On the hunt for ghosts of Bristol past

Pamela Parkes joins John Hughes, who leads tourists and Bristolians on an exploration of the city’s gruesome scenes of massacres, murders and plague pits

Buried beneath modern Bristol are stories terrifying enough to haunt your dreams – and it is these very tales which are attracting ghost hunters from far and wide to the city.

Interest in the supernatural has been piqued, in part, by shows such as Most Haunted, and the quest to find out if there really is life after death is driving a tourist industry.

Every Friday night for the past 10 years John Hughes has been leading tourists and Bristolians on an exploration of the city’s gruesome scenes of medieval massacres, infamous murders and plague pits. 

“I was a sceptic when I first started,” said the Haunted and Hidden Bristol tour guide. “Now I think there is something in it, but I let people make their own minds up.”

Unlikely location for apparitions

As the shadows lengthen and darkness falls the tour starts from Bristol Cathedral taking in locations such as the Hatchet Inn, the Hippodrome, Christmas Steps, the old city, St Nicholas market and the Old Vic. Each has its own gruesome story to tell but a more unlikely location for ghostly apparitions is the Avon Fire and Rescue headquarters on Temple Back. The building has been plagued by paranormal phantoms since it was built in the 1970’s.

The site of the station was allegedly once a medieval Knights Templar temple. The Knights Templar was a military order set up in 1112AD to protect pilgrims. It seems the knights, made famous by the film The Da Vinci Code, have taken a rather dim view of the current occupants of the site. 

Not easily spooked the firefighters have, according to John, regularly seen ghostly figures walking through closed doors and once even a knight in full regalia – although according to some accounts it looked more like a figure wearing waterproofs.

“The chef who used to cook the breakfasts once chased someone through the station but the figure disappeared through the closed fire doors,” said John.

While he has never had a close encounter on the tour, John said it is the tales he has heard from the fire station which made him change his mind about the supernatural.

“The fire station guys are the sort of guys who don’t make things up – they don’t need to,” he said. “They have some great ghost stories and it is well worth going to the station on an open day to hear them.”

Some of the most unlikely buildings in Bristol have the most gruesome stories to tell.

In 1946 the manager of the Odeon cinema in Broadmead, (the cinema foyer is now H&M) was brutally murdered in his own office. The murderer was never caught and Avon and Somerset Police still have the case open. 

Since then building has reportedly been plagued by paranormal activity and has been exorcised twice. John said that many ushers will not work in Screen 3 after one notorious incident: “A man was sat in the third row of the cinema and remained in his seat after the film finished. When he was asked to leave by one of the ushers he simply disappeared into the seat.” 

To believe or not to believe? That is the question which is attracting the ghost hunting tourists to Bristol. Australian Wendy Calambi joined us on the tour and said the idea of an afterlife “fascinates” her. 

“I like ghost tours and the supernatural…the unknown and the idea that people are watching us.”

Lucy Cooper from Nottingham said she had come on the walk because she was “intrigued” by the possibility of ghosts. 

“I’ve done other tours in the past and stayed overnight but I have never seen anything myself.”

Life after death?

Perhaps the most surprising thing about ghost hunting is the people interested in the possibility of an afterlife.

By day Leanne Poole is a police officer in South Wales, but at weekends and evening she runs Beyond the Grave, a ghost hunting company with her husband Darran.

Given her day job her interest in the supernatural may be a surprise but she has been avid ghost hunter for years and decided to set up her paranormal company professionally four years ago.

“We took the plunge and invested in equipment like night vision cameras, crystals, dowsing rods and EVP (voice) recorders so the customers can have a go and use the equipment themselves to do investigations.”

“We get people who have done lots of tours, others who come sceptical and go home sceptical, others who are sceptical but who go home on the fence.”

“There is a great sense of the unknown – is there life after death? If you don’t know this is one of the closest ways people will get to knowing the answer.”

Leanne runs tours across the country and has investigated ss Great Britain, Redcliffe caves, the derelict hospital at Barrow Gurney and Arnos Manor hotel.

During the tours people have reported their hair being played with, torches turned on and off on their own. 

Consistent with their policing background Leanne and Darran keep meticulous notes and recordings from all of their investigations. One recording at the Barrow Gurney Mental Asylum picked up the possible voice of a child. When the investigators asked if it needed help it replied:  “No, I’m not allowed.”

On the ss Great Britain the investigators claim they made contact with Captain Gray, who disappeared from his cabin overnight on a voyage in 1872.  “We heard whispers and whistling also responses to our taps,” said Leanne.

So does it take courage to run tours round some of Bristol’s most haunted places? “On hen nights we see plenty of spirits,” said John. “One mother of the bride brought a shopping trolley of Bacardi Breezers with them!” But, according to Leanne it is all about remaining professional: “It’s no use screaming and shouting…the worst it gets is when you are trying to set up and we are being bothered [by ghosts] – sometimes you just have to say ‘leave me alone and let me get on’.”

Pictures by Dave Betts