One of Liverpool's most haunted buildings "came alive" with eerie activity from chairs moving to footsteps scurrying.
From faces seen in windows to haunting images of "pure evil", Newsham Park Hospital has been well documented over the years as ghost hunters and urban explorers take their chances within the abandoned walls. There have been plenty of ghost stories to come out of the building, which is believed to be one of the most haunted in Liverpool.
Drone footage previously showed the scale of the abandoned Newsham Park Hospital from the air. Captured by Keith Cairns, the Grade II listed building can be seen in full as the site remains empty - except for groups of ghost hunters out exploring.
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But what would be enough to scare others, ghost hunters Chris Cummings and Adam Billing jumped at the chance to explore the abandoned building with decaying walls and long-forgotten belongings. Chris and Adam are no strangers to the supernatural goings-on, having explored elsewhere in Merseyside, but this visit left them spooked.
Sharing their experience via their Haunted Scouse YouTube channel, Chris told the ECHO the building was "full of atmosphere" and you can "feel the angst and sadness of a place some would have endured terrible treatment". Using less technology than usual so "not to instill fear into any children's spirits", Chris and Adam used an S-box Spirit Radio to start and soon had the word ‘electric’ clearly come through in a voice.
The 45-year-old added: "We went to a ‘ Haunted Happenings ’ event there and they were kind enough to let us go and investigate away from other guests and Newsham Park soon came alive.
"The most active areas were in a building housing the nurses' quarters and cinema room. The second you walked in there you were greeted with an abandoned wheelchair, so, visually, you’re already on edge.
"The cinema room was a part we only had five minutes in so we just used one camera and called out to any spirits there. In those five minutes, we had a chair move right near to Adam and a very loud tapping on one of the metal trollies used to move the deceased. We felt as though there were several spirits all around us here and trying to get our attention as loudly as possible.
"The Nurses Quarters themselves hold a dark atmosphere once you close the door behind you. You can sense the spirits around you as there is a stillness to the area that the rest of Newsham park lacks.
"We encountered several sounds like footsteps and headed to that area. Once there, one of the catballs we use as trigger objects began flashing. Now these are made to flash only when knocked or touched so to get a cat’s attention. A lock off camera clearly showed that nobody, at least not physical, moved it."
The building in Tuebrook dates back to the Victorian era when it was first opened as an orphanage for the children of British seamen in 1879, and the conditions were said to be harsh, with siblings segregated from each other and punishments handed out. It was later converted into a hospital in 1954, with a focus on patients with mental health issues.
In 1988, the hospital stopped taking new patients, and in 1992 all remaining patients and staff were relocated. The hospital officially closed its doors in 1997 and soon fell into a state of disrepair.
Chris added that the infamous 'naughty boy's corridor' was "quite sombre", holding "much sadness" after children were "locked in cupboards" and disabilities "met with discipline." He said: "We finished by spending some time on the ‘naught boy’s corridor’.
"Possibly one of the most famous of all areas in any UK haunted location. If you are into your paranormal then you know the part. My daughter has autism and a mental disability so this area hit home, how children were treated just for being different. We hope we brought some comfort to any spirits we encountered and we’re looking forward to going back soon and trying to make some more contact."
Chris, who is a retail customs officer, met primary school teacher Adam two years ago when they were both part of a ghost hunting group. But after the pandemic put a halt on their activities, they decided to set up their own 'Haunted Scouse' YouTube channel, exploring Liverpool's spookiest places.
What began as a hobby, Chris and Adam wanted to share Liverpool's important history and it has grown as they visit places right across Liverpool and Wirral. Thier video at Newsham, which has so far been viewed over 500 times, takes viewers on a journey inside the abandoned building.
Their latest episodes can be found via their YouTube channel here, or more information about next locations or to contact the pair can be found on their Facebook page.
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