The Headless Woman is a spectral figure said to haunt the village of Duddon in Cheshire, England. Dating back to the 17th century, this ghostly apparition is believed to be the spirit of a young woman who met a tragic end during the English Civil War.

According to local lore, the woman was a Royalist sympathizer who aided Cavalier soldiers by providing them with food and shelter. When Parliamentarian forces discovered her actions, they captured her and subjected her to a gruesome execution, beheading her as punishment for her perceived treason.

Since then, numerous sightings of the Headless Woman have been reported along the quiet country lanes surrounding Duddon. Witnesses describe a female figure dressed in period clothing, walking purposefully through fields and hedgerows. The most chilling aspect of these encounters is the absence of the apparition’s head, which is said to be tucked under her arm.

One of the most famous documented sightings occurred in the early 20th century when a local farmer reported seeing the ghostly figure while working in his fields. He described the specter as emanating an otherworldly glow and vanishing into thin air when he approached.

Another notable encounter took place in the 1960s when a group of teenagers claimed to have seen the Headless Woman while driving along a narrow road near Duddon. They reported that their car engine mysteriously stalled as the ghostly figure crossed their path.

The legend of the Headless Woman has become deeply ingrained in the local folklore of Duddon, with generations of residents passing down stories of eerie encounters and unexplained phenomena associated with this spectral figure.