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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre

@deborahcontessa.bsky.social

53 followers 27 following 254 posts

Cemetery Tour Guide, Tour Manager, Guest Speaker, Historian, Writer, Goth. Secretary & Tour manager for Friends of Layton Cemetery, Blackpool, UK Mistress of the Macabre at Blackpool Ghost Walks

Posts Replies Media

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Chadkirk Chapel: ancient graves, “Electric Fluid”, a historic holy well, gorgeous gardens… and parakeets #graves #churchyard #lightning #strangedeath youtu.be/HfQD9cRWVSc?...

Chadkirk Chapel with Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Thomas Woolley of Greave Fold met his end in a thunderstorm on 23 May 1850. His gravestone rather dramatically records that he was killed: ”…by the Electric Fluid in a thunder storm.” 19th-century weather forecasting was clearly a little more exciting. ⚡️ #history #grave #lightning #strangedeath

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Come along. The dead are expecting you www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/blackpool-... tickets just £8.50 per person BOOK ON LINE or JUST TURN UP . . . We’re dying to meet you💀 #halloween #ghosts #haunting #blackpool

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A lonely hilltop, ancient gravestones, a Lancashire boggart… and not a sundial in sight ⬇️watch the video⬇️ youtu.be/xlEAdU7-reY?...

St James’ Churchyard, Ashworth - with Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady 🪦

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A lovely little churchyard, full of character and some rather nice old stones. Sadly, no sundial. Tempus fugit — apparently without assistance. Frankly, I’m beginning to question the standards of churchyard #churchyard #graves

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening wandering Blackpool’s haunted history with you all — from ghosts and murder to scandal and things that perhaps ought to have remained buried… Thank you for braving the drizzle in search of the dead.🖤 #ghosts #haunted #blackpool

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Remarkable 1600s stones, a crude 1588 figure — and the extraordinary 1461 stone of Joannes Jacobs, with Latin and a reference to Libitina, goddess of funerals. One of my favourite discoveries yet. ⬇️ New video now! ⬇️ #Leyland #History #Gravestones youtu.be/fGWic_Ykwxg?...

A Most Wonderful Discovery within St. Andrew’s Churchyard, Leyland

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

The most wonderful old stones at St Andrew’s ,Leyland, Lancs - one mentions the ode by Horace Exegi Monumentum and bears the date 1461! #history #heritage #graves #burial #churchyard

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who braved the darkness and joined me on last night’s Ghost Walk. I hope the ghosts, ghouls and grisly tales gave you a night to remember… or perhaps a few things you’d rather forget! #ghosts #Blackpool #macabre #spooky

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

A churchyard, a crypt, peacocks… and an unsolved double murder! Join me at St Chad’s, Saddleworth as I explore ancient stones, the old churchyard and the extraordinary Bill o’ Jacks murder grave, where a shocking 1832 mystery is still remembered nearly 200 years later. youtu.be/8A-zhXyIA20?...

St Chad’s Churchyard, Saddleworth — & Murder at the Parish on the Moor, with The Cemetery Lady

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Across the bleak and brooding moors, in search of legends, ghosts and ancient murder. . . & that Lancashire delicacy Parched Peas! #history #moors #bleak #peas

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

A huge thank you to the wonderful, curious and incredibly generous crowd who joined me yesterday for The Last Stop - cemetery tour. I love sharing these stories, and your enthusiasm makes it all worthwhile. Thank you for helping keep Layton’s stories alive. #heritage #history #blackpool #cemetery

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

16 August 1909: a fierce thunderstorm raged over Blackpool before a thunderbolt struck Layton’s Gothic Mortuary Chapel. With no lightning conductor, masonry was blasted from the steeple, the roof smashed and pathways torn apart. #blackpool #gothic #lightning #cemetery #history

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

youtu.be/jOOLAEXKWwA?... Come with me to Kirkby Stephen #history #mystery #heritage #anglodanish #ancient #graves #ghost #goth

Kirkby Stephen — Loki, Knights & the Haunted Coffin Road with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

COFFIN BRIDGE over the River Eden This beautiful little stone bridge dates back to the 17th century and once formed part of the old Corpse Road, the route taken by the dead from the surrounding villages to Kirkby Stephen for burial. #corpseroad #coffinbridge #death

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Wycoller Hall 🖤 Ancient bridges, atmospheric ruins, Brontë connections and tales of a headless horseman and a mysterious lady at the window… 👻 #Wycoller #WycollerHall #Lancashire #Folklore #DarkHistory youtu.be/67fYCpYgiyg?...

