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The mysterious haunted caves near Greater Manchester where four children ‘vanished’
Have you seen or heard strange things happen here?
There are some mysterious haunted caves close to Greater Manchester filled with ghostly figures, witches, monks and dwarfs.
Just a few miles from Ashton-in-Makerfield, there’s a mystical underground world called Crank Caverns.
According to local history archives, sandstone quarrying began here as early as 1730 — no wonder it’s haunted!
Having seen plenty of paranormal activity over the years, the abandoned quarry near Rainford in St Helens, has attracted visitors from far and wide to see if its folklore is really true.
The spooky abandoned site is said to be home to dwarfs, monks and witches who inhabit its labyrinth of caverns, living deep underground.
Many have reported seeing the monks walking deep into its murky tunnels, seen a ghostly highwayman leaning on a rock, heard the echoing of strange voices and even spotted what resembles a witch’s face on a rock wall.
Formerly called Rainford Delph Quarry, the area is filled with a network of tunnels and caverns, as well as an extensive woodland — enough to make your imagination run wild.
The caverns aren’t easy to locate and are now sealed off by a gate on the private road that leads up to it.
The caves are thought to have been used as a game reserve by the Earl of Derby, and then an ammunition storage facility during the Second World War.
Legend has it in the late 18th century, four children decided to explore the sandstone caverns and vanished. One child survived and told a story about small old men with beards who killed his three friends and chased him.
The petrified child stumbled over human bones in the caves and finally managed to scramble through an opening to the surface as a hand was grabbing at his ankle.
The authorities were concerned because a number of people had gone missing in the area near the cave entrances.
Two heavily armed soldiers descended into the caverns with torches and claimed that they not only found a heap of human bones, they also found the ruins of an ancient church of some unknown denomination.
The interior of the church was lit by three large candles and grotesque gargoyles formed part of an altar.
Throughout the exploration of the underground, the soldiers said they felt as if they were being watched, and also heard voices speaking in an unknown language.
It is believed one report said that a child’s head was found in a cave, along with evidence of cannibalism. After a second investigation, the caves either collapsed or gunpowder was used to seal them.
Another myth surrounding Crank Caverns is that there could be a cathedral deep within the caves, however through research, Lewis Atherton from Exploring History UK folklore podcast, along with Claire Rigby from Momo’s cafe, believe this is not the case.
In the podcast, Lewis said: “In a caving world, a cathedral would be the opening of a cave, of a mine. The best way to describe a cathedral in a mine is how it is described to this day — a big grand opening with big rooms and big walls.”
Claire said: “If you studied caving at university, a cathedral would be classed as the largest cave out of a series of caves and caverns, and the largest cave would normally have some sort of slab and that would be where a lot of miners would sit and rest and drink and things like that.”
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Hot Wheels interactive experience hosting its first-ever European event in Trafford
This will be mint!
A Hot Wheels interactive experience is coming to Trafford Park this summer, the first time the event has ever taken place in Europe.
Coming from Live Nation, BeFUN, and Mattel, the Hot Wheels City Experience is heading to the B.E.C Arena in Trafford Park this August, making its European debut as it brings the legendary toy cars to life.
Spanning a series of immersive stations and interactive activities, the event will have something for families and devoted collectors alike.
Hot Wheels City Experience
The 6,000 square metre experience will let fans step through a nostalgic and educational journey consisting of 10 stations, including a design centre, immersive museum, playground, gamer zone and Hot Wheels Lab.
Fans will go on a journey through the colourful world of Hot Wheels, starting with an introductory video which will take a deep dive into the history and culture of the brand.
Luís França / Hot Wheels City Experience
The next station features an immersive museum and expo where visitors will get to see the best of the Hot Wheels collections – including graphics with the history of Hot Wheels, classic arts of the brand, and the Hot Wheels legendary life-sized cars.
There’s also the Gamer Zone, where gamers can show off their skills, the Design Centre, where the latest technology is used to introduce colour and graphic projection onto virtual cars, and a Digital ‘build your car’ and painting workshop where fans can create and have their work emailed to them or projected on the walls.
