Hauntings M
M1
Late evening on the 10th December 2011, the passenger of a car which was travelling south along the M1 near junction 29 saw a tall man dressed in a purple hooded coat standing in the motorway. The figure quickly vanished.
References:
Paranormal Database, 2015e.
Mabel Bower's Shop, Corporation Street, Chesterfield
In about 1969, the ventriloquist Ray Alan arrived at Chesterfield by train, in order to give a performance at Chesterfield Hotel (formerly the Station Hotel), with his dummy Lord Charles. Prior to entering the hotel, he went into a shop to buy some cigarettes. The shopkeeper seemed unfamiliar with the coins he was proffering and he was equally puzzled by the coins he was given in change. Upon leaving the hotel the next morning, he discovered the shop was no longer there. Although there used to be a sweet shop there, it had long ago been demolished. The shop involved in this apparent time-slip experience would appear to have been Miss Mabel Bower's shop, located on the left-hand side of Corporation Street when walking up from the station. Ray Alan, during an interview, described the shop as being 'hut like'.
A previous time-slip seems to have also occurred at this spot, involving a different experiencer, which was reported several decades ago in Psychic News.
© Derbyshire Times
References:
Brocklehurst, 2016; Eyre, 2016, Pitt, 2016.
Manor House Farm, Dronfield
Manor House Farmhouse, situated just behind the Manor House, was bought by Barry Gwyn and his wife in 1979. They commenced by renovating the building and during this time, the Gwynns and their son and the builders all heard a noise as if someone were running a stick over the wall by the fireplace.
In 1984 a decorator at work in the sitting room heard someone go upstairs and use the bathroom, even though there was no-one else in the house.
One night when his parents were out, the son heard the sound of a crash, as if a chimney stack had fallen. Upon arriving home, his parents could find nothing amiss.
Often people see, out of the corner of their eye, something flitting past at ankle level in the kitchen, raising the possibility of there being one or more ghost cats.
References:
Salim, 1987.
Manvers Court, Newbold Road, Newbold
At least one resident of the flats created from the former Scarsdale Hospital experienced much psychical activity there between 2002 and 2007.
References:
Eyre, 2016.
Market Place Signal Box, Chesterfield
In 1956, the semaphore type railway signals at the sidings adjacent to Market Place signal box were seen to go up and down, as if the signalman was pulling a lever in the signal box, despite the fact that the signalman had gone home for the night and the signal box was left locked. This was observed on various occasions by different people. The phenomenon ended when the railway was demolished.
Markham Colliery, Staveley
Many years ago, at Markham Colliery, the Osler, who was called Archie and whose responsibility it was to look after the pit ponies, died suddenly in the stables. Shortly after this, a miner by the name of Ron Webster was in an area close to the stables, when he looked towards the ponies and saw an apparition of Archie feeding the ponies.
Markham Colliery also had a reputation of being haunted by the ghost of a Deputy, who always appeared in a flooded area of the mine, where drainage pumps were installed, watching the men activating the pumps.
References:
Linahan, 1996.
Midland Cottages, Pleasley
In 1965, members of the Slater family witnessed both apparitional and poltergeist activity in one of the Midland Cottages. This included the sighting of an old lady sitting in a rocking chair, knitting, and crockery and photographs being damaged.
References:
Armitage, 2010b.
Millthorpe Lane, Holmesfield
Towards the end of the 19th century, it was rumoured that a ghost on a white horse appeared on Millthorpe Lane. To put this to the test, three local boys ventured down the lane to look for it at 11.30 one night. Seeing a white horse, they fled back home for their lives. Hearing of their plans, a local farmer had actually tethered a white horse there, to scare them!
References:
Merrill, 2003.