The ruins of Wycollar Hall - with Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

youtu.be/1oi3YddeGJg?... St Bartholomew’s Churchyard, Colne #history #heritage #graves #graveyard #burial

St Bartholomew’s Churchyard, Colne - with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Rebellion Run Up #adamant #rebellion2926

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Join me for a short wander around the beautiful churchyard of St Michael and All Angels, Hawkshead. It may not have many ancient gravestones, but its breathtaking setting, hidden treasures and a rather splendid sundial make it well worth a visit youtu.be/jY5dVvoyo1U?...

St Michael & All Angels Churchyard at Hawkshead - with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Ancient stone bothering - Local women were historically said to have decorated this stone on Midsummer's Day with flowers and cloths smeared with butter or sheep’s saliva in hopes of securing their fertility and an abundance of crops #ritual #pagan #folklore

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Join me at Great Urswick Parish Church as we explore its remarkable rune-stone, medieval grave slab, weathered 18th-century gravestones and the mysterious Priapus Stone nearby. 🖤 New video: youtu.be/qo_6qnsLbYw?...

St Mary and St Michael's Churchyard, Great Urswick - with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

🚂 THE LAST STOP ⚰️ Join us for a fascinating historical journey through local disaster, tragedy and remembrance at Layton Cemetery. 📅 Sun 16th Aug 🕜 Meet 1:45pm | Tour 2pm 📍 Layton Cemetery, Talbot Rd, Blackpool Cash donations warmly welcomed. 🖤 #Blackpool #History #Heritage #CemeteryTour

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The nights are beginning to draw in… The sea is whispering. The shadows are stirring. And something wicked is returning to Blackpool August Ghost Walk dates will be revealed very soon… #haunting #history #ghosts

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Step into the tranquillity of All Saints Churchyard, Childwall—one of Merseyside’s oldest sacred spaces. Ancient trees, remarkable 17th & 18th-century gravestones, a historic hearse house and a beautiful sundial await. 🖤 youtu.be/U4HZZMmJ4zo?... #Churchyard #History #MementoMori #Merseyside

All Saints Churchyard, Childwall— with Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

The older, the better! I have a particular fondness for gravestones from the 1600s, and this glorious example at Childwall completely stole my heart. #churchyard #liverpool #grave #history

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

𝕾𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖘 Last night's brave souls proved that it takes more than a sprinkling of rain to deter those with a taste for the macabre. Thank you all for your wonderful company, your laughter, and your courage. #blackpool #ghost #walk #haunted #history

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

There’s something wonderfully peaceful about St Mary’s Churchyard, Ulverston. Ancient gravestones, gloriously overgrown Victorian memorials, beautiful flora, a fascinating medieval effigy… and an unexpected encounter with what I chose to believe was the Church Grim! 🐈‍⬛🖤 youtu.be/Ty9wcYhRfak?...

Ulverston Parish Churchyard with Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

The very first church recorded here dates back 1111, but only the original foundations remain. I did encounter the Church Grim and discovered some 18C graves, I’ll sort through those photos tomorrow 🪦Ulverston Parish Churchyard #graves #histort

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Fabulous crowd, wonderful tour - Layton Cemetery, Blackpool #graves #history #cemetery

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

youtu.be/-SkatehGWw4?... Another historic churchyard explored! Ancient gravestones, village history, the tomb of Hugh Willoughby, 15th Baron Willoughby of Parham… but, alas, no listed sundial! You can’t win them all. 🖤 #ChurchyardHistory #Gravestones #History

Holy Trinity, Horwich Parish Churchyard, with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Dare you join me?

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

The sea keeps many secrets… Perhaps, on Saturday 25th, it will share a few. 🖤 Meet outside North Pier 🕖 7:00pm start. Reserve your place via Eventbrite or just turn up - the dead aren’t fussy! #ghost #walk #spooky

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

A wander through the ancient churchyard of St Wilfrid’s, Northenden, where beautifully preserved seventeenth-century gravestones, poignant Latin inscriptions and a forgotten sundial reveal centuries of history beneath our feet youtu.be/tNSSiDYxUmE?...

