Chester is steeped in history, so it's perhaps unsurprising that the city has some spooky tales to tell.

In the past, it's even been featured on paranormal reality show Most Haunted, and there are many existing Chester shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes that are said to be plagued by ghosts of past eras.

Now just weeks before Hallowe'en, CH1ChesterBID's interactive history and heritage project Talking Walls has brought some of the spook-tacular stories to life through mobile technology.

By using one of the many talking walls plaques dotted around the city, smartphone users can scan a special code and get a phone call from the wall to learn all about Chester's oldest legends and widely proclaimed hauntings.

Here are just some of the city's spookiest buildings:

Pied Bull, Northgate Street

Pied Bull, Chester

According to the legend, the ghost of a man named John Davies – who fell down the cellar stairs in 1609 and accidentally stabbed himself – haunts the building. With some staff even refusing to even go down there alone, the cellar has been a focal point for many paranormal rumours over the years.

The hotel itself dates back to the 11th century and it is said that two of the bedrooms are haunted by chambermaids that used to work there, although you’ll have to book a room there yourself to find out which rooms.

Read more here

Sofa Workshop, Watergate Street

The Sofa Workshop, Watergate Street

Staff at Sofa Workshop have recalled various ghostly sightings in recent years.

During the 18th century, the building was a public house called The Hand and Snake and according to legend, young boys used to work within the pub cleaning the powdered wigs of aristocrats that visited.

This was done using arsenic, which caused the death of many of them and rumours have it that the ghost of a little boy can sometimes be heard sobbing and playing with what sounds like a toy car.

Current staff also report black shadows appearing in the shop and the constant feeling of being watched. As one of 26 buildings on the Talking Walls route, you can pay the shop a visit to scan the heritage-style plaque and hear the stories for yourself.

Thornton's, Eastgate Street

Thorntons, Eastgate Street Chester

The ghost of a scorned bride named Sarah is reported to mope through the building, wreaking havoc with shop staff. It is said that she has haunted the building for more than 200 years and takes great pleasure in moving objects around to give both staff and customers the creeps.

Rumours say that Sarah hanged herself in the early 19th century after her fiancé jilted her at the altar. Mediums have claimed that her ghostly activity is a way of reaching out for help to find him.

Read more about Sarah here

Barista’s Coffee Shop, Watergate Street

Barista's Coffee Shop, Northgate Street

Although the Barista’s building appears to be safe from paranormal activity, the coffee shop still has its own gruesome tale to tell. The building was actually home to one of the very few families in Chester who survived the outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1647.

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics to hit the city wiping out over a quarter of its population, but the Barista’s building was one of the only spots to keep its family safe from the grisly death that the plague brought with it.

This is another hotspot on the Talking Walls route where you can hear more about the story.

Stanley Palace

Stanley Palace in Chester
Stanley Palace in Chester

The 16th century grade II listed building has long been known as one of the city's most haunted buildings, with many of its staff and visitors reporting hearing the sound of children whimpering and giggling over the years.

The sound of clogged shoes can also be heard walking along wooden floor boards in the building's empty rooms, as well as the unexplained stale smell of cigarettes ad cigars.

One of the most reported occurrences at Stanley Palace, however, is the figure of a hooded man walking around the older parts of the building.

It has been said the man could be a Dominican Friar who still enjoys roaming the building, but the spirit of a woman wearing 17th century style dress has also been spotted walking the corridors, as if she is looking for something.

And earlier this year, ghost investigators captures the eerie sounds of a piano playing in the night. More on that here

Dewa Roman, Bridge Street

The city attraction that tells the story of the Roman era in Chester has a much more sinister story behind its HQ. The stories here have also been giving a new lease of life thanks to Talking Walls, with the building said to be home to three spirits named Nathaniel, Charlotte and Brandon.

The centre was even once visited by famous spirit medium, Derek Acorah, who believed that the three ghosts were involved in an unknown tragedy within the building and are particularly active in the building’s cellar.