Sarah's Ghost at Thornton's Chocolate Shop on Eastgate Street in Chester, England

Right off a historic street in Chester, England, a beloved chocolate shop once stood. The shop has changed hands and now houses a different business, but stories about the chocolate shop refuse to fade. The sweets, of course, were popular, but it's something else that people still talk about. They say that after dark—when the streets are empty and the city sleeps—you might glimpse something—or someone—in the shop window.

The old chocolate shop lies among a palimpsest of history stretching back thousands of years in a city that seems to hold onto ghosts

palimpsest
‍/ˈpaləm(p)ˌsest/
‍noun
‍
‍1. a manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing, but of which traces remain
2. something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form
3. one of my personal favorite lexical treasures

Where is Eastgate Street in Chester?

Located in the northwest of England, near the border with Wales, Chester is one of the best-preserved walled cities in England.

The location of modern-day Chester was originally founded as a Roman fort known as Deva Victrix in 79 CE, and it quickly became a vital military hub for the Romans. A Roman amphitheater was found and partially excavated in Chester, and some believe it might have been a site of gladiatorial-style combat. If that's true, there may have been some gruesome scenes in the ancient past.

"Deva Victrix" was the Roman name for Chester, meaning "Victorious Deva," it was named after the River Dee and highlighted its role as a military fortress.

Today, the city of Chester lies within the county of Cheshire, which dates back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. It's derived not from Lewis Carroll (as far as we know...) but from "Chester-shire"—meaning the shire (or county) surrounding Chester.

During the Norman Conquest (beginning in 1066), Cheshire became a crucial administrative area under the Earls of Chester. In the English Civil War, the Siege of Chester in 1645-46 left the city in ruins. Legend has it that King Charles I's ghost, dressed in royal attire, still haunts the area, mourning his lost kingdom.

Eastgate Street in Chester is an iconic thoroughfare, rich in history and lined with modern shops, historic buildings, and the unique Chester Rows—medieval galleries distinctive to the city. Dating back to Chester's Roman era, the street came from the Norse word gata, meaning road, reflecting the city's Saxon and Viking history.

Over the centuries, Roman soldiers, medieval merchants, and Victorian society have passed through. But the street is also known for its ghostly inhabitants, including the *Grey Lady*, believed to be the spirit of a woman who died during the Black Death, often seen gliding along the street with a chill in the air. Some say the spirit of highwayman George Marsh, hanged near the East Gate in the 17th century, still haunts the area as well.

Walking down Eastgate Street is like stepping into Chester's past. Chester Cathedral, founded in 1092, carries dark tales of monks' mysterious ends, while modern shops stand alongside old buildings that have seen their share of tragedy.

From Roman roots to the present, Eastgate Street's past is filled with stories of spirits and secrets—like that of Sarah's Ghost.

Stories of Sarah's Ghost

In a small shop on 39 Eastgate Street in Chester—after the sounds of a bustling day fade and the stores and streets empty—a presence lingers. Locals know her simply as Sarah.

Sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century, a young woman named Sarah lived above the shop on Eastgate Street. She was engaged to her beloved fiancé, Wilhelm. They shared a life, hopes, and dreams. To Sarah, Wilhelm was her life, love, and future.

On their wedding day, however, Wilhelm abandoned Sarah at the altar. Her heart shattered, Sarah returned to her home above the shop, still in her wedding gown, and hanged herself. From that day forward, Sarah's spirit began to roam her former residence and the shop below her.

Staff and visitors alike at 39 Eastgate Street have experienced Sarah's presence. Some report being touched by an invisible hand, while others claim to be temporarily taken over by Sarah, suddenly singing tunes they don't know or walking about as if holding a heavy dress before them. There was also an American tourist visiting the shop who was listening to the tale of Sarah by the store manager. The American scoffed at the story and was immediately shoved down the stairs by an unseen hand.

Sometimes, a soft humming echoes through the shop, a melody that drifts from nowhere. Other times, people in the shop or even on the street catch a glimpse of a woman in white that vanishes when they turn to look directly at her. In the space above the shop, where Sarah used to live, there's a sense of something otherworldly just out of sight.

One particular story, from when the building housed a chocolate shop called Thorntons, says there was a curious incident during Valentine's Day one year. An employee heard a clatter and turned to find a display of heart-shaped boxes of chocolates opened and scattered across the floor. There's another rumor that, once, a burglar broke into the store, only to be terrified by Sarah's presence so much that they left behind tools and fingerprints and fled before taking anything. Below the shop, there's a cellar that most refuse to enter, and at one point, an electrician went down and ran back up after a minute, claiming that someone was watching him.

In 2015, a psychic on a ghost tour in Chester claimed to have encountered Sarah's restless spirit inside the shop. The psychic described seeing Sarah in a light yellow, silky dress with brown hair tied loosely in a bun and a thick rope around her neck. During this encounter, the psychic attempted to reunite Sarah with her long-lost fiancé, Wilhelm, and help them pass on to the spirit realm. It seemed Sarah's presence had quieted for a time, possibly finding the peace she had long sought. However, more recent reports suggest that Sarah is still around, making her presence known in the same ways.

Thorntons & 39 Eastgate Street Today

Thorntons, founded in 1911, became a well-loved British chocolate brand, with its high-street stores being a familiar sight across the UK. In 2015, Ferrero, the Italian confectionery giant behind brands like Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, acquired the company. Despite Ferrero's efforts to revitalize the brand, the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard, leading to the closure of all physical Thorntons stores in 2021, including the location at 39 Eastgate Street in Chester.

The decision to close the stores marked the end of Thorntons' retail presence on the high street. The company shifted its focus to online sales and wholesale distribution, adapting to the changing retail landscape accelerated by the pandemic. The closure of the Chester shop was part of this broader strategy, as traditional brick-and-mortar stores struggled to survive in the new economic environment.

As of 2024, 39 Eastgate Street is home to Fone Galaxy, a mobile phone sales and repair shop. Although the chocolate displays are gone, Sarah's stories persist as they have for over a hundred years now.

Relevant & Related

• Read more about historic Eastgate Street.
• And more about Sarah's ghost here and here.
• Can't get enough ghosts? Check out even more about The Ghosts of Chester by Luke Greensmith.
• The book Chester, City of Ghosts by Mary Ann Cameron has even more eerie tales.

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