31/10/2026
The Ghost of Pembroke Road
Long before Clifton became the elegant neighbourhood we know today, this very road had a far darker reputationβ¦
Back in the 18th century, murderous highwaymen stalked its shadows, and the area was once known as Gallowβs Acre Lane β a chilling reminder of the public executions that took place on nearby Clifton Downs.
Among those condemned was Jenkins Protheroe, a notorious dwarf highwayman, who met his grisly end at the gallows in 1783.
But some say his story didnβt end with his executionβ¦
On misty evenings, when the fog creeps across the Downs and the streets fall silent, a ghostly figure is said to climb down from the old gallows.
Could it be Protheroe, still wandering the road where his life came to a brutal end?
Next time you walk or jog up Pembroke Road on a foggy nightβ¦ perhaps donβt look too closely into the shadows. π―οΈ