Ghostly goings-on have been captured on camera at what is reputed to be the most haunted building in Chester.

Paranormal investigators and 15 members of the public went on the search for ghouls at Stanley Palace, on Watergate Street.

Eerie hooded figures on a staircase and the ghostly vision of a woman in a mirror were snapped during a five-hour vigil.

Guests also heard strange noises and saw eerie shadows, and claim to have communicated with spectres, including children and a man who worked with the sheriff of Chester.

Stanley Palace in Chester
Stanley Palace in Chester

Stanley Palace was built in 1591 by Peter Warburton and when he died in 1621 his daughter Elizabeth inherited the house with her husband Sir Thomas Stanley, who changed the name of the house to the one we know today.

Visitors to the Grade II listed building claim to have witnessed Lady Elizabeth walking through a wall, a man in Tudor clothing, a Second World War officer, a grey haired woman playing Brahms on the piano as well as three children playing on the staircase.

Paranormal investigators Alius Sanctus, a group headed up by Chris and Kev Wilson-Byrne, arrived in Chester armed with an array of ghosthunting equipment including K2 meters, temperature guns, sound enhancers, energy rods, motion sensors as well as a Ouija board.

Our reporter SARAH HODGSON was brave enough to join them – and here she recounts the spooky events which took place that evening:

Before the vigil eve gets under way, a guest claims to have heard a disembodied voice making a ‘shushing’ sound near the staircase.

Following a protection ritual, guests soon reported feeling ice cold and equipment revealed the temperature dropped from 20.57C to 16.8C which could indicate there was a presence.

Strange goings-on continued upstairs when a table began to rock from side to side – however, this could have been due to the uneven floor – while one woman also reported seeing a shadowy figure at the top of the stairs.

Chris claimed to be given the names ‘Florence’ and ‘Gordon’ and when guests asked if these were correct, they report that the table immediately began to shake and K2 meters flashed.

Downstairs, a Ouija board was set up and the glass began to move on its own and indicated there was a 49-year-old male ghost who claimed to be ‘idle’ and a ‘ladies man’.

When asked his name, the glass repeatedly moved to CV1 – however the meaning of this remains a mystery.

Equipment placed on a piano at the other end of the room was also set off and when the spirit was asked to flash the lights in different sequences for ‘yes’ and ‘no’ it responded while also giving the same answers on the Ouija board.

Loud bangs and what seemed to be the dragging of furniture was also heard, however everyone denied being the cause of the noise.

A ‘human pendulum’ experiment was conducted in the St Anne’s Room, which supposedly enables ghosts to communicate by causing a person to move back and forwards in response to yes or no questions that are asked.

When asked to pick a person the spirits wanted to communicate through, I was chosen and promptly blindfolded.

It was established that there was a 79-year-old religious man in the room, born in 1632, who worked with the 7th Earl of Derby, James Stanley, in the profession of law enforcement.

Alius Sanctus brought a host of equipment to investigate the paranormal activity at Stanley Palace in Chester
Alius Sanctus brought a host of equipment to investigate the paranormal activity at Stanley Palace in Chester

When the blindfold was removed I discovered that during the questioning I had rotated around in a circle and was facing the opposite direction to where I had started.

Some brave individuals attempted scrying with a mirror, where you look at your reflection and according to paranormal experts can see your face morph into someone else's or even show you events from another time.

Guests did not report seeing anything at the time but when Kelsie Maxwell went through photos on her phone she noticed a disturbing face growing out of her own.

Kelsie Maxwell captured an eerie image of a 'ghost woman' floating above her reflection while looking into a mirror at Stanley Palace in Chester
Kelsie Maxwell captured an eerie image of a 'ghost woman' floating above her reflection while looking into a mirror at Stanley Palace in Chester

While the team witnessed evidence that could point to paranormal activity, there are potentially logical explanations for some phenomena and some experiences could have been the mind playing tricks.

Although no absolute scientific proof of ghosts was gained, many of the events that took place are difficult to explain logically especially when witnessed by multiple people throughout the evening.