Mosborough Hall
Mosborough Hall, originally the home of Henry Carey (alleged to be an illegitimate son of Henry VIII) and now used as a hotel, used to have bloodstains trailing up the stairs and across the wooden floor of what is now the Bridal Suite. Despite all attempts, it was impossible to remove the stains. The origin of these stains dates back to 1692, when a serving wench was made pregnant by the local squire. She challenged him on the adjacent Hollow Lane to take responsibility but as he would not, she threatened to inform his wife about the matter. The squire then chased her back to the hall and murdered her in that upstairs bedroom.
During the First World War, soldiers billeted at Mosborough Hall heard, from the room with the bloodstained floor, an argument outside and also heard the crying of, and saw the image of, a young woman entering the room. The Medical Officer spent a night in the room and when he woke, he saw that the bed was dripping with blood. Various other witnesses have seen the image of a young woman (known as ‘The White Lady of Mosborough Hall’) inside or outside the hall or heard a couple arguing on Hollow Lane.
References:
Armitage, 2009a; Eyre, 2016.
Moss Valley
On the 24th August 2002, two women, whilst walking their dogs in the woods between Eckington and Ridgeway, saw a white female figure on horseback, which vanished as it rounded a non-existent corner.
References:
Paranormal Database, 2014d.
Murray House
When the groundsmen arrive at Murray House (now used as the clubroom of Tapton Golf Club) early in the morning to open up the building, they all have a frightening sensation of someone looking at them.
There was a room at the club which, from 1986, was used by staff to repair members’ golf clubs. Geoff Wilson, a former assistant to one of the professionals, carefully locked the room one night but, the next morning, upon unlocking the room, found broken clubs strewn across the floor and the racks which had previously held the clubs lay face downwards on the floor. Until 1985, there was a large fireplace in one wall of this room and many golfers at that time reported seeing the strange, ghostly figure of a man leaning over this spot.
In the early 1980s, a bricklayer carrying out some work at the Club tried to sleep overnight in this room, which at the time was used as a staff rest room. However, he did not last the night there, having been frightened by the apparition of a man staring at him when he woke in the early hours.
A figure which regularly appears in the corner of the building is often mistaken for a member of staff.
References:
Pearson, 1986; Brindle, 2011.
Late evening on the 10th December 2011, the passenger of a car which was travelling south along the M1 near junction 29 saw a tall man dressed in a purple hooded coat standing in the motorway. The figure quickly vanished.
References:
Paranormal Database, 2015e.
Mabel Bower's Shop, Corporation Street, Chesterfield
In about 1969, the ventriloquist Ray Alan arrived at Chesterfield by train, in order to give a performance at Chesterfield Hotel (formerly the Station Hotel), with his dummy Lord Charles. Prior to entering the hotel, he went into a shop to buy some cigarettes. The shopkeeper seemed unfamiliar with the coins he was proffering and he was equally puzzled by the coins he was given in change. Upon leaving the hotel the next morning, he discovered the shop was no longer there. Although there used to be a sweet shop there, it had long ago been demolished. The shop involved in this apparent time-slip experience would appear to have been Miss Mabel Bower's shop, located on the left-hand side of Corporation Street when walking up from the station. Ray Alan, during an interview, described the shop as being 'hut like'.
A previous time-slip seems to have also occurred at this spot, involving a different experiencer, which was reported several decades ago in Psychic News.
© Derbyshire Times
References:
Brocklehurst, 2016; Eyre, 2016, Pitt, 2016.
Manor House Farm, Dronfield
Manor House Farmhouse, situated just behind the Manor House, was bought by Barry Gwyn and his wife in 1979. They commenced by renovating the building and during this time, the Gwynns and their son and the builders all heard a noise as if someone were running a stick over the wall by the fireplace.
In 1984 a decorator at work in the sitting room heard someone go upstairs and use the bathroom, even though there was no-one else in the house.
One night when his parents were out, the son heard the sound of a crash, as if a chimney stack had fallen. Upon arriving home, his parents could find nothing amiss.
Often people see, out of the corner of their eye, something flitting past at ankle level in the kitchen, raising the possibility of there being one or more ghost cats.
References:
Salim, 1987.
