Ghosts of Drakelow Tunnels

Drakelow Tunnels in Kidderminster were initially built as a top-secret underground military complex. This mysterious, underground labyrinth is rife with reports of aggressive paranormal activity.

History of Drakelow Tunnels

The Drakelow Tunnels were constructed between 1941 and 1942 as a Shadow Factory for the Rover car company. During World War Two, parts for aircraft engines were manufactured in the 3.5 miles of tunnels.

Following the war, the tunnels produced parts for tank engines until 1958, when they were transferred to the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Works.
In 1961, half of the tunnels were converted into a top-secret facility known as Regional Seat of Government 9 – a national network of classified nuclear bunkers that the British government would use in the event of nuclear war.

With the threat of nuclear war looming large in the 1980s, the facility was re-designated as Regional Government Headquarters. It was upgraded to full nuclear bunker status with blast doors and airlocks.

The facility operated secretly throughout the 1980s until the end of the Cold War in 1990, before its decommission in 1993.

Ghost sightings at Drakelow Tunnels

Many tunnel visitors claim to have had strange experiences, with spooky noises, ghostly apparitions, and poltergeist activity reported regularly.

The sound of machinery, 1940s music, and talking echoes through the foreboding tunnel complex even when nobody else is present.

The ghosts of the workers killed during excavation have also been seen. A man who died when Tunnel 1 collapsed in 1941 has been seen rolling a cigarette, and a wailing woman has been seen near the entrance to the site.

The most unsettling story is that of an angry demonic entity known to attack visitors. The evil presence is linked to the ancient hillfort disturbed during the excavation of the tunnels and has been described as half man, half dog. A former owner of Drakelow Tunnels, Sid Robinson, believes he was pushed off a ladder by the evil spirit and consequently broke his leg in three places.

The tunnels have been featured on several paranormal-themed TV shows, including “Most Haunted” and “Paranormal Lockdown UK.” Both investigation teams experienced similar phenomena, including poltergeist activity and loud bangs deep inside the tunnels.

My Ghost Hunting experience at Drakelow Tunnels

As we approached the Drakelow Tunnels complex through the dense woodland of the Kingsford Country Park, it became apparent why this remote location was chosen for a secret underground factory in the 1940s.

We arrived with trepidation at a small, makeshift car park nestled deep in the forest.

Just across the road, a tree-lined track bordered by looming sandstone hills leads to the ominous entrance of the Drakelow underground complex, which is believed to be one of the most haunted places in the Midlands. The thought of an overnight stay here filled me with dread!

We entered the tunnels and set up in the base room. It was pretty unsettling to learn that our safe room, a former billiards room, had seen its fair share of paranormal activity.

A candelabra that hangs from the ceiling has also been known to move on its own, while ghostly voices and music had been heard in the adjoining kitchen. After a quick briefing on the location, we descended into the darkness and the first of four cavernous tunnels.

It was eerily quiet and almost pitch black. So dark that your eyes almost began playing tricks. We started calling out to the alleged spirits of Drakelow Tunnels, asking them to step forward and make their presence known. A few cold breezes began to circle the group. No noticeable temperature drops were recorded on the laser thermometer, but given the tunnels are sealed, the breeze certainly seemed unusual. The tunnels quickly began to feel quite oppressive.

A few people in the group reported seeing a shadow moving in the distance, while one gentleman saw light flashes at the tunnel’s very end. This phenomenon is regularly reported, but given the location’s dark, it could easily have been a trick of the mind.

With Drakelow being such a large location, we split into smaller groups – after all, we had over 200,000 sq ft of area to cover!

A small group of us moved into the medical room. This room is known for its audible phenomena, with moans and bangs regularly heard. We heard nothing unusual, but a few people reported feeling uneasy. We also had some excellent results with a table-tipping experiment.

I am skeptical of such experiments since learning the ideomotor effect explains how participants can inadvertently move the table. But this felt different. The table was moving bizarrely, and once the momentum had built, it was vigorously rocking back and forth. Perhaps we had been joined by a spirit?

In the kitchen, which is supposed to be one of the most active areas, a few group members began using an Ouija board while a spirit box was running. The board spelled out ‘Arthur.’ One of Drakelow’s regular paranormal guides admitted that it was a name they had encountered before and that this particular spirit regularly attempted communication.

It was compelling evidence as nobody in our group had prior knowledge of the name, and none of the guides participated in the Ouija board session.

The spirit box was relatively quiet in the kitchen, and while the sound of the device scanning FM frequencies was a little unsettling, no words were forthcoming, and we decided to move on.

With the name ‘Arthur’ firmly in our minds, we shuffled further into the complex and another dark, derelict tunnel. This time, we placed some cat balls halfway down the tunnel and started calling out to spirits that may still reside in Drakelow.

It was a very quiet start, and nothing happened for the first half an hour. We were all a bit deflated and close to moving on when another person in the group started calling out -“Arthur, are you here?”.

Almost instantly, the cat balls lit up, and we felt we were receiving some intelligent responses. It was unnerving as nobody was standing within 30 meters of the balls, and they were lighting up on command. It was the best evidence of the night, and we were all struggling to debunk the phenomena.

The rest of the night passed quietly, but it had undoubtedly been an exciting investigation with unexplainable moments. Thankfully we did not encounter the darker spirits that are said to reside in the mysterious complex. However, we are all left with the belief that the ghosts of its past almost certainly haunt the Drakelow Tunnels.

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Address: Drakelow Tunnels, Kidderminster DY11 5SW