These are some of the most haunted places in Greater Manchester
From a skeleton that reportedly refuses to be buried, to a mischievous, goblin-like creature who is thought to creep amongst the trees, these spots in Manchester have got some really spooky stories.
If you’re looking for a real fright this Halloween, be sure to check out these frightfully spooky places in Manchester.
From well-known haunted spots like Ordsall Hall in Salford, to some lesser-known spooky haunt, we’ve rounded up some of the most terrifying places in Greater Manchester below.
Keep reading to discover some of Manchester’s most haunted hot spots, perfect to get you in the spirit for Halloween.
Ordsall Hall
Salford
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Many ghostly tales surround Orsdall Hall, which dates back to the Tudor times. There are three main ghosts that haunt the manor house: The White Lady, who has been spotted repeatedly; Cecily, who is a young girl, is said to roam the hall; and Sir John Radclyffe, the former occupant of the hall.
You can tune into their ghost cams between 5 pm – 8 am – or if you’re feeling brave you can attend a ghost night there.
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Barnes Hospital
Cheadle
The hospital was originally opened in the 1870s and was used to treat soldiers in the Second World War. It can definitely be said that the hospital has seen a lot of deaths in its time, which we expect leads to the ghostly activity reported here.
Nurses have reported the feeling of being watched, another nurse was delighted to see one of her patients walked up and down the stairs ready to go home only to find out he died the previous night.
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More recently the bell in the tower has rung excessively by itself and the shapes of patients sitting in their rooms have been seen.
Barnes Hospital & / Credit: Flickr | Geograph
Ryecroft Hall
Audenshaw
Things certainly do go bump in the night at Ryecroft Hall which once used to be a morgue during the war. It dates back to the mid-1800s and visitors have witnessed items being thrown across rooms, a Victorian child wandering around the hall and mysterious apparitions.
The cellar seems to have the most activity with screams and cries being heard from this dismal area. Many believe the grand staircase is haunted by a girl who fell to her death there too.
Boggart Hole Clough
Blackley
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Just three miles outside Manchester city centre lies the beautiful and very ancient woodland of Boggart Hole Clough. Covering 170 acres of dense woodland, the forest has roots dating back to the Bronze Age.
The name comes from the Boggart which is a mischievous, goblin-like creature who is thought to creep amongst the trees. Boggarts have the ability to make objects disappear and even make dogs unable to walk. Boggarts also have a strong penchant towards children and the cases of missing children here has been numerous since the 18th century.
Bramall Hall / Credit: TripAdvisor
Wardley Hall
Salford
Built back in 1500, this manor house is as haunted as they come. The hall is oddly home to the skull of a Benedictine monk who was hung, drawn, and quartered in 1641.
The monk is thought to be St Ambrose Barlow and his skeleton apparently refuses to be buried. It was once thrown into the moat after many unsuccessful burial attempts but this resulted in a terrible storm believed to have been caused by the spirit himself.
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Greengate Brewery
Middleton
This brewery has been visited by the Most Haunted team and made some pretty spooky discoveries. Previous workers have reported strange things like the feeling of someone being behind them, equipment being moved, and some spooky figures being seen in certain areas of the brewery.
The spirit of a lady is often seen sitting in the boardroom, a woman in a dark dress is seen floating down the halls and a man in a white cloak can disappear through cracks in doors.
Bramall Hall
Stockport
This Tudor manor house dates back to the Middle Ages and is haunted by The Maid of Bramall Hall. She has been spotted haunting the bedrooms of the hall and is a regular visitor to the residence.
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The chapel on the grounds has had reports of sounds of a child crying, the Paradise Room is said to be the most haunted room and is nicknamed ‘The Ghost Room’ due to its priest’s hole.
Other sightings have been a man on horseback and ghostly servants.
Smithills Hall & Ring O Bells Pub / Credit: Geograph | Manchester History
Smithills Hall
Bolton
As one of the oldest spots in the North West it is a prime destination for ghost hunters.
Sightings include a preacher who was executed in 1554. The Green Room where he was questioned is particularly active. He stamped on the floor as a gesture to his faith and left a footprint. The room has since had a massive amount of poltergeist activity.
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There is also a story that the footprint bleeds every year on the anniversary of his death. Other sightings and hearings include horses, soldiers, orbs, sudden drops in temperature and the smell of burning wood.
The Ring O’Bells Pub
Middleton
Gin and vodka aren’t the only spirits making a name for themselves in this pub. Named as one of the most haunted places in the UK, it is brimming with strange happenings and ghostly goings-on.
The site has foundations dating back to the Saxon period and is said to sit on land that was once an ancient Druid temple. The practise of dark rituals and even human sacrifice makes the site home to many unhappy spirits.
