Alcester Town Hall: Your Next Ghost Hunting Experience

Alcester Town Hall Ghost Hunt

Alcester Town Hall Ghost Hunts: A Haunting Experience

Alcester Town Hall Ghost Hunts with Paranormal Eye UK

Join us for an unforgettable ghost hunt at Alcester Town Hall, a historic site steeped in haunting legends and mysterious occurrences. Since the early 1900s, this captivating location has been the focus of countless reports of paranormal activity, including chilling poltergeist phenomena, sightings of dark, ghostly shadows, and sudden, drastic temperature fluctuations that send shivers down your spine.

Initially constructed in 1641, Alcester Town Hall has a multifaceted history. It served as an old court, a local lockup, and even a hospital during the Great War. Its storied past is reflected in its architecture, which features exposed wooden beams, creaky floorboards, and an atmosphere resonant with history. Visitors have reported seeing spectral soldiers clad in period uniforms peering from the upper windows, suggesting a lingering presence from the past.

The Town Hall once operated as an open market, eventually becoming a covered call. This transformation also incorporated a town lockup, with the original door still preserved and proudly displayed alongside the town stocks, providing a tangible link to Alcester’s history. Eerie accounts reveal that items left in particular locations often move inexplicably; disembodied voices echo through the halls, and loud, unexplained bangs and thuds reverberate in the silence of the night. Guests frequently describe feelings of being watched and the unnerving sensation that someone is standing just behind them when no one is there.

Located in the heart of Alcester, Warwickshire, this historic Town Hall is a must-visit for anyone intrigued by the paranormal. The building's upper floors, unchanged since 1641, add to its allure as a prime site for ghost hunting.

If you're ready for an immersive adventure into the unknown, explore the depths of Alcester Town Hall with us. Are you prepared to uncover the secrets of those who still haunt this fascinating location? Join us for a thrilling overnight ghost hunt and experience the eerie history for yourself!

History Of Alcester Town Hall

In 1618, Sir Fulke Greville III, the Lord of the Manor of Alcester, provided £300 to build a market hall. Before this, traders and customers gathered at a well and a market cross that likely occupied the same site.

Simon Whyte was appointed as the master mason for the project. The limestone for the colonnade columns and the cornice came from his quarry at Chipping Campden, while the rest of the construction used Arden Sandstone, probably sourced from Little Alne. The entire building was initially constructed in stone, but this proved too expensive. As a result, the magnificent timber-framed upper floor was completed in 1641. You can find the date carved on one of the roof beams on the west side of the hall, which has been confirmed by tree-ring dating of the timbers.

The ground-level arches were open, and various types of produce were traded in the space between the pillars. This area provided shelter for items like cheese or delicate goods such as silk, which needed protection from rain. Sir Fulke’s manorial court, the Court Leet, checked produce quality, charged traders, and imposed fines for substandard goods.

Upstairs, visitors can see boards displaying the names of the High and Low Bailiffs of the manor from 1299 to the present day. The court also had the authority to jail offenders in the basement prison known as The Hole, which still exists today. The massive oak door with iron bars from the prison is now displayed in the main ground-floor room. The cell served as the town lock-up until around 1850, when a new police station opened on Henley Street.

In 1765, after a petition from the townspeople, Francis Greville, the last Earl of Warwick, revoked all market tolls payable to him on the condition that the people of Alcester maintain the hall. By the mid-19th century, the hall housed the town’s fire engine. In 1870, the roof was modified to the “hammer-beam” style seen today, although a false ceiling concealed it for a time. By this point, the old market had ceased to operate, and in 1873, the Marquess of Hertford (whose family became Lords of the Manor in 1813) enclosed and converted the ground floor for use as the town’s magistrate’s court.

The town stocks were stored and displayed on the ground floor; they featured an unusual design with four iron wheels for easy transport through the streets of Alcester when needed. Additionally, in a box attached to the ceiling, there is a beautiful hand-coloured Ordnance Survey map from 1887, depicting the ancient manor of Alcester and the surrounding parishes. Be sure to view it carefully when it is on display.

During the Great War, the hall was used as a hospital. In 1919, the town of Alcester raised £640 through public subscription to purchase the freehold of the hall from the 7th Marquess of Hertford. The hall was renamed the Alcester War Memorial Town Hall to honor those who died for their country. A trust was established, naming the High and Low Bailiffs of the manor during their term of office. They are still elected annually by male members of the community who are residents, leaseholders, or freeholders in the estate. Although the ground floor was intended to serve as an institute and reading room, this plan never came to fruition.

In 1938, the hall received a gift of the coat of arms of the 2nd Marquess of Hertford, which now hangs above the upstairs fireplace. He married the Honourable Isabella Anne Ingram Sheppard in 1776, and the plaque reflects the combination of both family names heraldically. The false ceiling was removed that year, revealing the roof’s timbers. The present fireplace and main staircase, designed in period style, were installed in 1939.

During the Second World War, the people of Alcester and nearby parishes raised £139,000 to commission the corvette, HMS Monkshood. A ship model and ensign can be found in the upper room. Throughout the 1950s, many improvements and repairs were made, including installing a new oak floor upstairs. Significant restorations have also been carried out on the exterior walls.

In 1978, a charitable trust and management committee were established, with Mr. J. Adams appointed as the first chairman, a role he held until 2006. During his tenure, substantial work was undertaken to preserve and improve the hall, including significant alterations to the ground floor in 1985-86. In 1999, the committee welcomed the 9th Marquess of Hertford, who succeeded his father as Patron and Lord of the Manor.