Hot Wheels City Experience
Lastly, the Hot Wheels Lab will let guests play with the most popular Hot Wheels toys, including giant tracks and pre-built racecourses – with the opportunity to win prizes.
The Hot Wheels City Experience opens its doors on August 13th and runs until September 12th 2024, with presale tickets launching at 10am next Wednesday, April 24th – sign up for pre-sale HERE.
On-sale tickets will be available at 10am on April 26th, starting from £27.50 for adults and £22.50 for children – head here for more info.
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Epic indoor inflatable park reopens with huge new ball pit filled with nearly half a million balls
Take advantage of the discount while it’s still available
A Greater Manchester indoor inflatable park has reopened after a revamp revealing the addition of a huge new ball pit filled with nearly half a million balls.
Inflata Nation has reopened its doors in Trafford Park after undergoing a renovation, revealing some exciting new features for visitors to enjoy.
If you’re wondering what you can do to keep the kids entertained, why not take them to this newly upgraded indoor park?
An incredible blue ball pit filled with 418,000 balls looks like an ocean as it floods the open space. Other new features include the epic double tipping slide, a ballcano, ball pit blasters and obstacle courses.
The park has also upgraded its mini arena, which is exclusively for children under four.
Packed with ball pits and engaging soft play activities, this area offers sensory stimulation and opportunities for cognitive development, tailored specifically for the little ones, the park says.
Since opening back in 2017, the site has attracted thousands of visitors looking for fun-packed family days out.
Visitors have jumped into its ball pits, bounced on its inflatables and dived down its slides, where they’ve enjoyed plenty of fun and laughter that has brought them back time and time again.
Tickets for Inflata Nation Manchester cost £13.99 for visitors aged four and above and £6.99 for under fours. You can add an extra hour for £8.50 and £3.50 respectively. The park is also offering 15% discount of all visits when booked in advance online until April 17th.
To get the discount simply head to the booking panel on the website, choose the location, complete your details and enter the correct discount code at checkout. For Manchester use the code: EASTERMANC. For discount on bookings and more information, click HERE.
Inflata Nation Manchester is located on Textilose Road, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1WA.
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Charity pop-up with up to 70% off designer clothes coming to King Street
Funds will be used to help women looking for employment support
A sustainable charity fashion pop-up is coming to Manchester’s King Street this month.
The pop-up marks the first event as part of a new concept ‘King Street Presents’ and will feature some of the best and newest names in fashion including the likes of Adanola, Barbour, Nobody’s Child, Pretty Lavish, Rixo, Saint & Sofia, Whistles and more.
Shoppers can enjoy up to 70% off items with all proceeds raised being donated to the female-founded charity, Smart Works.
Smart Works Greater Manchester can be found at 35 King Street from Thursday, April 18th to Saturday 20th, with its sustainable fashion pop-up shop, selling brand new high street, designer and pre-loved clothing and accessories.
The pop-up will raise vital funds to support Smart Works’ two Greater Manchester centres, in Manchester city centre and Stockport.
The team will also be on hand to provide advice and guidance on how to access their free services to any women looking for support in finding employment and preparing for job interviews.
During its time on King Street, Smart Works will share the postcode with its roster of high- profile tenants which include; GAIL’s artisan bakery, The White Company, El Gato Negro restaurant and vintage football shirt hotspot, Stunner, to name just a few.
Thomas Royston, director at DTZ Investors, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Smart Works Greater Manchester to King Street. At its core is a female founder on a purpose-led mission to make a difference to women.
“For them to choose King Street as their platform for reaching and showcasing their offering and commitment to women across Manchester is a testament to the reputation this now renowned street has developed in recent years.
“As part of our ongoing ESG policy we will be continuing to work with a selection of exclusive brands throughout 2024 to take up pop-up stores in currently vacant units on the street, enriching the retailer experience for visitors and giving a physical presence to out of area and online brands.”
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