It's been nearly 20 years since the Most Haunted team headed to Liverpool to investigate Croxteth Hall - one of the largest locations the team had ever explored.
The paranormal reality television series, hosted by Yvette Fielding from 2002, saw the team travel around the country to examine haunted locations. First airing on Living TV, Most Haunted headed to Liverpool in 2004 to the ancestral home of the Molyneux family, where curious sounds could be heard by staff and "tormented spirits" were said to linger.
The first part of the West Derby hall in present day L12 was built in 1575. Located on Muirhead Avenue East in a country park setting, it is one of the city’s most important heritage sites, but also boasts many a tale of spirits and apparitions.
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Generations of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton, lived at Croxteth Hall from the sixteenth century. The hall, which is regularly used by ghost hunting groups, is owned by the City of Liverpool after it was bequeathed to the city in 1972, following the death of the 7th and last Earl.
From the outset, a disclaimer says the programme is for entertainment purposes. "N obility, apparition and a ghostly photo all await the Most Haunted team at Croxteth Hall," is how Yvette opens the show.
She said: "Nestled in the middle of a modern estate, this 210 room mansion is said to be haunted by its previous occupants. With so many ghost sightings we just had to come and investigate Croxteth Hall."
Early on, we learn the history of the Earls of Sefton and how the the local council took charge of the huge property when the last Earl, Hugh William Osbert Molyneux, died without an heir apparent. Yvette said: "But could it be that the Molyneux family loved their home so much that their spirits still walk the corridors of Croxteth Hall?"
On numerous occasions, the sounds of servants could be heard in the kitchen and also the spectral image of a housemaid was seen by a "multitude of guests." In the billiard room, " dark figures have been seen sitting in non existent chairs, preceded by the strong smell of tobacco" and in the breakfast room, motion detectors "have a life of their own" and go off when nobody is around.
We also hear about how a visitor to the hall took a ghostly photograph in the principal corridor where "shadows and figures have been seen on many occasions." The late Bootle-born Derek Acorah joined Yvette and paranormal investigator Phil Whyman in the billiard room.
He said: " I'm very aware of a group of old ladies who are talking away. And there’s a feeling of one particularly lady, she’s hurt, she’s disgusted. It’s like as if trying to console, console another young lady and you see I'm getting ladies of high standing in this room."
But in the show, Derek is frequently interrupted by a mysterious thudding sounds which catches the attention of the team. Phil rushes upstairs, telling the crew he thought he heard the sound of footsteps whilst up there.
In part two of the episode, as the night drew in, the Most Haunted team moved to the card room in hope of learning more about this paranormal activity, where Derek picked up on several other male members of the Molyneux family. On a walkaround, psychic artist Brian Shepherd investigates one of the rooms that was damaged in 1952 when a fire tore through the house and draws images of two young girls and a Mr William Creedy, who he believes has a connection to the house.
We also see Derek talk of a "bad soul" lingering the halls. He said: "He's tormented, but he’s tormented by himself. I pick up the staleness now, not like with the other spirit individuals, the staleness of mind."
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Later in the episode we see the team return to the breakfast room and show's producer Karl head up to the attic to determine where the odd sounds have been coming from. When an almighty crash occurs, the team jump out of their skins and rush upstairs, to find it was only a piece of wood to fall by Karl.
Next, Yvette and Matthew held a vigil in the corridor where the photo of a ghost was captured, which sees them witness several light anomalies, including a strange bright flash. Meanwhile, crew members Catherine, Suzanne and Wendy James are in the kitchen conducting an investigation, but leave the scene when they claim to hear mysterious footsteps.
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When Yvette, Karl, Phil and cameraman Jon take over, they're convinced they can hear sounds of a knife being sharpened. We are then taken to 2.30am, when crew members embark on lone vigils.
Tasked with the kitchen area, historian Richard Felix said: "It's not nice, I can't bring myself to go into the kitchen, it’s only there. I would stay but I honestly think that discretion is the better part of valour. I'm going home."
Crew member Stuart hears doors slamming and other banging noises in the attic and is captured on camera running away in fear. But despite all that had been experienced by the crew and the paranormal activity they speak of, the team did not experience as much as they hoped.
Richard Felix said: "The ghosts that are here, I believe are for want of a better word benign. They visit, they liked the place and so they keep popping back and although it was a very very interesting place to go around, a real privilege if you like to see it and go around it. I don't personally believe that it’s one of the most haunted buildings in England."
Whereas Phil concluded: "While I feel most of the crew might be disappointed in what actually happened, we have to remember that certain things did actually happen. Stuart in particular heard some strange things in the attic and at one point I'm led to believe he ran out of the attic in fright. So this place can deliver ghostly paranormal activity. It's just a matter of choosing the right time as to how much of that activity you're going to witness."
Over the years, other spooky sightings have been reported at Croxteth Hall. In April 2009, CCTV footage from the building reportedly showed "a phantom figure moving across the grounds".
Another paranormal sighting was recorded and took place in 2013, when two people exploring Croxteth Hall said they encountered a "short hideous" figure in a cloak in the basement. They claimed to have seen "him" again a short time later on a staircase, where he vanished.
The mysterious sighting was just one of many previously posted on The Paranormal Database - a collection of historical and recent spooky sightings that have taken place in Britain and Ireland. Other entries at the hall date back to the 20th century and at the time included claims the Sixth Earl of Sefton was sighted walking through the tea room and also in his former bedroom.
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In 2018, David Quinn, who had been a hall attendant at the historic hall for 39 years at the time, upheld paranormal claims. He said he had heard footsteps and laughing when he was the only person in the building, said his keys have been moved.
When asked if he believes that Croxteth Hall is haunted, David said: "I didn't believe in the supernatural before I worked there, but it was people's home and they had happy times there. I think there is possibly something in certain parts of the hall."
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