Behind the doors of an impressive Harehills Victorian building is a 'terrifying' hospital where spirits are said to haunt the corridors.
A former hospital and workhouse, adjacent to St James' University Hospital, is now opening its doors for people to go on ghost hunts. In 1997 the building which was the former Leeds Union Workhouse, opened as the Thackray Museum of Medicine and has become a popular tourist attraction, showcasing its 163 year history.
The building is said to be one of Leeds' most haunted, home to trapped spirts and the infamous 'Yorkshire Witch' - who was killed by hanging after being "addicted to crime" including murder and fraud, historians say. The hospital was first built in 1858 to home nearly 800 of the poorest people who worked and lived in the bleakest of conditions.
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It was said to be more like a prison than accommodation. By the 19th century, the workhouse was discontinued and the building became an infirmary instead. It was renamed the East Leeds War Hospital after being used during the First World War.
By day, the museum re-enacts Victorian life and educates on the development of medicine through history. But at night, it is quite different.
Those brave enough to enter Leeds' most haunted building are now able to go on a ghost tour to see the eerie happenings for themselves. They run from 8pm until 2am from Saturday December 17 until March 2023.
Haunted Happenings, which organises the hunts, has warned that they’re not for the faint-hearted and we’re happy to take their word for it. A number of Halloween tours are also being conducted this weekend in the run up to Halloween. The Halloween tours have sold out.
A spokesperson for Haunted Happenings said: "There are said to be many ghosts that haunt this former hospital and workhouse and with such a terrifying history it is not surprising. The building itself is vast and has many investigation areas including a pitch black 'theatre' room and an authentic Victorian Street Scene with winding pathways and its many exhibits."
Tickets are £59 per person, for more information see here.
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