The Monk of St. John's Church

This is a part ghost story part legend from Chester.

A short walk from my parents house is the Queens Park suspension bridge, a foot bridge across the river Dee, on the other side are two interesting buildings. Close to the river is the Anchorite cell, also known as the Hermitage, a very old small building now converted into a house it stands on a rock foundation made entirely from sandstone blocks. Just up the hill is St John's Church, founded in the 8th century part of it lies in ruins, while the rest is still in use.

I have passed these two buildings many times, in the day and late at night without noticing anything unusual, but being dark quiet places at the best of times I don't loiter around these places at night looking for anything bizarre. The foot path leading to the bridge passes the ruins at the north end of the church, lighting enhances the stark beauty of the Norman arches standing alone in the moonlight and highlights the many tombs. In one of the remaining walls is fixed a plague coffin from the middle ages, a bleak reminder of mortality as powerful now as it was when first affixed.

Among these ruins many people have glimpsed the hooded figure of a monk. Passers by have even greeted him, only to find that seconds later he has disappeared. He has also been seen moving about the ruined steeple at the south end of the church, but fewer people pass that way. A similar figure, probably the same can sometimes be seen crossing the bowling green in front of the Anchorite Cell. The ghostly figure makes his rounds when the time is right, moving around the ruins of the church, then down towards the river and the Anchorite Cell. Many have seen him, a few have heard him faintly muttering in a Germanic language (possibly Anglo-Saxon?).

No-one knows exactly who the phantom is nor his unfinished purpose or terrible memory that keeps him on this earth. However local folklore suggests an explanation:

In 1066 King Harold's army was defeated by the Normans at Hastings. Shortly after the battle Harold's Queen, Ealdgyth fled to Chester to lead the life of a reclusive nun in the Anchorite Cell. It was several years before the advancing invaders reached Chester. Perhaps they no longer wished to seek out the disposed queen, perhaps her identity was hidden from the invaders and they did not question the pious nun. In any case Queen Ealdgyth lived the rest of her days as a recluse in the Hermitage by the river.

She had few visitors in her solitary life, and only one is remembered, that of a monk. A monk would come frequently to visit her, they would pray together, go to church together, and spend enough time together that tongues began to wag. Perhaps her friend was just a friendly local monk who enjoyed the company of the widow. Another version is that King Harold was not killed at the battle of Hastings, after being wounded and seeing his army defeated, he and his wife were hidden and brought to Chester disguised as a nun and monk. She led the life of a reclusive nun, King Harold hid in the monastery. Their moments together were short, but Harold would seek to spend as much time as possible with his wife, without raising suspicion of their true identities from the invaders.

Whoever he is, he is still there.