Ryecroft Hall in Audenshaw, Manchester, is a well-preserved Victorian manor with a rich history and a reputation for being haunted.
| Date Built | 1849 |
| Resident Ghosts | Soldiers, A woman in a mop cap, A nurse, A woman, A young girl in Victorian clothes. |
| Paranormal Activity | Dark Shadows, Disembodied voices and footsteps, Visitors report being touched, Poltergeist activity |
| Fear Factor | 👻 👻 👻 👻 |
History of Ryecroft Hall
Ryecroft Hall was constructed in 1849 by James Smith Buckley, a wealthy cotton manufacturer.
The hall, with its ornate ceilings and wood paneling, was a testament to the prosperity of the Buckley family, who owned numerous properties in the area. Ownership of the hall transitioned within the family and eventually to Austin Hopkinson, a local businessman, and MP.
During the First World War, the hall was a Red Cross hospital and communication center. Vestiges of this past can still be seen in the cellar, which was used as a morgue, where original signs remain on the old doors.
Hopkinson donated the hall and surrounding estates to the Audenshaw district in 1922. Today, it functions as a community hub, hosting social gatherings, administrative meetings, and civil ceremonies.
Ghosts of Ryecroft Hall
Ryecroft Hall is known for its spectral activity, with numerous reports of ghost sightings and strange occurrences. The hall’s cellars and the main entrance are particular hotspots for paranormal events.
Visitors and staff have reported seeing soldiers, perhaps remnants of the building’s time as a military hospital. A woman in a mop cap, possibly a maid or housekeeper from the building’s past, has also been sighted.
One particularly poignant apparition is that of a World War I nurse. Given the hall’s history as a Red Cross hospital, her presence is a solemn reminder of the building’s past. Another female spirit, this one in a long dress, has also been seen in various parts of the building.
Dark shadows are also seen regularly, while an apparition of a young girl dressed in Victorian attire has been reported several times. She is believed to have fallen to her death on the staircase, and her presence is often felt in this area of the property.
One Christmas, staff reported finding a Christmas tree stripped of its decorations which were strewn on the floor nearby. Poltergeist activity and items being thrown are also reported regularly, including cigarette stubs being tossed from a balcony when nobody else was in the building.
Address: Ryecroft Hall, Manchester Road, Audenshaw, Manchester, M34 5ZJ