St Wilfred’s Churchyard, Northenden, with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

The churchyard of St Wilfred’s, Northenden, is a delight to explore, with some wonderful gravestones dating from the 1600s nestled betwixt their 18th- and 19th-century neighbours. They never fail to steal my heart. #17C #graves #churchyard #history

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

This sundial is enclosed by tall iron railings… though, as you can see, they weren’t quite enough to keep me from my Sunday Sundial Selfie. #graveyard #churchyard #sundial #selfie #heritage

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Step back into a world of circus, stage and spectacle… where the final curtain has fallen, but the stories live on. Gather by the lodge at the main gate, Layton Cemetery, Talbot Road, Blackpool 🕜 at 1:45pm for a 2:00pm start. #tour #cemetery #history #graves

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined me, for your support, your curiosity, your fascinating questions and your generosity. It was a pleasure to share the hidden meanings, stories and traditions of this beautiful Victorian burial ground with you#cemetery #tour #graves #symbolism

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Tomorrow at Layton Cemetery, Blackpool, our Symbolism & Superstition Cemetery Tour. Step beyond the familiar and uncover the hidden meanings carved into Victorian memorials, funeral customs and mourning traditions 📍 Layton Cemetery, Talbot Road, Blackpool 🕯 Meet at 1:45pm for a 2pm start 🖤

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

youtu.be/e1QEXJmJpUU?... my good friend Escapologist Karl Bartoni hanging around in Cardiff- nostalgic fun 🤩 head over to his youtube & give him a follow #escapology #escapologist

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

youtu.be/e1QEXJmJpUU?... Wonderfully exciting Blackpool nostalgia from the 1970s Seaside Special #Blackpool #escapology #excitement

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

A spontaneous summer solstice visit to St Anne’s Churchyard, Woodplumpton, seeking a little Fylde folklore. Ancient stones, village stocks… and the mysterious resting place of Meg Shelton, the legendary Fylde Hag. Some stories are buried… but never truly laid to rest. youtu.be/zRMDCj9_yOg?...

St Anne’s Churchyard, Woodplumpton: with a dash of local folklore

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

RNLI Fleetwood Wreck Trek 2026 #RNLI #Fleetwood #wrecktrek

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

A huge thank you to the wonderful crowd who joined me on last night’s Blackpool Ghost Walk: ‘Midsummer Nights Scream’ What a brilliant bunch of brave souls — your enthusiasm, laughter and love of the darker side of Blackpool made it a pleasure for everyone involved. #ghostwalk

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

youtu.be/LfLurbb9o6U?... A beautiful Ribble Valley setting with gloriously overgrown graves, a medieval stone coffin, a stunning 1683 sundial, and a rare 14th-century calvary cross — a survivor of Reformation destruction. #churchyard #graves #history

All Hallows Churchyard, Great Mitton - with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

The sundial said Sunday. The calendar says Monday. As a historian, I’m inclined to trust the older source #sundaysundialselfie

Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Exploring the ancient churchyard of St Peter’s, Heversham, one of Cumbria’s oldest Christian sites. Beautiful soul effigies, 18th-century gravestones, a historic sundial & ancient church treasures #churchyard #graves #history #heritage #lakeland youtu.be/wYmx4E7xavE?...

The churchyard of St Peter’s, Heversham, Cumbria

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Blackpool Ghost Walks - MIDSUMMER NIGHTS SCREAM 😱 “As the sun sets on the longest day, Blackpool’s shadows begin to stir. Will you dare to walk with us?” Saturday 20th June�🕖 7pm�📍 North Pier, Promenade www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/blackpool-... 🌐 www.blackpoolghostwalkshauntedhistory.co.uk

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

youtu.be/_t4g6xAWivE?... Visited St Anthony’s Church, Cartmel Fell today. Built in 1504 to save locals a 7-mile walk to Cartmel Priory, it later served as both church and schoo

St Anthony’s Churchyard & Church, Cartmel Fell, with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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Deborah Contessa, The Cemetery Lady, Mistress of the Macabre @deborahcontessa.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

A delightful visit to St Mary’s Churchyard, Staveley. Whilst the gravestones were mostly too modern for my taste, the beautiful setting, stunning views and listed sundial made it well worth exploring. youtu.be/WG6HiMqkzJo?... #ChurchyardExploring #CemeteryLady #Cumbria

St Mary’s Churchyard, Staveley, Cumbria - with Deborah Contessa

YouTube video by Deborah Contessa

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