While ghost hunting might not be for the faint of heart, if you’re looking for an alternative way to spend a suitably spooky rainy day, Manchester is home to some paranormal activity that is sure to get your pulse racing. From cold-blooded murders to curious executions, ancient witchcraft to uncanny curses, the sordid history of this northern city is ripe for hauntings. If you’re feeling brave, grab your torch and explore these 5 seriously spine chilling dwellings.
1. Wythenshawe Hall
Ranking as one of the 50 Most Haunted places in Britain, this Tudor mansion on the edge of town has been the location of some rather uncanny occurrences. The most familiar apparition to call Wythensawe Hall home is the White Lady thought to be Mary Webb. Ms Webb was a servant in the Hall who was killed at the time of the English Civil War, and has since been known to appear just outside of her former quarters, sobbing in a long white gown.
The White Lady Webb is not without some ghostly companions. Poltergeists have been known to play tricks on security guards, with inexplicable bumps in the night, including the sounds of gunfire. On one particularly active evening, a large tapestry flew off the wall, trapping the guards underneath! Less threatening apparitions include a group of monks sometimes seen walking the grounds.
2. Brannigan’s Nightclub
Brannigan’s Nightclub on Peter’s Street is said to be the sight of considerable ghoulish activity, often of a threatening nature. The staff have reported an invisible phantom playing havoc with the bar, flinging bottles against the wall and mysteriously turning taps on and off. Others report more sinister activity like the sensation of being followed and a force trying to push them down staircases. Mediums who have visited the bar attribute this activity to a man called Godfrey. However, the upper floor of the building was previously the site of an old Church. Perhaps the former Reverend Sam Collier objects to this godly house having been turned into a nightclub?
3. Manchester Cathedral
In the mid 19th century Manchester Cathedral was know to be the site of several supernatural occurrences. One of the best known is the tale of a gentleman who encountered his sister Fanny walking in the nave of the church. Excited to see his sister whom he thought was miles away, he called out to her and she suddenly vanished. The next day he learned that Fanny had been killed in an accident the same time he spotted her in the Cathedral.
On an even spookier note, a headless hound was also known to lurk just outside the Cathedral at night, once attacking a local tradesman. However, sources say the hound has since been exorcised.
4. Heaton Hall
Heaton Hall and the surrounding park is said to be home to more than twelve ghostly figures. The most famous is a former resident of the hall known as Alice. The young girl dressed in her nightdress still clings on to her former life and is often witnessed wandering the park in the early hours or appearing to the kitchen staff in the Orangery.
As Christmas draws near, an apparition of a coach and horses is also said to frequently be heard pulling up to the courtyard.
5. Strangeways Prison
It may come as little surprise that a prison, which has been the site of 100 hangings, might be home to a few unfriendly ghosts. In days gone by, the bodies of executed criminals were buried in unmarked graves within the prison wall – perhaps not the most peaceful of final resting places.
One phantom still frequently encountered in the prison is that of a man in a dark suit with a briefcase in hand. Always vanishing near the condemned cell, some have identified the man as John Ellis, a former executioner who committed suicide in the 1930’s.
And if you’re looking for a hotel in Manchester, consider the newly-refurbished Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport, which offers a convenient, great value base to explore Manchester and the surrounding area.
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Photo credits:
Streets of Manchester: edwin11
Manchester Cathedral: Michael Beckwith
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