The city an hour from Manchester named the UK’s most haunted

October is in full swing and Halloween is fast approaching which means it’s officially spooky season. It’s a time to embrace all things creepy, from ghoulish ghosts to wicked witches.

It also coincides with half term and if you’re planning a day out or a few days away with the family then maybe add a scary-twist to your trip. With that in mind, a list of the UK’s most haunted cities has been published, and the city in the number one spot is only an hour from Manchester.

Bradford took the crown for being the most haunted city in the country, according to researchers from the Alan Boswell Group, which specialises in unoccupied house insurance. They looked at various factors including the number of paranormal reports, cemeteries and vacant properties and number of houses built before 1918 to work out where you’re most likely to see a ghost.

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This then generated a spooky score out of 10 for each city. Bradford ranked joint first with Aberdeen with scores of 8.25. The West Yorkshire city has 24 paranormal reports, 79 cemeteries and 80,450 properties built before 1918.

One of the creepiest sites in the city is Bolling Hall, which dates back to the 14th century and has drawn paranormal investigators from around the globe, even the TV show Most Haunted.

Meanwhile Aberdeen had the highest number of empty properties in the UK, with 7,790; 20 paranormal reports and 26 cemeteries. The city’s Norwood Hall Hotel, built in the 19th century, has garnered a reputation for paranormal happenings and is said to be occupied by three ghosts: previous owner James Ogston, his wife, and mistress.

Coming in second place on the list was the city of York, which is only 90 minutes from Manchester. It has 53 paranormal reports in total, 52 cemeteries, 979 vacant properties and 29,350 houses built before 1918. The Treasurer’s House is known as one of the most haunted locations in York. Originally home to the treasurer of York Minster, this Grade I listed house is now owned by the National Trust. Visitors have reported many Roman soldiers wandering the grounds, unexplained noises, sudden temperature drops and more.

The UK’s most haunted cities

1. Aberdeen and Bradford (joint first)
2. York
3. Swansea
4. Edinburgh
5. Exeter
6. Dundee
7. Peterborough
8. Plymouth
9. Bristol
10. Liverpool

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