The Guildhall in Leicester is a 14th century building with loads of history and plenty of spooks ready to be investigated by the Most Haunted team, writes JOANNA HAGUE
Episode Title: The Guildhall
Location: Leicester, Leicestershire
Series: 4 Episode Number: 10
Originally broadcast: 25 May 2004
Review of The Guildhall Leicester, Most Haunted
In the opening scene, Yvette tells us about phantom police, monks and ghostly footsteps, a white lady and poltergeist. Guildhall has been around since 1390, the timber framed building has been a meeting place, a library, a lockup, a theatre and police headquarters. In the last two years demolition and building the new café/restaurant took over land that was a graveyard. In the café chairs have been known to move on their own and the service bell can he heard when no one is around.
A white lady has been seen in the library, bolts on doors open and lock on their own. A monk has been known to turn pages in a bible that is left on the table, staff have commented that they will close the book at night and the next morning the bible is open again with no logical explanation. There is a black cat seen on the stairs that tries to trip people up before disappearing.
In the jury room, footsteps can be heard along with phantom voices, policemen and dark shadows have been seen, locked doors rattle, and sounds are heard from rooms that are not occupied. Outside in the courtyard a large black dog has been seen which charges aggressively at people.
Phil Wyman talks about recent building work and that since then there has been an increase in activity, he makes a comment that Guildhall has everything from policemen to phantom animals. He talks about the white lady in the library might be mistaken from a monk in white robes. The building is very atmospheric through the day, so he is really excited to see what the nighttime brings.
Derek Acorah is the medium on the show and he immediately says he picks up on the residual energy that is in the building, he can hear whispering and feels like he is surrounded by a group of men. He comments that these men thought that they were the elite, and they made the big decisions. Derek also picks up on young children and goes on to describe a classroom environment, information comes on the screen saying that Guildhall was a school between 1876 and 1921.
Derek picks up on men in old uniforms, one of the men is grounded and one resides on the higher levels. He asks his spirit guide Sam if he can get any names for these men, but he is unable to get any through.
Moving into the library, he picks up on the energy of a strong-willed woman and can hear the sound of the pages of a book being moved. He says there is a schoolteacher, who had a hidden side to her, she was cruel with the children that were in her charge. The names Winifred and Charlotte come through but as always with no surnames they cannot be traced.
David Wells join the investigation, and he starts in the cells, he feels like he doesn’t want to go inside that he is being forced through the door. Inside he senses a male energy who is mean, he thinks that he is a cannibal and is definitely a murderer. Yvette says the cells make her feel really sick and David says this is the energy from the room that she is picking up on. David can pick up the features of this male which he describes but cannot get a name for him. He feels that he was hung around the building and says there may have been gallows on the site at some point.
Derek then visits the cells, he picks up on a lot of audios, banging and screeching sounds that can be heard. Derek picks up on the surnames Smith and Gemmie, these females were in there because they were pickpockets. Information comes up on the screen saying this was the case in the Victorian era they were held for pickpocketing.
Upstairs in the police headquarters, staff of Guildhall have reported hearing movement, and one employee can hear these noises from her office when she knows no-one is around. Noises can be heard as Derek begins talking, he picks up on the energy of a man, who moves things making clattering sounds. He picks up on the name Edmund, there is a connection with this name and the building.
Back down in the library, Derek feels the energy of two men duelling with swords, he feels this fight is over power and one wants the others position in society. He picks up on the name John Fransis but there are no records found in connection with the name and the building. Derek also points out that people will hear the sound of swords in this room.
Now is my favourite part in the episode, when the team split up. Cath, John, Tom and David head back down to the cells with Yvette who is beginning to feel claustrophobic. David picks up on a heavy feeling in the room, at the same time Yvette can smell something not nice. He then picks up on the feeling of ropes on his neck and someone being ill in the room, using it as a toilet. Yvette then makes herself jump, which is funny (sorry Yvette).
Stuart and Karl then swap with Yvette and team down in the cells. Karl locks Stuart in one and he goes into the other. Nothing much happens in the cells and tiredness is getting the better of Stuart. Karl is calling out; a noise can be heard in the cell and at the same time an orb passes Stuarts legs. They try to find the source of the noise, but they are unable to.
Yvette and team are up in the police headquarters, as they are walking in, they hear a loud bang which makes everyone jump. David is feeling uneasy, so they move further into the room. He picks up on an angry spirit that is moving things around, he says the spirit feels that these objects don’t belong where they are. David is then drawn to a child’s police helmet.
Down in the library, Phill and his team pick up on some loud footsteps above them. They later speak to Yvette and Karl who inform him that they were not above him at the time of the footsteps and this can be verified by camera shots.
The episode draws to a close with a recap of the night and Yvette’s signature sign off.
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