Manvers Court, Newbold Road, Newbold
At least one resident of the flats created from the former Scarsdale Hospital experienced much psychical activity there between 2002 and 2007.
References:
Eyre, 2016.
Market Place Signal Box, Chesterfield
In 1956, the semaphore type railway signals at the sidings adjacent to Market Place signal box were seen to go up and down, as if the signalman was pulling a lever in the signal box, despite the fact that the signalman had gone home for the night and the signal box was left locked. This was observed on various occasions by different people. The phenomenon ended when the railway was demolished.
Markham Colliery, Staveley
Many years ago, at Markham Colliery, the Osler, who was called Archie and whose responsibility it was to look after the pit ponies, died suddenly in the stables. Shortly after this, a miner by the name of Ron Webster was in an area close to the stables, when he looked towards the ponies and saw an apparition of Archie feeding the ponies.
Markham Colliery also had a reputation of being haunted by the ghost of a Deputy, who always appeared in a flooded area of the mine, where drainage pumps were installed, watching the men activating the pumps.
References:
Linahan, 1996.
Midland Cottages, Pleasley
In 1965, members of the Slater family witnessed both apparitional and poltergeist activity in one of the Midland Cottages. This included the sighting of an old lady sitting in a rocking chair, knitting, and crockery and photographs being damaged.
References:
Armitage, 2010b.
Millthorpe Lane, Holmesfield
Towards the end of the 19th century, it was rumoured that a ghost on a white horse appeared on Millthorpe Lane. To put this to the test, three local boys ventured down the lane to look for it at 11.30 one night. Seeing a white horse, they fled back home for their lives. Hearing of their plans, a local farmer had actually tethered a white horse there, to scare them!
References:
Merrill, 2003.
Mosborough Hall
Mosborough Hall, originally the home of Henry Carey (alleged to be an illegitimate son of Henry VIII) and now used as a hotel, used to have bloodstains trailing up the stairs and across the wooden floor of what is now the Bridal Suite. Despite all attempts, it was impossible to remove the stains. The origin of these stains dates back to 1692, when a serving wench was made pregnant by the local squire. She challenged him on the adjacent Hollow Lane to take responsibility but as he would not, she threatened to inform his wife about the matter. The squire then chased her back to the hall and murdered her in that upstairs bedroom.
During the First World War, soldiers billeted at Mosborough Hall heard, from the room with the bloodstained floor, an argument outside and also heard the crying of, and saw the image of, a young woman entering the room. The Medical Officer spent a night in the room and when he woke, he saw that the bed was dripping with blood. Various other witnesses have seen the image of a young woman (known as ‘The White Lady of Mosborough Hall’) inside or outside the hall or heard a couple arguing on Hollow Lane.
References:
Armitage, 2009a; Eyre, 2016.
Moss Valley
On the 24th August 2002, two women, whilst walking their dogs in the woods between Eckington and Ridgeway, saw a white female figure on horseback, which vanished as it rounded a non-existent corner.
References:
Paranormal Database, 2014d.
Murray House
When the groundsmen arrive at Murray House (now used as the clubroom of Tapton Golf Club) early in the morning to open up the building, they all have a frightening sensation of someone looking at them.
There was a room at the club which, from 1986, was used by staff to repair members’ golf clubs. Geoff Wilson, a former assistant to one of the professionals, carefully locked the room one night but, the next morning, upon unlocking the room, found broken clubs strewn across the floor and the racks which had previously held the clubs lay face downwards on the floor. Until 1985, there was a large fireplace in one wall of this room and many golfers at that time reported seeing the strange, ghostly figure of a man leaning over this spot.
In the early 1980s, a bricklayer carrying out some work at the Club tried to sleep overnight in this room, which at the time was used as a staff rest room. However, he did not last the night there, having been frightened by the apparition of a man staring at him when he woke in the early hours.
A figure which regularly appears in the corner of the building is often mistaken for a member of staff.
References:
Pearson, 1986; Brindle, 2011.
