Wath Town Hall (historically known as Wath Hall) is a Grade II listed Georgian mansion in Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire built in 1770. While the current building dates to the 18th century, the land it sits on has been a seat of local power since the Norman Conquest.

 

Back in the 14th century, the land was the site of a manor house for the Fleming family. Reiner le Fleming who was an early Lord of the Manor, was a notable historical figure as he founded Kirklees Priory in 1155, the same priory featured in the ballads of Robin Hood where it's said he died and was buried. There is archaeological evidence which suggests that this medieval manor house had a moat surrounding it. The "Grewalebrook" was diverted to form a protective moat around the structure, which likely served as a fortified residence reflecting the military status of the Fleming knights.

 

In the 1540s the Savile family acquired Wath Manor through the marriage between Henry Savile and Elizabeth Hall. She was the daughter of Thurstan Hall, who owned a lot of the old Fleming estates and manor lands in Wath upon Dearne. By the 1560s, their son John Savile firmly established himself as Lord of the Manor. It was during the Elizabethan and early Stuart periods that the family officially moved into the older fortified manor house on the site. The manor was described as "prison-like", as it featured high stone walls and a stone-built, barrel-vaulted structure, part of which has survived for centuries as a cellar, and is historically remembered as the town's early prison chamber.

 

The Savile family's residency at Wath came to an end during the chaotic aftermath of the English Civil War. In the will of Sir John Savile of Lupset dated 24th October 1659, he structured his inheritance to settle outstanding family debts. While he passed his primary estates to this eldest son, he explicitly stated that the "manor of Wath on Dearne" to be handled by his executors and trustees to raise funds. Following Sir John's burial in May 1660, the family vacated the Wath estate and the manor was sold off and passed through various landlords and tenants, before grim, old stone manor was eventually demolished to make way for the new, neoclassical brick mansion in 1770.

 

The 18th century Wath Hall was built and completed in 1770, and was a private residence for several notable people, including: William Kaye, a medical doctor who was one of the early residents, James Barton who operated a school on the premises during the mid-19th century, Captain William Armitage Earnshaw who lived here in the 1870s, and Frederick Johnson who was the last private owner of Wath Hall.

 

As Wath upon Dearne grew due to the coal mining boom, the local government needed a central hub, and so in 1892, Spedding Whitworth purchased Wath Hall for £3,000 and sold it to the local Council for the same price. The Council demolished the imposing stone walls and replaced them with railings. They laid out the grounds as a public park, which remains a key feature of the town today. In 1926, a grand Council Chamber was added to the first floor; the remnants are still seen today. In the same year during the General Strike, the building served as a soup kitchen for local miners and their families.

 

The building ceased to be a seat of government in 1974 when local administrative boundaries changed, though it was used for community offices until 2011. In July 2020, the Wath Hall Preservation Society purchased the Hall from Rotherham Council, and by you booking on a Ghost Hunt with Brookes Paranormal, you are helping to continue preserving this historic building.

Wath Town Hall is steeped in history with a formidable reputation among local ghost hunters who have investigated this place. The sheer volume of consistent phenomena reported during overnight investigations has made it a regional hotspot for paranormal activity.

 

The most intense and oppressive atmosphere is found beneath the building in its dark, subterranean cellars. Investigators in this network of stone arches regularly report catching clear disembodied voices and sharp screams on voice recorders, alongside sightings of black shadow figures darting the corners.

 

On the ground floor and first floor, distinct sounds of phantom footsteps pace empty hallways and rooms, often accompanied by sudden plunges in temperature and a heavy sensation of being watched.

 

Ghost hunters have frequently documented intelligent responses on equipment such as EMF Meters and REM Pods when asking direct questions in the old office spaces. This is paired with occasional poltergeist activity, including tapping noises on command and the distinct sound of doors clicking or shifting on their hinges when no one is nearby.

DATE: Saturday 5th September 2026

 

TIMES: 9:00pm - 2:00am (arrive 15 minutes early and wait patiently outside the main entrance until a member of our team greets you for registration)

 

LOCATION: Wath Town Hall, Church Street, Wath upon Dearne, Rotherham S63 7RE

 

PARKING AT EVENT: Car Park on-site and local street parking.

 

REMAINING BALANCE: Needs to be paid FOUR WEEKS prior to the event date. Failure to pay your remaining balance(s) before this deadline will result in you forfeiting your place(s) and your place(s) will be sold on. Deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE!

 

WHAT TO BRING: A torch, a warm coat/jacket, sensible footwear, any equipment you wish to bring along (your responsibility), your positive and open-minded energies.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Bringing alcohol or illegal drugs to this event is strictly prohibited. If anyone arrives at the event under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, they will not be allowed to stay for the night and will be asked to leave immediately, NO REFUNDS!