Bakewell Old House Museum Ghost Hunts
- NEARBY LOCATIONS -
Bakewell Old House Museum
Bakewell, Derbyshire
OVERVIEW
Nestled on a hill overlooking the historic town of Bakewell lies the Bakewell Old House Museum, a Tudor building dating back to 1534 that houses many energies and stories of the past. Originally a tax and tithe collector's cottage, then a gentleman's residence and later separated into five mill workers cottages owned by Sir Richard Arkwright in 1777. Bakewell Old House Museum is said to be the most haunted building in Bakewell, haunted by a young girl, a strong male presence and many other spirits. Are you brave enough to investigate the ghosts of Bakewell?
HISTORY
Bakewell Old House Museum dates back to 1534 in the reign of Henry VIII, when a tax collector's cottage was built at the top of the hill overlooking what was then a small village. Ralph Gell of Hopton, near Wirksworth, had recently took over the collection of tithes (a tenth of all produce that was owed to the Church) and he needed a place for his steward Christopher Plant to live. It was here that people in Bakewell and the nearby villages would bring their taxes to be checked and collected. They would walk into a room known as the Parlour Closet, which was a cloakroom for visitors and tenants to remove their coats and boots before proceeding to pay their rent, taxes and tithes to Christopher Plant.
In 1549 the house was enlarged as the tax and tithe collecting business grew with prosperity, and during the reign of Elizabeth I the house was converted into a gentleman's residence. The central room had a large fireplace built for cooking most of the food during the late Tudor and Elizabethan periods, and an internal toilet was fitted in called a Garderobe, a luxury to have in 16th Century England.
The year is 1608, and the trend of witchcraft over the past 5 years has run rampant across the country thanks to James I. A new tenant had arrived at a cottage in Bakewell owned by two ladies, and one night he heard noises from downstairs. He saw through a crack in the floorboard the two ladies chanting a witch's charm before they disappeared, to which he repeated. He woke up bare in a cell in London and later told in court that the two ladies were witches. The two ladies were arrested, tried for witchcraft, and hanged in Derby. While the Old House isn't the same witches cottage as in this story, the Old House was around at the time of the Bakewell Witches, and features witch markings dating around this time. Some say on a cold, clear night, the ghosts of the Bakewell Witches come back to haunt the town.
In 1777, Sir Richard Arkwright who founded the modern-day factory, purchased the house and divided it into five separate cottages for his workers at the local mills. They provided suffice accommodation and were great for living in at that time and for the next 170 years, but by 1950 the cottages were condemned as uninhabitable and unfit to live in. The Old House scheduled for demolition, but was saved at the last moment by the Bakewell & District Historical Society, who converted the house into a museum to which it remains today.
GHOSTS & HAUNTINGS
Bakewell Old House Museum is renowned for its paranormal activity and ghostly encounters, with these walls holding many secrets of centuries gone-by.
The ghost of a gentleman has been seen walking around the Old House on several occasions. No one knows who this male spirit is, but he has been seen dressed in mill worker's clothing with his sleeves rolled up, as he walks from room to room and vanishes.
During the day when the building is empty of visitors, staff have reported hearing phantom footsteps walking along the floor above. When they run up to see if someone has snuck in, they discover no one is about. The resonating audible of children laughing is also a common phenomena noted in this location.
The ghost of a young girl has also been sensed and reported in this house, and again no one knows what her name is or from what time she is from. Does this young girl feel trapped here or does she enjoy entering into our earthly realm to greet visitors?
Reports of other paranormal activity include strange tapping sounds, disembodied voices and loud thuds which have all been experienced here.
In August 2007, Most Haunted filmed an episode of their Midsummer Murders spin-off series, where they investigated a murder that took place in Bakewell and used their Medium David Wells to psychically tune into the events that led to this event.
YOUR GHOST HUNT EXPERIENCE
Your night of ghost hunting with Brookes Paranormal is guaranteed a fun, safe and spooky one. Experience this historic location with exclusive access after dark, as you explore the eerie rooms and areas in search for the ghostly spirits that haunt here. Here at Bakewell Old House Museum, you will get to investigate the ground floor areas such as the Tudor Parlour, the Tudor Parlour Closet and the Kitchen, and the first floor areas such as the Tudor Bedchamber, Pitt's Bedroom and the Toy Room.
Our team are friendly, professional, approachable and knowledgeable with paranormal investigating, and we will guide and support you to make sure you get the most out of your investigation. We welcome everyone from all walks of life, as our events are a safe space for all who love and enjoy the thrill of ghost hunting. Whether you're a paranormal novice or an experienced investigator, you'll be well-looked after and treated like family.
This is an honest ghost hunting experience, so there won't be any fakery or trickery during the night. We believe that if activity happens, it happens for real.
On your ghost hunt, you will be split into smaller groups to give you the best, personal experience possible. You will also get hands on with various pieces of ghost hunting equipment and participate in interesting paranormal experiments. While we encourage everyone
to get involved in the night's vigils, you don't have to partake in experiments like Ouija Boards and the Estes Method if you don't
want to, we have plenty of other equipment for you to use.
You will also have a couple of breaks throughout the night, where we provide you with unlimited refreshments and snacks.
YOUR EVENT INCLUDES
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Group photo of all guests which gets published to our page
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Small group extended vigils
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Refreshments and snacks like teas, coffees, hot chocolates,
bottles of water, biscuits, crisps and chocolate bars -
Full use of ghost hunting equipment like K2s, EMF Meters,
REM Pods, Mel Meters, Spirit Boxes, Motion Detectors,
Dowsing Rods, Laser Grid Pens, ITC Apps and SLS Cameras -
Paranormal experiments like Ouija Boards, Glass Divination,
Table Tipping, Séances, Estes Method and Human Pendulum -
An introduction to ghost hunting equipment and techniques
for guests new to the paranormal
PLEASE NOTE BEFORE BOOKING
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All attendees MUST be 18 years or older
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Heavily pregnant women are NOT allowed on these events
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This location is NOT wheelchair accessible
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This location has NO sleepover facilities
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We operate a STRICT No Alcohol/Drugs Policy on our events, and if caught or believed to be under the influence of any alcohol or drugs, you will be removed from the event immediately and banned from all future events - No refunds
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All attendees MUST bring a torch to the event, as we will be investigating in dark areas and low light conditions
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Sensible footwear is required for the location's environmental conditions
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In the colder months we advise to wear warm layered clothing, and bring a warm coat with you as the night will get cooler as the event progresses
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History tours are NOT provided at this location, but we will talk briefly on the location's past
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Ouija Boards ARE brought to events at this location
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Please ensure you are able to attend this event; deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable, and full payments and remaining balances are non-refundable and non-transferable
four weeks prior to the event date
ADDRESS, EVENT TIMES & PARKING
ADDRESS: Bakewell Old House Museum, Cunningham Place, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1DD
EVENT TIMES: 7:00pm - Midnight (arrive at 6:45pm. Please wait patiently outside until a member of our team greets you at the door)
PARKING:
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There's a couple parking spaces outside the Museum
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Local Street Parking HIGHLY RECOMMENDED