The resident spirit, known as the Sad Cavalier likes to move glasses along the bar, stomp heavy footsteps makes odd-sounding moans and grunts, and even throws rocks at the landlord or regulars.
Featured Image – Visitor Manchester
Boroughs
Two Trafford towns are set to see dozens of new EV charging points installed imminently
Danny Jones
Two big towns on the border of Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to see a fresh batch of electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed throughout their streets by Trafford Council very soon.
Local authorities have teamed up with engineering and infrastructure company Amey to roll out a series of new EV charging stations across Trafford, starting with Altrincham and Hale.
Dating all the way back to 2020, the collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the brand was tasked with helping improve sustainable travel across the area as the government body’s electric vehicle charging suppliers.
Steady improvements have been made across the 10 boroughs, but this particular update marks one of the biggest network upgrades that the likes of Alty and Hale have seen for some time.
Good news – we are thrilled to announce the installation of our first public EV charge points in collaboration with @TraffordCouncil.
Issuing a statement on Wednesday, 17 September, the firm – which specialises in managing, designing and maintaining complex facilities and transport infrastructure across the country – announced that they will “start the installation of EV charging points in Trafford in the coming weeks.”
It is expected that “up to 100 new public charges” will be integrated throughout the respective town centres and residential streets as the suburbs continues to push towards its sustainability goals.
As per Altrincham Today, Amey account director Anna Gornall said: “We’re excited to launch our first EV charge points in Trafford, working in partnership with Trafford Council (TC) to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities.
“As the UK’s leading provider of energy transition and decarbonisation solutions, we’re well placed to use our existing expertise and resources to support TC in delivering a holistic public EV charging network for local communities.
“We’re helping residents make the switch, so everyone can plug in and power a greener Trafford.”
The country at large has various carbon-free initiatives, including the aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the electoral ward of Trafford itself continues to thrive in this field, having recently won environmental accolades, including 12 ‘Green Flag Awards’ this past July.
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Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey, commented: “This is a pivotal moment in Amey’s energy transition strategy. By leveraging our extensive experience in whole lifecycle asset management, strong partnerships, and innovative solutions, we can deliver value for both our clients and members of the public who will use Amey’s electric vehicle charge points.
“Working with Trafford Council, we are making electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities and helping residents make the switch to EVs.
“Amey is well-positioned to support emerging opportunities within this landscape, and we are delighted to be working with Trafford and other local authorities to provide the public EV infrastructure needed to achieve the government’s transition to net zero.”
As for Trafford Council, Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, went on to add: “We are delighted to be working with Amey on this project to bring more and better charging options to the people of Trafford.
“This is an extension to the current EV charging options in the borough and is great news for committed EV owners and those who are thinking about going electric.”
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via Amey Ltd)
Boroughs
Further disruption expected as more bus strikes announced across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Further disruption is expected as even more bus strikes have been announced across Greater Manchester this autumn.
It comes after the strikes set to place this month from 19 to 22 September were announced a couple of weeks back, and now a second round will take place towards the end of this month and going into early October.
In case this is the first you’re hearing of the upcoming industrial action, 2,000 workers who are employed by Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester, and First Bus Rochdale – all of which are firms among those that make up the bus part of the Bee Network – are due to walk out in a co-ordinated strike amid an ongoing pay dispute.
Unite the Union says all the firms are ‘highly profitable’ and it’s therefore ‘disappointing’ that workers are being denied a fair wage.
More strikes have been announced on the Bee Network this month / Credit: TfGM
At Stagecoach, around 1,000 drivers based across the Oldham, Stockport, and Middleton depots have rejected a pay offer of 3.5%, and 1,000 Metroline Manchester members will also do the same after turning down an ‘unsatisfactory’ below-inflation pay offer.
Workers at both Metroline and Stagecoach believe the offer doesn’t address years of low pay they’ve recieved, especially given the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Then, over at First Bus Rochdale, 110 members have rejected this year’s pay offer of 6%, as they feel this does not go far enough to address the fact they’ve had years of being paid less than their counterparts at other companies, and are still the lowest paid in the region.
Stagecoach, Metroline, and First Bus Rochdale, part of First Group PLC, are all firms which have seen a rise in profits in recent years.
2,000 drivers are set to stage strike action over two different periods / Credit: TfGM
The second round of strikes will now take place from from 30 September to 2 October.
Speaking ahead of both sets of upcoming strikes, Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “These companies are very profitable but are putting greed over their hardworking members of staff.
“Further strike action will be extremely disruptive, however this is a dispute entirely of the bus companies’ making and they could solve it easily by coming back with a better deal.
“Our members involved in the dispute have Unite’s complete support.”
Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden, added: “The strikes this week as well as the further action we have called will cause travel chaos in Greater Manchester. However, it is entirely the fault of the employers involved, who have failed to address the issue of low pay and reward their staff accordingly.