfordsburn Country Park, Helen's Bay

Past caretakers of scenic Crawfordsburn Country Park, on the coast between Bangor and Holywood, have reported strange animalistic sounds screamed through the trees, disembodied voices calling through the wooded glens, doors slammed shut and dark figures hovering over their beds in the dead of night.

One visitor also reported a creepy gnome on the grounds. They claimed the creature was about three feet tall, with pale, greasy looking skin. A strange, negative energy supposedly came from it and it smelled of rotting meat.

• Pumpkin Patch, The Ark Open Farm, 296 Bangor Rd, Newtownards

A trip to a pumpkin patch provides seasonal fun for the family or a date night activity. In past centuries, a glowing pumpkin on your doorstep was said to ward off the spirit of Jack and his lantern, forced to wander for all eternity after a wayward deal with the devil.