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Our paranormal investigators have been looking into the most haunted streets in Liverpool – and what we’ve found may terrify you.
Liverpool has such a deep and rich history – and with some sinister happenings and spooky areas, it’s understandable that a few tortured souls walk the streets, despite no longer being in the land of the living.
When night falls and the wind whips through your hair, it’s easy to believe in ghosts – especially in Liverpool.
Table of Contents
Penny Lane
While most people may know Penny Lane for the famous Beatles song , there are some more sinister characters which were conveniently left out of the upbeat tune.
One house, in particular, has attracted disturbing, unexplained happenings. Number 44 was famously haunted by an aggressive poltergeist in the Victorian period, and the spirit has not yet left. The malevolent ghost bangs all nights and runs along corridors, not happy with the people who continue to occupy its house.
There’s also the spirit of a little girl who combs her hair in the window of Number 44, even when no girl’s are living or staying in the building.
Pickwick Street
Toxteth has had some of the most terrifying reports of paranormal activity in the last couple of years. Pickwick Street is home to the Pickwick Poltergeist, a malevolent spirit that was first reported over 130 years ago.
In one instance, a woman was lifted out of her bed by an unexplained force, while other residents on the street have heard bangs, wailing and mysterious scratching in the dead of night.
There were also reports of a house shaking so much that the residents thought it was sure to collapse, as well as slamming doors and the overwhelming feeling of dread at several properties.
The Epstein Theatre & Hanover Street
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Formerly the Neptune Theatre, the Epstein Theatre on Hanover Street – which is named in Brian Epstein’s honour – has a long and disturbing history.
Constructed over a century ago, there’s been numerous suicides at the theatre and, in the 1920s, the ghost of a man with a broken neck was seen haunting the dressing rooms. He’s thought to be a former stage manager who hung himself. His appearance is said to herald misfortune or death. One unfortunate actress, however, who saw the ghoul and his sideways hanging head later died during a routine operation. Her ghost now also apparently haunts the theatre – and a number of people have reportedly seen a slim, mournful looking woman wandering about the stage.
Then, in February 1993, a musical production of Dennis Wheatley’s book “The Devil Rides Out” was staged at the theatre and, apparently, uproar ensued when a pentagram was chalked on stage. The cast members were then absolutely tormented throughout the shows run.
St James’ Cemetery
There are reportedly 58,000 bodies buried in St James’ Cemetery, so it makes sense that a few of the deceased won’t have passed over to the other side. Set in the grounds of the beautiful Anglican Cathedral, the gardens are home to more than a few spiritual apparitions.
William Huskisson was the first man to be killed by a train in 1830 and is frequently seen limping through the darkness after leaving his mausoleum. There’s also a spring which has been linked to a local witch from centuries ago and a vampire-like being that stalks the grounds in the dead of night.
The cemetery is the resting place for thousands of Liverpool people, from merchants to shipbuilders and mass graves of cholera victims. All with the potential to rise from the grave and wander the earth to finish their business.
Queensway Tunnel
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While the Queensway Tunnel is a regular route for many who work over the water, there have been a few nasty accidents which haunt the tunnel to this day.
In the 1960s a woman was killed in a motorbike accident and she continues to torment drivers by standing in the middle of the road thumbing for a lift, causing cars to swerve to avoid her.
There is also an old-fashioned police car that drives down the tunnel in the early hours of the morning, only to seemingly disappear into thin air.
When the tunnel was being constructed, several workers lost their lives and now spend eternity trapped in the mile-long tunnel beneath the Mersey. Haunting the drivers that they gave their lives for.
Knowsley Hall Roads
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Knowsley Hall is famous for the safari park that sits in the 2,500 acres of land. But it’s also famous for its ghosts.
The roads surrounding the hall are haunted by two ghostly, vintage cars with no drivers and dangerously bright headlights, pounding along at full speed and causing accidents amongst the living.
The hall itself also houses a few spirits, with ghostly butlers and Victorian staff – but the most terrifying of all is the wailing woman.
Said to wander the grounds at 4 am with dark eye sockets, the woman screams and cries into the darkness. When paranormal investigators looked into the occurrence, they reportedly captured the woman on camera. A week later, two of the group died under mysterious circumstances.
Hope Street
As far as haunted streets in Liverpool go, the Georgian Quarter is a feasting ground for spirits. Hope Street, being home to the two cathedrals and the most haunted pub in the city, is a prime example.
Where the Metropolitan Cathedral now stands was once the largest workhouse in Britain, where 4000 troubled souls worked their fingers to the bone. A dark phantom now walks the steps of the cathedral when night falls and paranormal investigators claim it to be a victim of a fire in 1862 when 21 children and two nurses died.
There’s also The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, where a Banshee wails in the cellars and an old man in a cloth cap sits in a corner and mutters to himself, before disappearing upon closer inspection.
Breeze Hill
There is a house on Breeze Hill that has had reports of a malevolent spirit for years. A former slave named George supposedly has a lot of anger pent up and takes this out on new residents of the house.
One man claimed to have been slapped in the face while he slept in his bed while another was forced to flee the property after being chased out by an angry force.
There’s also a house that is home to a spirit that appears around 14 years old. A photo exists of a family sat on their sofa with an extra child stood behind them. In the same family, the father has asked the ghost to make a cup of tea, after mistaking it for his own son. Needless to say, the spirit did not comply.
