Every place has its secrets, legends and spooky ghost stories.
Hallowe’en is a time when people grow curious about the paranormal activity in their area, and want to know more about the ghosts who have haunt the familiar places.
See below for some spooky tales surrounding the most haunted places in the borough.
RHM Factory, part of which was Daybrook Railway Station
Back in the late 70s and early 80s workers at the factory often reported seeing a phantom woman in one of the mixing rooms, which was once Daybrook Station. After improvements were made to this part of the plant, ‘Mabel’ as they called her, never returned.
Mapperley Tunnel, southern end
In the 1970s two school children playing in the tunnel heard a steam engine rapidly approaching them – terrified they ran out into the fresh air. A few seconds after their escape they realised that the train could not have existed as the north end of the tunnel was…barricaded!
George’s Hill, Calverton
Since the 1930s, there have been many sightings of a strange ghostly figure dressed in black and wearing a large broad-brimmed hat roaming about on George’s Hill. As well as travelling on foot, this ghostly figure is also keen on hitching a ride with those driving alone on the hill at night. Many drivers have narrowly avoided crashing their vehicle after spotting they’ve picked up an unwanted passenger in the rear view mirror.
Many walkers venturing up the hill after midnight also claim to have been chased away by this menacing figure dressed all in black. Taxi drivers are said to still avoid this route into Calverton after dark, preferring to go into the village via Woodborough instead because of the amount of reported sightings.
Mapperley Hospital, Porchester Road
Since closing down back in 1994, the ghosts of this former asylum have found their voice. Workers on the site have heard their names being called by an unknown voice, and disembodied footsteps also heard. A woman dressed in old fashiond clothing has been observed several times walking down corridors, and a man has been heard to call out “hello”, though he can never be found.
Colwick Hall, Colwick
One of two ghosts are said to visibly manifest in and around the building…
Mrs Chaworth Musters reputedly hides behind trees on the land, concealing herself from the angry mob of Luddites that stormed the hall back in 1832. The second phantom is named as Mary Ann Chaworth, and she quietly haunts the corridors.
Less quietly though are the sounds of footsteps, childrens’ laughter and voices have all been heard from the servants’ quarters by members of staff now working at the hall.
Redhill Cemetery, Arnold
There have been many reports of the ghost of a man waiting outside the cemetery who has been known to catch one of the late night buses that go past there. Many years ago he was said to have boarded a bus, walked past the conductor and taken the stairs to the top deck. When the conductor climbed the stairs after him, the man vanished.
Bonington House, Arnold
Many visitors to the house have often mentioned they had experienced ‘cold spots’ as they moved around the property. A builder working in the cellar was astonished to come back from a break to discover the imprint of a child’s foot in some newly-laid cement. The cellar had remained locked while the builder had been out on his break.
Small copse known as Bendigo’s Ring, Bestwood Estate
This area is thought to be haunted by the legendary Nottingham boxer William Bendigo Thompson. Bendigo was often found drunk in this copse and many of the local children would turn up to taunt the drunken boxer. It is believed locally that Bendigo’s spirit now returns to exact revenge on any children visiting the area in the present day.
A resident who contacted Gedling Eye via Facebook said: “I knew that when I was little you shouldn’t go anywhere near the place. One of the lads at the local school and his gang was chased away by a dark angry shadow. It terrified the life out of him.”
Colwick Woods, Colwick
The ghosts of two children are said to haunt this wooded area. These young spirits are thought to be the children of William Saville, who murdered them, and also his wife Anne, under a tree in a spinney in Colwick Wood back in 1844. He was hanged for the crime in the same year. The sound of horses has also been reported.
Railway Bridge, Wood Lane, Gedling
A phantom woman is said to peer over the edge of the bridge and watch passers-by. Many believe she is the same woman who has been spotted haunting the site of the former railway station in the village.
Gedling House, Gedling
A small white dog has been spotted on numerous occasions over the years roaming about in the woods around Gedling House. On occasion, the dog is accompanied by an elderly woman dressed in white who has been seen using a walking stick.
Witnesses who have seen her claim she could have been blind during her former life as she has been seen tapping her stick on the ground as she moves slowly around the site. A nun has also been spotted roaming the woods and disembodied screaming has been heard.
Disused railway sidings, Netherfield
Many residents living near the disused railway sidings at the back of Jackie Bells Playing Fields have reported hearing strange noises at night. One family attempting to capture evidence of vandals damaging nearby property using CCTV were taken by surprise when reviewing footage from the night before. Instead of footage showing criminals being caught in the act, they instead captured noise of muffled voices, mostly European, and music too. When one of the family looked into the local history they discovered Italian prisoners would be escorted up the railway track a nearby World War II POW camp.
Hodgkinson Street, Netherfield
A family were said to have fled from their home in Hodgkinson Street, Netherfield, on Hallowe’en, 1993, after cupboards allegedly began opening and closing on their own. Footsteps were also heard inexplicably crossing their unoccupied attic. Family members were left terrified, reporting “an evil presence” in the words of one and a “powerful force” in the words of another.”
A Gedling Eye reader told us of similar incidents taking place in her house on the same street a couple of years ago. She said: “I also lived in a house in Netherfield with lots of ‘goings on’, “There was a horrible atmosphere and my first born was left terrified on a number of occasions. Things where thrown, lights switched on and off and a man was seen in the house by several people.
“When I was on the internet, I had found a story of a house on the same street with reports of similar things. I’ve never been a big believer myself, but this changed my thoughts completely!”
l live at the end of pearson street in the cul de sac, on the site of the old railway sidings, for many years i felt a presence in my home, my daughter would often say she heard noises and footsteps upstairs, late at night, our pets would act strangely and often sit at the bottom of the stairs staring upstairs all night long, i now live alone and for the past couple of years have noticed things more and more, footsteps on the stairs whilst in bed and sounds of someone walking around upstairs late at night whilst sat downstairs watching tv, at times when i come home from work at night i get out my car and i can hear whispering but there’s no one there on checking, my neighbours who have since moved away told me their young son would sit on the stairs of their home talking to a old man, when he was asked who he was talking to, other neighbours have mentioned that this site was known to be haunted and i never took much notice of it, it has never presented as a problem so i leave it alone, it was interesting to see there had been other reports, its best to leave things alone as meddling in things you do not understand or disrespecting the same could cause problems, has any one else in my area experienced unusual events at first i throught i was just imagining the noises or been over sensitive but as it happens more and more im not so sure.