Ten of the most haunted places in Manchester to get you in the mood for Halloween

With Halloween fast approaching, we’ve put together a list of ten of the most haunted places across Greater Manchester.

From voices in the night, fiendish ghouls & ghosts to tales of murder and betrayal – Manchester’s history has something to scare the life out of anyone…

Read on if you dare!

Ordsall Hall, Salford

Popular with historians as well as ghost hunters due to its staggering history, Ordsall Hall is Salford’s oldest building dating back to 1177.

Obviously, a building that’s been about for so long doesn’t come without a few hair-raising tales.

Despite the ghost of a jilted bride roaming the Hall, a young girl who children regularly claim to have been ‘playing with’ and former resident Sir John Radclyffe whose spirit remains at the place of his death, it’s Ordsall’s White Lady who is most famous.

The most common theory around The White Lady is that she is the ghost of Margaret Radclyffe, daughter of Sir John, who committed suicide after the loss of her twin brother. She is said to appear dressed in white holding a candle, forever in search of her lost twin.

The Screaming Skull of Wardley Hall, Worsley

At first glance, this ancient manor house may seem like a fine example of early Tudor architecture dating back to the 1500s.

But behind the gothic doorways and at the top of the creaking oak staircase lies the haunted skull of Father Ambrose Barlow.

Father Ambrose was brutally executed on Easter Sunday of 1641 for secretly preaching Catholicism at a time of Protestant rule.

After being hung, drawn and quartered, his remains were boiled in tar and his deceased head mounted onto a spike outside of Lancaster Castle as a message to his fellow Catholics.

The skull eventually came to be hidden in Barlow’s hometown of Manchester inside Wardley Hall.

Here it has been said to haunt any person who tries to discard of it, with a faint scream said to follow those who have tried to hide or destroy the last remaining memory of Father Ambrose.

Put off by these tales, the skull now sits untouched at the top of the main staircase ready to haunt any man, woman or child brave enough to alter its location.

Wythenshawe Hall, Wythenshawe

This 16th-century manor house was once caught up in the blood and death of the English Civil War when Roundhead soldiers laid siege to the hall in the 1640s.

One of those who perished was former house servant Mary Webb, who was shot dead by soldiers after also watching her fiancé die in battle.

Her spirit, often referred to as the Lady in White due to visitors reporting the sight of a woman disappearing into the bedrooms draped in a long, white dress, can also be heard sobbing around the hall.

It’s believed the cries are that of her still trying to flee from the soldiers and her inevitable death

Underground Manchester

Most Mancunians will know of their city’s not-so-secret world of underground tunnels.

But aside from their vast contribution to several eras throughout history, the passages (whose origins remain unknown) have also been the location of many sinister goings-on underneath the hustle and bustle of the city’s streets.

The underground tunnels are said to have once been home to Manchetser’s Rat People.

Raised in the sewers and living their lives of misery underneath the wealth of the city, it’s no surprise that their spirits still haunt the people of Manchester to this day, more specifically anyone who chooses to pass through their former home.

But it’s not just the Rat People that make this the perfect place for a spooky season ghost tour.

We won’t ruin the tour for those who want to check it out, but you can also expect to hear the backstory behind two dead children that still haunt the tunnel along with the use of paranormal instruments to bring out the spirits of Manchester’s underground.

Perveril of the Peak, City Centre

Standing out with its unique colour and positioned between two busy city centre streets stands the Peveril of the Peak. But behind its ancient walls appears to be a spirit that just wants to help out.

This peculiar-looking pub has stayed in the same family for four generations now, and that might explain why the current landlords are receiving a helping hand from someone who seems to know their way around the 19th century pub.

Spooky (yet helpful) happenings include shattered glass clearing itself up and pint glasses seemingly taking themselves to the glass-wash. Whether this is a previous landlord just helping out or something more sinister remains to be seen.

Ring O’ Bells Pub, Middleton

Evidence suggests that this current Middleton pub dates as far back as the Saxon period. But it’s during the 17th century where the site became the location of a brutal massacre that still haunts the pub today.

The building was used by Royalists as a secret base during the English Civil War at a time when Middleton was heavily Parliamentarian. The group of Cavaliers, which included the son of Lord Stannycliffe, used a secret tunnel leading to the local parish church if they ever needed to escape the building.

However, after being betrayed one night, the group were slayed inside of their hidden passage where Cromwell’s men lay in wait for the Royalists as they attempted to flee the Ring O’Bells. The bodies were dismembered and buried in the cellar of the pub.

Landlords have reported having stones thrown at them when alone in the cellar as well as hearing glasses inexplicably smashing and footsteps stomping around the pub.

Greengate Brewery, Middleton

After being set up by retired cotton manufacturer John Lees in 1828, this Middlewich site is still a fully-functioning brewery over 190 years later.

But while to many it’s a place of work, it’s not uncommon for the brewery to also be a place of death.

From as far back as the 1800s when the brewery was being constructed, workers have been falling to their deaths at the site with bodies commonly found at the bottom of vats and wells.

But perhaps the scariest part is that these deaths are still happening. As recently as 2014, a delivery driver was found dead at the bottom of a beer tanker inside the brewery.

If you do put that down to an eerie coincidence, maybe sightings of a ghostly woman in the boardroom or those of a mysterious white-cloaked figure disappearing between the doors is enough to convince you of the hauntedness that lies beyond the daunting green gates.

Oldham Coliseum Theatre

Built in 1849 for a wealthy family of cotton manufacturers, the building currently home to Oldham Coliseum Theatre would’ve once been considered a fine example of a stylish interior fit for its well-to-do inhabitants.

But after being used as a hospital throughout the First World War, the once homely hall came to possess as much cosiness as a graveyard. It’s now commonly frequented by those in search of supernatural spirits.

Those brave enough to enter have reported sudden changes in temperature, unexplained smells and objects such as cigarette stubs mysteriously falling from a seemingly unoccupied balcony.

But perhaps the most sought-after sighting for those in search of paranormal activity is that of a small, Victorian girl who roams the premises at night.

Ryecroft Hall, Audenshaw

Constructed in 1849 for a prosperous cotton manufacturing family, Ryecroft Hall has accumulated its share of eerie legends, especially after serving as a hospital during the First World War.

The hall is known for classic ghostly phenomena, including abrupt temperature shifts and sightings of a young Victorian girl wandering the property.

Adding to its mystique are peculiar occurrences, such as cigarette butts mysteriously falling from a balcony.

These elements make Ryecroft Hall a popular destination for ghost hunters across the area.

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel

The Kimpton, originally built in the late 1800s as the headquarters for The Refuge Assurance Company, was transformed into a hotel in 1996.

But visitors aren’t always alone, as the spirit of a mourning war widow, who tragically ended her life by jumping down one of the main staircases, is said to remain.

Despite several renovations to modernise the hotel and distance it from its haunted reputation, guests still describe an unsettling atmosphere.

One guest even shared online that they couldn’t stay the entire night due to the eerie vibe, while another reported hearing the sounds of children playing late at night, particularly from the notorious room 261.

For the full interactive map of the most haunted places in Manchester, please visit Most Haunted Manchester by clicking here

Do you think we’ve missed any of the most haunted places in Manchester? Let us know!