With the third national coronavirus lockdown due to end, on April 12 the government will relax the 'stay local' message, which means that for the first time in months we can get out and visit some of our favourite creepy and fascinating haunted locations.
Like a lot of people, you might be hoping to make up for lost time and visit as many famous
paranormal hotspots as you can this summer, so to help you out we've put together a list of six spooky places that are famous for their ghost stories in the North West of England.
Where possible with tried to pick open air locations and tourist attractions that will be allowed to open under the relaxed guidelines.
Castlerigg Stone Circle
This ancient stone circle high in the Lake District near Helvellyn is one of the oldest in the UK. It has been the site of rituals and celebrations for more than 5,000 years. It was erected in around 3200 BC and is thought to have been a holy site.
Pendle Hill is famous for its history of witchcraft, murder and execution. In 1612, 12 people were accused of a spate of local murders and witchcraft was said to be involved in the killing. The twelve witches lived in the area surrounding Pendle Hill and were charged with the murders of ten people
One of the accused died in prison, the other 11, nine women and two men, were tried for witchcraft and ten were found guilty and hanged. The trials are some of the most famous and best recorded witch trials in British history.
The location was the sight of one of Most Haunted's most memorable investigations to date. Yvette Fielding took her team to Pendle Hill for a live show which was broadcast over halloween 2004. During the broadcast the team were investigating the farmhouse, which is said to be haunted by the ghost of the witches, several team members said they felt like they were being chocked and one-by-one left the location.
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Nestled within a modern estate, just five miles outside of Liverpool city centre, is a 210 roomed mansion that is said to be haunted by its previous occupants. The building doesn't have the grim or negative stories that are normally associated with haunted houses, but none the less, it is said to be haunted by visions of its past.
In the kitchens the sounds of servants can be heard busying themselves and the ghostly vision of a house maid has been seen. In the billiard room, dark figures have been seen sitting in non-existent chairs and the smell of tobacco has been smelt. Motion detectors continuously go off for know apparent reason in the breakfast room. The former servants quarters in the building's attic is also said to be a very active paranormal hotspot.
Hack Green was first used during the Second World War, its purpose was to confuse German bombers looking for the vital railway junction at Crewe. In the 1950s, the site became part of the ROTOR project and a reinforced concrete bunker was built and became known as RAF Hack Green. After being abandoned for some years, the Home Office took it over and converted the bunker to Regional Government Headquarters which remained in use until 1992.
The bunker is now a museum, and guests and staff have reported paranormal activity, including seeing the apparition of a young woman in the bunker's former telecommunications area. An aggressive male spirit is also said to haunt this area.
In the main corridor witnesses have seen a man dressed in period uniform, or have picked up on a general feeling of unease. Part of the bunker is now a theatre, and here guests have reported being touched and even pushed by an unseen force.
The Battle of Rowton Moor took place here during the English Civil War in 1645, and it has left its mark on the land forever. It was one of the most bloody battles of the conflict with a huge number of English soldiers brutally killed here.
The area is now haunted by the ghosts of men on horseback, who are said to appear each year around September 24th. Walkers have reported hearing the faint sound of music echoing across the landscape, which is thought to be the ghost of William Lawes, King Charles' court musician, who was shot down by a parliamentarian.
St. James's Cemetery, situated behind Liverpool Cathedral, is said to be one of the most haunted locations in Liverpool. The Grade I Historic Park and urban burial site dates back to 1936 and has made the news in recent years after reports of ghostly sightings.
A video was recently posted on Facebook which appears to show a silvery white figure on a path running through the gardens. The ghostly figure seems to appear and disappear.
Others have seen the ghost of MP William Huskisson leaving his grand mausoleum where he was laid to rest in 1830, after he was run over by George Stephenson's Rocket locomotive. There's also said to be a woman in black who's been seen gliding towards a tomb that was ransacked by grave-robbers in the 1970s.
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