Spooky season is here meaning the tales and myths of the most haunted places across Bradford will be coming to light once more – who knows, even a ghost might appear.
If you have been wondering where some souls of the past might live in and around the city this Halloween, look no further.
Here are some of Bradford’s most haunted historical buildings, according to Haunted Rooms.
Some of Bradford's most haunted places
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Paper Hall – built in 1643
Haunted Rooms comments: “One of the most striking reports of paranormal activity to come out of Paper Hall tells of a pair of large staring eyes belonging to a very ghastly face often seen looking out of the windows, startling those passing by!
“Residents have also reported the sound of someone going up and down the staircase in the dead of night, but upon investigation, there is nobody around.
“The footfalls seem to have a very distinct pattern with a distinct tap which has led people to believe that the spirit in question is an old Admiral with a peg leg who was apparently murdered in the building some time ago!”
Bradford City Hall – built in 1873
“For several decades the cellar of the building served as the police cells for the local authorities,” adds Haunted Rooms.
“Local legends speak of a prisoner named Charlie who once occupied those cells before being executed for his crimes and it is said to be his restless soul that now haunts City Hall as he seeks his revenge for the ill-treatment at the hands of police.”
The haunted experts continued to say: “There have been instances of poltergeist activity here and there over the years and it is fairly common for staff to hear the sounds of a full-court in session despite the fact that it has been well over 20 years since the courtroom has been used!”
Parkside Social Club
Haunted Rooms explains: “Parkside Social Club may not look like much, but it is actually one of the most haunted places in Bradford. In the past, the building has served as an institute and a schoolroom and this is where the resident spooks seem to come from.
“One of the most common sightings is of a young girl in Victorian-style clothing who is often seen and heard by staff and customers alike. She is said to run around upstairs and her footsteps are frequently heard on the stairs."
Bolling Hall – built in 1086
The current building that stands as Bolling Hall is the oldest house in Bradford, according to the Haunted Rooms website.
“If we look back to the Civil War, the Royalists took the town of Bradford in 1643, putting all inhabitants to the sword. It was actually during this time that the first paranormal occurrence was reported at Bolling Hall.
“One night the Royalist Commander, the Earl of Newcastle said he was woken during the night by a ghostly woman tugging on his bedsheets. She apparently warned him to ‘pity poor Bradford’.”
Over the years, there have been many paranormal disturbances, with “20 recorded sightings” from a child’s crib rocking back and forth without being touched, to people being watched in the Blue Room by the likes of “a lady in white who is seen floating in mid-air and then disappearing into the fireplace.”
The building has also been featured on popular paranormal television shows such as Most Haunted.
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Midland Hotel – built in 1890
Haunted Rooms revealed: “One of the hotel’s claims to fame is that famous Thespian Sir Henry Irving and his manager Bram Stoker stayed there during Irving’s turn as archbishop Lord Tennyson’s ‘Beckett’ at the Theatre Royal.
“It was there that he famously collapsed on stage after suffering a stroke and was rushed to the lobby of the Midland Hotel where he passed away.
“It is no surprise then, that there are claims that Irving is the ghost who haunts the hotel today.”
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