Who knows, maybe all the instances are the same spirit taking on different forms in Breeze Hill – one of the most haunted streets in Liverpool.
Rodney Street
Rodney Street is widely regarded as one of, if not the, most haunted streets in Liverpool and once you hear the stories, it’s easy to understand why.
With over 40 catalogued ghosts on the street, it’s common to see or feel something not-quite-right when tiptoeing down the road.
The most famous site is the graveyard of the Church of St Andrews, where the pyramid tomb of William Mackenzie sits. The imposing structure holds the remains of the wealthy Victorian, who supposedly bet his soul in a game of poker with the devil. William Mackenzie now wanders Rodney Street as a restless soul, destined to be trapped in the middle realm until his judgement day comes. He’s often seen appearing from the church’s wall as day breaks.
There’s also the mysterious case of Lantern Jaw, a tall and terrifying man with a huge square jaw, a long flowing cloak and a top hat, who wanders the street when darkness falls.
Polly is a female spirit who haunts the former nurses home, dressed all in white and mourning her tragic death. Or keep an eye out for a well-dressed woman who stalks Rodney Street with a young girl – these spirits only began to walk the mortal realm when bones of an adult and a child were unearthed by workmen in St Andrew’s Cemetery.
Menlove Avenue
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The entirety of Menlove Avenue may not be one of the most haunted streets in Liverpool, but if you journey to number 251, you may see a familiar face.
251 Menlove Avenue is John Lennon’s childhood home and since the house was donated to the National Trust, there have been numerous reports of the famous Beatle peering out of his bedroom window and walking the grounds in a white suit.
A fan camped out all night to try and see the spirit of his hero and claimed to have captured a picture of a ghostly figure through a window.
Bibby Lane
The local residents of Bibby Lane in Bootle are extremely familiar with the infamous headless horseman that charges the streets in the middle of the night.
The ghost is rumoured to be an innocent man who was lynched by a mob before being strapped to a horse’s back and paraded through the streets of Liverpool.
There is supposedly no head where it should be and the apparition charges with menace towards people who walk down the road.
Canning Street
Back to the Georgian Quarter now for another spooky story from years gone by.
Canning Street is within walking distance of the Anglican Cathedral, but it’s home to its own set of ghosts and is considered one of the most haunted streets in Liverpool.
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One house reported a number of unusual events that left everyone who witnessed it shaken to the core. During a teenage party in the late sixties, the group of youngsters heard strange sounds coming from the first floor. Upon investigating the noises, the group saw the lock rotating all by itself – despite the parents of the house locking all doors to prevent mischief. The same family spoke of a clock that sat on their mantle which hadn’t worked for years when all of a sudden, late at night, a singular chime rang and when a member of the family glanced up in confusion, she was greeted by a set of red eyes that quickly disappeared.
Further along the street was a report of a jewellery and clock repairman who looked across the road to see a woman brushing her hair in a window. As he watched, a man approached her from behind and tried to suffocate the woman, during the struggle, the light source was extinguished, plunging the scene into darkness. When the man reported the event to the police, no evidence could be found and no missing person matched the description.
Fenwick Street
Last year, TV’s Most Haunted paid a visit to The Slaughterhouse – a historic pub on Fenwick Street after many reports of paranormal activity.
Bar staff often refuse to lock up the pub on their own and customers and staff alike have reported moving objects, ghostly figures and being touched.
A former landlord once told an investigator “After everyone else has gone, I’ve been in the bar with a pint of Guinness and you can hear the toilet doors downstairs opening and shutting, opening and shutting, and you know there’s no one down there.”
Most of the ghosts are said to be friendly and don’t want to cause harm, such as the child called Billy who has been heard laughing and a middle-aged woman who is searching for her son. But Walter, a man who worked in the pub in the 1800s is very rude and bad tempered and doesn’t like people being in his space.
Newsham Park and its Hospital
Today, Newsham Park Hospital is nothing more than an abandoned building in Liverpool. However, this lonely landmark has a long and deeply disturbing history. Completed in 1874, Newsham Park Hospital was once an orphanage, before being sold to the government in 1951 so it could be used as a hospital. before closing its cursered doors in 1997, however, the hospital spent its final years as a mental asylum – we mean, how creepier could you get.
Sightings, sounds and unexplained events at the orphanage-come-hospital-come-asylum are not uncommon, and can be traced back to 1949. A nurse at the hospital once claimed that she saw numerous paranormal events take place – events she couldn’t begin to explain. The nurse in question was later found dead in a ward.
Since her death, eerie goings on increased tenfold.
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Patients at the hospital complained about an otherworldly presence, and many reported seeing children standing in their rooms and playing in the corridors. One person was said to have heard banging from old cupboards in which children were kept when naughty, while a headless man supposedly haunts the passageways alongside a Victorian Matron.
Described as “pure evil,” Newsham Park Hospital is undoubtedly the most haunted place in Liverpool.
Haunted Streets in Liverpool
It’s undeniable that Liverpool has a history – the effects of which has taken its toll on those seeking to move onto the next realm. What do you think? Are the streets of Liverpool haunted? Have you ever experienced any odd goings-on along the haunted streets in Liverpool?
It’s easy to believe in spirits when the nights get longer and colder and the wind whistles around the streets in Liverpool.
It’s not just streets that are haunted here, there’s plenty of buildings that are home to a ghoul or two. Take a look at our list of the most haunted buildings in Liverpool.
