West Midlands Ghost Club

Tuesday November 10th 2020

The same as my long overdue return to Chester, of a few weeks ago, another place that I'd been itching to visit again was the lovely city of Worcester.  Going back around 30 or so years ago, I had gone to explore certain features of the area a number of times, in relatively quick succession, but then no further visits in the subsequent decades, sadly.....

However, come the very last afternoon before the UK 'Covid Lockdown' began again, in earnest... I once again found myself in a position to be able to tour some of the most haunted properties in this fair district!

Sadly, the magnificent Guildhall (shown at the top of this post) is one of those sites that has become rather popular - on the commercial ghost hunt front - which, in my humble opinion, invariably and completely ruins the ghostlore of a site... rendering it utterly useless to further, serious research......  It's haunted history, however - prior to all of this rubbish - is a matter of record.  In decades past, I recall that the site has been used on occasion by my old acquaintance David Taylor, his (now sadly defunct) group 'Parasearch'... as well as by the National association 'ASSAP' too. 

Not all that far along the High Street from the Guildhall is, what is thought to be, the oldest church-site in Worcester City.  I first visited St. Helens Church only my very first visit to the area,  when it still housed the County Records Office / County Archives.  Apparently, since then, however, it has returned to it's former usage as a place of worship and popular community hub.....

The site itself is said to be haunted by the apparition of a little girl, who - witnesses claim - appears to be in the process of 'looking for something'?  Just after renovation work, in the 1950's, a woman is said to have spotted the child in the Nave.  She reports that the little ghost actually 'spoke', informing her that she was 'looking for her collection....'  Unfortunately, the child neglected to say exactly what this 'collection' consisted of..... so the mystery continues!?

Whether it is related in some way to the above or not, the sound of a child crying is said to be one of the oldest ghostly effects reported at the site.....?

The ghost of a monk has also often been seen in the church over quite a period of time.  On one occasion, a young man, who was working at a computer in the Archives, was startled to have his ghostly figure physically 'brush by him', as it went about it's spooky business....!?   At another point, a young, female, staff member had been left to lock up the building after closing one night....  After securing the site, she suddenly realised that she had left something she needed inside the church and - upon re-entering - spied the dark figure of the monk loitering near an internal door......!!

One of the main reasons I was absolutely desperate to visit Worcester Cathedral, this time around, was to see the 'Miserrimus Stone'.... a spooky attraction that I hadn't actually been aware of, on previous visits! 

This memorial slab is situated at the bottom of a small flight of steps - from the body of the Cathedral to the Cloisters, via the South, or Misserimus Door - just outside the entrance to the Gift Shop.  Local legend has it that ON NO ACCOUNT must you step on this stone, as, if you do, you run the risk of summoning the ghost of Thomas Morris.......!?

Morris was a vicar of nearby Claines and a minor canon of the cathedral.  In 1689, he refused to take the oath to King William and Queen Mary and - as a result - was purposefully thwarted in his aspirations and chosen pursuits, during his lifetime.....  On his death, he is said to have asked to be buried at the foot of the aforementioned flight of steps, with just this one word carved on his stone.  He said that he had been 'walked over all of his life' and, therefore, would be 'walked over in death' too...!

I will admit that I did go there to specifically 'step on the stone'... a challenge is a challenge, after all!  However, when I actually  went to do it, such an act felt rather disrespectful - give the poor chaps story - so I ended up purposefully NOT treading on the stone, instead!! Laugh!!

As well as the above tale, there are a number of other ghosts (and strange occurrences) associated with the Cathedral and surrounding environs.....

On one occasion, two electricians were working in a terribly narrow crawlspace, with one man having to pass required tools along to his friend, who was then carrying out the work.  Getting a little bored in his tedious task, the former crawled out of the uncomfortable passageway, for a quick loo break and a snack.  Getting a little carried away with his 'rest', he eventually realised that he'd actually left his friend for an overly long period of time and - crawling back into the hole - he apologised heartily for being away so long.....  The man carrying out the work was somewhat puzzled by his friends admission, saying that he hadn't noticed, as the required tools had seemingly continued to be 'passed on to him', without any pause...... even when his mate was away, elsewhere!?

Interestingly, given the above story:  While I was conducting an investigation at a solicitors premises in Wolverhampton, some years ago, one of the staff present told me that a relative of his was somehow 'involved with' Worcester Cathedral.  (I forget exactly how now, however, as it has been such a while ago).  The relative had told the man that they had quite recently uncovered some form of small passageway that led to a tiny, cell-like room....  Apparently, anyone who had visited this room had found it terribly disturbing... to the extent that they could not bear to be in there for more than a minute or so at a time!?

On a number of occasions, different apparitions have reportedly been seen in the area around the Cathedral, including those of an elderly woman, monks and - since the Civil War period at least - the ghost of a bear!!

Only a couple of hundred yards from the Cathedral is the ancient thoroughfare of Friar Street, which - perhaps rightly so - is said to contain a number of haunted properties.  One such building is the 'Cardinals Hat' public house...

The apparition said to haunt this property is that of a young woman in white, nightdress-type attire, with long, blonde hair.  No one knows who the girl is, for sure, but she has been nick-named 'Emilie'.  Today, she is accused of playing playful pranks on staff at the site, but, local legend has it that her origins may lie within a terrible tragedy.....?

In an upstairs bedroom, a number of staff and owners have experienced somewhat bizarre temperature changes... uncommonly, for a haunted property, finding that the air had become 'steamingly hot'!?!  The apparition of the girl has often been seen in the passageway outside the room involved, so it has been suggested that the unfortunate creature may well have died here, in a fire, at some point in the buildings history, perhaps? 

Another Friar Street site - visited during my first trip to Worcester - was the 'Tudor House Museum'.  Interestingly, the property has apparently changed hands in the interim.  Formerly run by Worcester Council since the 1950's, it was eventually closed down in 2003... only to be later taken over by a collective called 'The Worcester Heritage Amenity Trust'.  It is this group of lovely volunteers who still proudly look after the site today.....

Sadly, nothing really seems to be known of the 'haunted history' of this ancient building under Council ownership, but - since the aforementioned 'W.H.A.T.' took over - a number of strange occurrences have seemingly been reported......?

An author, visiting the property as part of an event, had a pot of water 'jerked out of her hands' as she was walking up the stairs....  She says that she couldn't understand how this came to happen, but was apparently 'told off' by an angry kitchen staff!!  Laugh!!

Because of a succession of reported occurrences, a paranormal investigation was held at the site, during which the sound of women - shouting and screaming - was heard in the cellar.  One of the investigators present claims to have detected 'something swinging' out of the corner of her eye and, when she turned to look, she supposedly saw the form of a young man 'swinging from one of the beams'!?  Some while later, an electrician had to carry out some work in the same area and later emerged, saying:  'There's a lot of sadness down in that cellar.....'

Sadly, with our visit falling on their last day of opening before this further (ridiculous IMHO) lockdown, the site will not be opening again until very early December!  However, if you're ever in Worcester with a few minutes to spare, please DO pop along to the Tudor House Museum and show your support for such a beautiful, little attraction!!  The museum website can be visited via this LINK)