Friday 4th August 2023
On October the 28th, 2022, I was kindly invited to attend one of the ‘Halloween Night’ celebrations at the ‘Black Country Living Museum’, in Dudley. The offer came, courtesy of one of my oldest friends… the paranormal researcher and founder of the ‘Black Country Paranormal Society’, Wayne Pickrell.
Over the past 2 decades or so, certain parts of the B.C.L.M. (for the sake of brevity, from now on!) have attracted something of a ‘haunted’ reputation. Probably the very first mention of anything along such lines in this specific region was listed in conjunction with the – closely situated - popular attraction, the ‘Lord Wards Tunnel’, which is maintained by ‘Dudley Canal And Tunnel Trust’. While the tunnel and associated water network – which actually runs under the imposing Castle Hill – was finished around 1778, the B.C.L.M. itself was set up on immediately adjoining land at the end of the 70’s. The two concerns are inexorably linked because of this positioning and, over the years, they’ve surely thrived via a successful, symbiotic-style relationship.
Just in brief - with regards to the canal network itself - members of the W.M. Ghost Club first learned of the sites ghostly reputation in 2001 when they attended another ‘Halloween’ related event. This was in the form of a ‘ghost tour’ of the network itself. In that same year, Carlton Television contacted the W.M.G.C. to ask if we would be interested in conducting an investigation at the site, with a view to appearing in an episode of their ‘Water Ways’ series. Sadly, this did not eventually take place, but a subsequent investigation – coincidentally, involving Wayne and some members of the ‘B.C.P.S.’ – was eventually staged in late 2008!
However, to save plunging into data unrelated to the actual point of this post, I shall just refer interested parties to prior blog notes, explaining the overall topic more fully, HERE.
Moving back to details of ‘Halloween 2023’… It strikes me as strange to admit that, despite being ‘Black Country born and bred’, this was going to be my first-ever visit to the B.C.L.M.! While, therefore, having nothing to compare the visit concerned to, I would hazard a guess that – if jovial, ‘spooky spectacles’ are your thing – I cannot recommend such events enough!
Even a fairly early arrival at the museum was met with significant crowds of excited attendees… with much ‘fancy dress’ being involved, this created a lovely, light-hearted, carnival-like aspect to proceedings! Wonderfully, with so many people in attendance, this was to endure throughout the entire experience!
Perhaps to the detriment of some of the attractions on offer during the evening, I don’t mind admitting that I invested a lot of focus in attempting to remember all of the allegedly ‘haunted’ locations within the museum and the stories associated with them! (No mean feat for me, I assure you!)
Prior to setting out that night, I had made a point of poring over the books ‘Black Country Ghosts And Hauntings’ and ‘Ghost Hunting In The Black Country And Beyond’ by ghost researcher and author, Andrew Homer. Both of these contain details on the museum ghosts...
As some page visitors might know, Andrew had been serving as a highly active member of museum staff for many years… right up until fairly recent times! This, of course, naturally put him in a prime position from which to study the ghostlore of this specific locality!
As a result… who better to keep an eye on - and report on, over time - the paranormal aspects of such an amazing site, eh?
Not just because of the associated stories – but also because it is so compact and pretty – I believe that the former ‘Woodsetton Toll House’ (pic above) is probably my ‘personal favourite’ from the supposedly ‘haunted’ properties at the museum. As Andrew points out in his book ‘Ghost Hunting In The Black Country And Beyond’, this is one of the first, domestic properties that you see, upon entering the site… and has some strange tales associated with it!
Andrew relates that, some years ago, a visitor asked to be able to see inside one of the closed rooms in the house – known as ‘Lillian’s Bedroom’ – and, upon going to cross the threshold, she quickly withdrew again… Asked why she hadn’t looked around the chamber fully, she explained that she didn’t want to disturb the girl who was sleeping on the bed…
The room was completely empty!
On another occasion, Andrew himself was stationed in the building when a couple came in, asking about the resident ghosts. He had just started to relate the ‘girl on the bed’ episode, when three knocks – as if made on wood - came from the bedroom concerned…? There was on one else in the property and, upon checking, no one nearby either…
Around 10 minutes later, after the couple had left, the knocking sound came again… 3, clear raps, from inside the bedroom! Andrew investigated, but, again, there was nothing to see.
When the knocks occurred a third time, Andrew entered the chamber and waited for the noise to happen again, but, of course, it never did!
Perplexed, he later mentioned the sounds to an older member of staff who said that – after the site had been retired as a Toll House – it was used as a simple dwelling. A family who lived there supposedly had a rather head-strong daughter and, in order to try and control her, her parents took to locking her inside a cupboard that was set in the wall of the room, with a wooden door.
Andrew said that, if he ever heard the rapping noises again, he would look inside the cupboard… but, sadly, he never did!
There are a number of other, allegedly haunted, locations scattered around the B.C.L.M.: the old St. James’ School (with its ‘American G.I.’ ghost!); A ‘Hardware Store’, which formerly stood in Wolverhampton; Emilie Doo’s Chemist Shop and a handful of other historic sites too… all with their own spooky stories to tell!
However, rather than simply parrot them to our blog visitors, from the pages of Andrew’s excellent books, I shall NOW be a complete and utter spoil-sport… This is the perfect opportunity to encourage you to leave the comfort and safety of your own homes – purchase the volumes concerned – and visit the ‘Black Country Living Museum’ to see these locations ‘in the flesh’ (well, errr… ‘brick’!) for yourselves! I assure you that – even on a standard, daytime visit, armed with the relevant data – you will NOT be disappointed!
The official website for the B.C.L.M. can be visited via this LINK.
Also, Andrew Homers excellent books can be obtained via a visit to his own, personal page, which can be visited HERE.
All that remains in this post is to extend my THANKS to my old friend, Wayne Pickrell, for so kindly taking me with him on this most excellent and enjoyable visit! Cheers matey!
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