BECKY KEANE takes a look back at Most Haunted: Stockport Workhouse
Episode Title: Stockport Workhouse
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester
Series: 9 Episode Number: 121
Opened on a winter Christmas Day in 1841, Stockport Workhouse was used as a last resort for families in poverty. Described as one of the scariest locations yet by the Most Haunted crew. The dilapidation of the workhouse certainly gives the typical haunted house look. Kath and Jon pre investigate the night before the main investigation, Kath as local girl of Stockport is terrified by just the look of the building. They hear clinking sounds and Kath panics to which Jon tries to calm her and tries to find a reasonable explanation. The pre-investigation session ultimately ends abruptly after a groan and a light is seen and Kath once again panics.
From EMF reading, screams, orbs, apparitions and uneasy sensations reported, David Wells begins the walk around. He reports a tobacco smell in the master quarters, and names a happy teenage girl spirit he has picked up on. Her name reported as Annie Casey/Chasey, however according to Most Haunted no records can be found of this name in association with the Stockport Workhouse. David then smiles and says that Annie says ‘prepare yourselves for the horrors ahead’. That would have undoubtedly played on the crew’s psyche.
On the 1st floor inmates dining room, David reports residual sounds and describes in detail mentally ill people who resided there. Ciaran states there might be bats in the vicinity as a piece of equipment he uses to measure ultrasonic sounds/wave is pulsating. Yvette has a theory that spirits may communicate via ultrasonic methods. Thudding can be heard, and Stuart feels the floor shake to which Yvette agrees.
The crew switch to night vision and proceed the next part of their investigation in the mortuary. With the original mortuary slab still in the building, the workhouse changed to Shaw Heath hospital in 1948. Yvette asks David when was the hospital built and David responds confused. Meaning the workhouse, David gets the opening date right. He tells of a shadow figure that he believes to be a man on the mortuary table not clinically dead. He says its difficult to communicate with the man. A loud bang is heard, but confusion from the crew ensues and they cannot decided where it comes from.
Four members conduct a séance and Kath begins to cough violently. David tells her to try and talk as spirit may be manipulating her voice box to speak, other than that the séance is all quiet. David later on states he feels his hair standing on end, this maybe due to EMF but Ciaran doesn’t offer any reading to dispute whether it is or not.
Ciaran is then used in an experiment as it is believed that having a skeptic in the investigation hampers any paranormal activity. So Yvette asks Ciaran to imagine his worst nightmares and he seems to become agitated and jumpy. Noises are heard, and the crew also seems jumpy in anticipation of any activity. A loud crash is heard and the camera pans around to investigate, to find it was a glass left from the séance earlier. Ciaran reports that the temperature of the glass is slightly hot. The crew go to see if the glass remains on the table. They find it has gone and question whether it has anything to do with the experiment involving Ciaran.
Karl goes off on a lone vigil and gets very frightened when he hears noises, he tries to rationalise it as the wind, but then screams, swears and runs saying he was touched.
In the conclusion of the investigation by Ciaran, he states there is difficulty in assessing if the glass was thrown by a person or spirit due to lack of footage. My only interpretation of this episode is that not much activity was caught on camera yet again. Given the reputation of the location, more cameras should be set up, to get keep all crew members in sight to make any activity authentic.
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