A666 Devil's Highway
The A666, known as the Devil's Highway, is plagued by phantom coaches, mysterious accidents, and an atmosphere of dread attributed to its ominous number.
The A666 runs through Lancashire and Greater Manchester, connecting Bolton with the M65 motorway near junction 3. Its numerical designation has given it the nickname “Devil’s Highway,” and the road has developed a dark reputation that seems to match its sinister name. For over two centuries, travelers on this route have reported encounters with phantom coaches drawn by headless horses, mysterious accidents with no discernible cause, and an oppressive atmosphere of dread that overwhelms drivers, particularly at night.
The most frequently reported phenomenon is a phantom coach that appears without warning, typically on the stretch between Darwen and Bolton. Witnesses describe a black carriage drawn by four horses, driven by a cloaked figure, that races alongside modern vehicles or charges directly toward them before vanishing. The coach appears solid and real, causing drivers to swerve violently to avoid collision. The horses are sometimes described as headless or aflame, and the sound of hooves and wheels on cobblestones can be heard even when the apparition is not visible. These sightings have been reported consistently since at least the 1800s, predating the modern road designation.
The A666 also has an abnormally high accident rate, which some attribute to paranormal interference rather than road conditions alone. Drivers report sudden inexplicable loss of control, as though their steering wheels are being wrestled from their grip, or experiencing overwhelming compulsions to accelerate into dangerous situations. Others describe seeing shadowy figures darting into the road, causing emergency braking that sometimes results in collisions. Local folklore connects these phenomena to the road’s number, suggesting that its designation as 666—the biblical “number of the beast”—has somehow attracted or concentrated malevolent energies. Whether the hauntings are genuine supernatural activity or psychological effects of the road’s ominous reputation remains debated, but the Devil’s Highway continues to unsettle those who travel it.