The most haunted places in Greater Manchester to give you nightmares this Halloween

If you think a walk down Market Street on a Saturday afternoon is the scariest thing Manchester has to offer, you are gravely mistaken…

Because it turns out our region actually has a massive number of ‘allegedly’ haunted buildings ranging from pubs, abandoned hospitals and even cathedrals (yep, even the home of God isn’t safe these days).

So, here are some of the spookiest spots to get you into that Halloween spirit…

Dom Crossley / Wikimedia Commons

Manchester Cathedral

There are many great ghost stories stemming from this historical cathedral but the most prominent rumour of all is undeniably that of Black Shuck.

Black Shuck is the generic name for a demonic giant greyhound-type dog that would haunt villages back in the day and basically cause a whole load of havoc – and, apparently, there used to be one lurking in the shadows of Manchester Cathedral.

Though legend has it that the cathedral’s own Black Shuck was actually exorcised under the bridge crossing the River Irwell a couple of decades ago, so you don’t need to worry too much about getting chomped by a demonic dog from the underworld when you’re next walking by.

Michael D Beckwith / Wikimedia Commons

Ordsall Hall

The beautiful Ordsall Hall is one of the oldest buildings in the whole of Greater Manchester and is known today for its rich history… but, sadly, it is also known for housing a number of ghosts and ghouls.

Yep, the Elizabethan half-timbered manor house is apparently one of the most haunted places in the North West, and even has its own ‘ghost cam’ to capture the eerie going ons throughout the night – the most commonly reported paranormal activity takes place in the Star Chamber where the voices of small children have been heard.

Visitors to this room often report the room becoming colder, including getting shivers and feeling random cold drafts from nowhere (yes, those brave enough can actually take part in a guided ghost walk of the building… It’s a no from me).

Eccles.Express / Flickr

The Ring o’ Bells Pub

The infamous Ring o’ Bells pub in Middleton is notoriously haunted, which comes as no surprise considering it is built upon the site of an ancient Druid temple where regular sacrifices and massacres were known to take place.

And, if the presence of murdered souls wasn’t enough, the pub was also home to a pair of serial killer landlords in the 17th century – legend has it that the man and his wife murdered over sixty people during their time at the pub.

Over the years, punters have reported ghost sightings, the sounds of groaning and wailing from upstairs, and even the feeling of a cold invisible hand pulling at their pockets and coats. Reckon you’re brave enough for a pint in here?

Urban Explorers / YouTube

Stretford Memorial Hospital

The Stretford Memorial Hospital permanently closed in 2015, but a number of eerie spirits were allegedly left behind.

Built back in 1850 as a private residence, the building was eventually lent to the British Red Cross as an auxiliary hospital during the First World War where, as you can only imagine, hundreds of people passed away within its walls. Following the war, Stretford Memorial was then converted into a maternity hospital.

There have been a ton of ghoulish reports over the years and, thanks to the fact a number of the beds and hospital furnishings have been left behind in the abandoned building, visiting makes for a truly chilling experience (I definitely would not recommend it).

Brian Barnett / Flickr

Boggart Hole Clough

While Boggart Hole Clough is one of Blackley’s more scenic green areas, legend claims the 170 acre woodland has roots in the Bronze Age and is subsequently alive with spiritual history and general creepy going-ons.

Even wilder folklore claims there’s an actual Boggart living in the woods (for those of you who haven’t seen Harry Potter, a Boggart is an evil gremlin-like creature) and has been credited for snatching a number of missing children from the 1800s.

Folklore books also suggest that the worst thing you can do with a boggart is give it a name. If you do, it will attach itself to you and pursue you to the ends of the earth until it captures you. Something to think about when you’re next wandering in the woods, okay?

Gavin Clarke/Flickr

Barnes Hospital

Barnes Hospital, a stunning Grade II listed building in Cheadle once named the creepiest abandoned place in Britain, has now been transformed into flats – though you might not be the only thing that lives there…

Built in the 1870s by Robert Barnes, the hospital was designed to help the then thousands of factory workers in Manchester who worked and lived in dangerous and filthy environments. Of course, many people died within its four walls and, with a graveyard just around the corner, many of the poor souls who perished are said to lurk around today.

One individual reported that he saw a nurse, clear as day, doing her rounds of the patients. Only there were no patients, no beds and the tune she was whispering echoed deafeningly around the entire building. Spooky.