Ripon Union Workhouse - Haunted History

There's been a workhouse on the site in the North Yorkshire city of Ripon since 1776, the current building was erected in 1854.

The workhouse was the last resort for many of the poor in the area, they were forced to come to the workhouse and complete daily tasks in exchange for food and shelter. Today a museum is located in the former male vagrants section and receiving ward where there are 14 cells where these unfortunates were locked in for the night.

The oppressive and depressing atmosphere of the Victorian workhouse has been carefully maintained in order to give visitors a sense of what life there would have been like. So it's no wonder that staff and visitors to the museum have reported seeing dark shadows of inmates going about their daily chores, heard the sounds of children crying in the dark and even had things thrown at them by mischievous poltergeists.