As a town known for having a pivotal role in the English Civil War, one could expect Nantwich to appear in a number of “most haunted” lists. Therefore, paranormal enthusiasts will not be disappointed by a visit to this market town as it is not only the annual Battle of Nantwich re-enactments which give a haunting tribute to the area’s spooky past.
Churche’s Mansion is regarded as one of Nantwich’s most haunted properties, mainly because the father of merchant and builder Richard Churche remains in resident to this day – more than 500 years after his death. Current owner and psychic Sandy Summers frequently holds long conversations with William Churche in the evenings, but although he appears to be a keen conversationalist he is yet to be seen by Ms Summers.
Even before Ms Summers discovered the ghosts of Churche’s Manor, rumours abounded of the haunting spirits roaming its hallways.
One of the property’s main uses in the last 30 years of the 20th century was as a restaurant, yet it soon became apparent that flies in the soup would be the least of the worries in this particular establishment. Guests frequently witnessed cutlery moving independently, lights switching on and off and crockery flying off the tables onto the floor – seemingly, the resident spirits were not fans of the food!
Ghosts have even been spotted during wedding receptions held at Churche’s Manor, with the ghosts of two “bridesmaids” seen descending the staircase. Never have the words “’til death do us part” seemed more sinister.
When staying in a hotel, most guests do not expect to share their room with other presences, ghostly or otherwise. Fortunately, The Railway Hotel in Nantwich remains true to this most basic rule of the hotel industry – rather than the guests, it is the owners that suffer from paranormal hauntings.
Nigel and Jane Hobson took up the tenancy of the Victorian property back in 1993 and they, along with their four daughters, moved into the private quarters. However, soon after moving in they began to feel cold spots which would appear and vanish quickly, indicating that they were perhaps not the only ones living permanently in the building.
The unnatural occurrences began to intensify, with small objects frequently going missing from the private quarters then turning up in unexpected places a day or so later. One morning, Mr Hobson went downstairs to find that the neatly stacked barstools had unstacked themselves in the night.
Since that point, the Hobsons have frequently witnessed the ghosts of small children playing in the private quarters of The Railway Hotel. However, before prospective guests breathe a sigh of relief, there have also been sightings of a ghostly old gentleman wearing a mackintosh standing in the corner of the bar – in fact, he appears relatively frequently and has been seen by both staff members and customers.
If nothing else, the presence of the old man in the bar of The Railway Hotel proves that spirits do, indeed, love their spirits.
