Peter Naldrett, author of the new book Spooky Britain, has highlighted several haunted locations in Greater Manchester, including pubs, museums and burial grounds, just in time for Halloween.
The book, which covers 100 haunted destinations across the UK, explores eerie pubs, museums and sites linked to witchcraft and vampiric lore. Naldrett, who has a background in travel writing, said the paranormal has always interested him.
Personal Inspiration and Book Scope
Naldrett explained his motivation for writing the book, citing a personal experience from his student days. “When I was a student, just up the road from Lancashire, I basically lived in a haunted house where a number of strange things happened,” he said. He also mentioned a visit to the Paris Catacombs in 2024, which inspired him to write about dark tourism.
“I grew up in the 80s with compendium ghost books and you’d see stories that would terrify you as a kid. This is one of those books, it doesn’t focus on one particular paranormal genre, it tries to pull everything together,” he added. Naldrett noted that 100 chapters were not enough, and the book could easily lead to a follow-up.
Haunted Pubs and the Delph Tavern
Among the locations featured is the Delph Tavern in Wigan, described as a hotspot for pub ghost tourism. Naldrett mentioned sightings of a woman in a Victorian dress and the wife of a quarryman, as well as cold spots and CCTV footage of glasses moving and smashing. “There’s CCTV footage on YouTube and TikTok,” he said.
He noted that haunted pubs are a genre of their own, and that a pub’s ghostly reputation often depends on the landlord. “There have been pubs with a ghostly reputation and a new landlord will take over and wants nothing to do with that. They shut it down, don’t advertise it and don’t invite ghost hunters in for ghost hunting night,” Naldrett explained.
Museums and Burial Grounds
The book also features Manchester Museum, where the Neb-Sanu statue is said to turn on its axis inside its display case. Naldrett mentioned a rational explanation involving vibrations, but noted the mystery remains. “This caused a bit of a media storm in 2013,” he said, adding that Professor Brian Cox weighed in on the debate.
All Saints Burial Ground is another site in the book. Naldrett pointed out that many students using the park are unaware of its history, where nearly 10,000 people were buried in a small space during Victorian times. “When you have the knowledge of that, it makes it a very creepy place,” he said.
Smithills Hall and Ghost Hunting
Smithills Hall, built on top of a mediaeval cemetery, is also featured. Naldrett noted that ghost hunt evenings are available, where participants are given recording equipment. Reported hauntings include a local farmer burned at the stake for being a protestant and sightings of people praying in the chapel.
“Some people have heard horses' hooves galloping on the ground when there aren’t any horses about,” he said. Spooky Britain is out now.
