HAUNTED CHESTER

Chester Chronicle

Chester: England's most haunted city?

Publish Date :18/11//2004

GHOSTS, SPIRITS AND POLTERGEISTS haunt the narrow streets, crypts and alleyways of Chester in such numbers, according to new research, that paranormal experts are giving it the spine chilling title of ‘England’s most haunted city’.

The ancient walled city of Chester, in north-west Britain, was founded by the Romans some 2,000 years ago as one of the three main legionary fortresses controlling the province of Britannia. When the Romans left, the fortress was fought over by successive waves of Vikings, Danes and Welshmen.

Even today, Chester is a compact and picturesque place, full of Roman remains and black-and-white medieval houses and inns.

Over the centuries, Chester has witnessed every high and low of human existence: from joy and jubilation to slaughter, famine, plague and war. It's no surprise then, that Chester boasts ghosts, hauntings and apparitions from every age of Britain's history.

Chester’s Roman ghosts are among the earliest in Britain. The best known is the phantom legionary who paces between the Roman fortress walls and the nearby ruined amphitheatre. Although apparitions typically become fainter over the centuries, this spectre remains so clear that experts have identified him by his armour. He seems to be a Decurion (an officer in charge of ten men) of the Second Legion Adiutrix, stationed at Chester in the AD 70s.

Not far from Chester’s half excavated Roman amphitheatre are the atmospheric ruins of St John’s church and priory. Peer up through the skeletal arches here, and you’ll see the curious ‘coffin in the wall’. Written inside it are the ominous words ‘Dust to Dust’. A spectral nun in a ‘bluish habit’ haunts the abandoned churchyard; witty guides and locals say she was originally buried in the 13th century oak casket to be ‘closer to heaven’.

During the brutal English Civil War, loyalist Chester was besieged by parliamentarian troops between 1643-46. Tudor House, on Lower Bridge Street, is one of Chester’s oldest domestic buildings and is still haunted by the headless spectre of a Royalist gentleman who was cruelly decapitated by a stray cannon ball.

Chester has more than its fair share of haunted inns and pubs, too. Ye Olde Kings Head is haunted; objects move inexplicably or disappear in Room 4, and messages appear on the mirror in Room 6. The lovingly restored black-and-white Falcon Inn has a resident poltergeist, while a phantom sailor occasionally drifts through the medieval stone crypt of Watergates bar with a seaman’s typical rolling gait.

Chester is truly a city of ghosts. Dave Sadler, of Cheshires paranormal investigators UPIA, says ‘My belief is that Chester, for its size, has the most haunted activity in the country. Some say it's York or Derby, but I disagree. The amount of ghosts per street in Chester is phenomenal.’

The above article appeared in the Chester Chronicle, highlighting the UPIA's belief in Chester being one of the UK's most haunted cities, a selection of tales appear on this page, all written by the UPIA and having been discussed in detail, as also stated at the end of each case.

THE MARLBOROBOROUGH ARMS, LITTLE ST JOHN ST:

A wonderfully charming little pub can be found next to the Blossom's in Chester. The Marlboroborough arms; as it is spelt on the sign above the door, ( due to the sign writer, leaving his work partially complete, before having a large liquid lunch, and completing it as you see it today. ) The pub itself has been running for about 150yrs, previously a coach house for the hotel next door. A terrible fire put an end to its days, with many lives of the attendants and animals lost. A few years later the still half standing coach house was rebuilt, and replaced by the hostelry that still stands there today.

Currently occupied by Chas and Kim pearsall, themselves having several unexplained experiences, Only a few days after taking charge of the pub, the licences were woken at 3am by the sounds of moving barrels. They ran down to the cellar, but all was fine, no disturbances. They waited until the next day and visited next door, but, of course, people don't crash barrels around in modern hotels, and nobody was in that area all night. Next Kim was cleaning the pub at about 2am and felt as though she was being watched. She looked up from the bar and saw an apparition of an old lady dressed in a large white bonnet and a lacy Victorian white dress, next to the fruit machine. Since then many folk have noticed odd goings on and lots of items have been found to have moved.

Since then many others have noticed odd goings on, items have been moved, one individual claims to have witnessed a tall man in Cromwellian type finery, leaning on the mantle of the fireplace at the rear of the pub. Unfortunately this claim has not been reported directly to the UPIA.

A child, dressed again in Victorian clothes has been seen by a few, wandering around aimlessly upstairs, disappearing after a while of being watched.

There is a story regarding the cellar. A former landlord was murdered there, when he stumbled upon a thief, his days were ended by the cut of a knife to the throat.

UPIA had the opportunity to spend an evening at the pub in April 2000, joined by Kim. Seven hours were spent on the investigation, the only occurrence to be reported was a breeze banging the male toilet door occasionally, this was logged and no other event transpired.

A full report was published in the Chester Evening Leader.

This is a fine pub, episodes of the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks have been recorded on site. Chas and Kim are down to earth, honest and reliable, both of whom were originally sceptical of paranormal related incidents, until witnessing things themselves.

This case was discussed at the MAPIT conference in Ellesmere Port in September 2000, also included in the Chester Chronicle.

THE ANCHORITE CELL

Between St Johns church and the river Dee in Chester stands the ancient Anchorite cell, which overlooks Chester’s groves.

It also believed to be the last home of the 1066 battle of Hastings king, Harold Godwinsson, the Saxon king slain by an arrow to the eye, during the war with William the Conqueror, depicted in the famous tapestries from the era.

Or was it Harold who was killed ?

Recently revealed research now claims the pictured man dying to be one of the nights. King Harold is now believed to have escaped to the walled city of Chester, becoming a hermit and residing in the cell with an elite form of monk.

This fact is only known as his wife, Queen Ealdgyth was often seen passing food through a curtained window of the cell, the monks only way of receiving sustenance.

Why would the Queen visit the cell if not for secret liaison’s with her supposedly deceased husband? Other historical documentation agree with Harold’s survival from the battle and his travel toward the North West and Chester.

St John's Church is the site of a haunting by a ghostly monk. This spectre only started appearing following the partial collapse of the great tower in 1881. He has been heard praying, and appears so real, it was only realised that he was not a real monk when he vanished into thin air in front of startled witnesses. A monk, quite possibly the same one, goes to and from the church by the old passage that runs by the side of the west tower and down to the river. At certain times of the year This ghost has also been described as following another route, up from the river bank, through the railings of the present Hermitage, and along a secret underground passage that connects the Anchorite Cell with the church. It has also been described as crossing the bowling green to the Anchorite Cell.

This is a spectre which has been seen on many occasions, known as Ergo the monk, could this actually be the most famous ghost in Cheshire, that of King Harold?

The cell now stands as a modernised house. During its renovation in the 1970's many apparitions of monks were witnessed by builders.

Reports have also appeared on the internet regarding poltergeist activity at the location. These reports are unconfirmed and probably incorrect. Poltergeist phenomena is very rare, and due to the Anchorite Cell being a residential property, and the occupiers not actually discussing any information concerning its alleged paranormal activities with any media or paranormal related group, we believe this to be untrue.

This case was discussed at the MAPIT conference in Ellesmere Port in September 2000, also included in the Chester Chronicle.