Notoriously haunted
Each issue, we investigate the most ghostly places in Britain. Here we take a look at the famous theme park Alton Towers in Staffordshire
Fun seekers flood through the gates of Alton Towers to enjoy the rides and attractions at the UK’s best-known theme park. But unbeknown to many visitors, Alton Towers also sees plenty of action of a far spookier kind.
The theme park is named after the grand Georgian mansion that stands in its grounds. Built on land owned by the earls of Shrewsbury since the 1400s, the stately home was developed from a hunting lodge by the 15th Earl, Charles Talbot, in the early 19th century.
According to one spine-chilling legend, Charles was travelling through woods near Alton Towers one night when his carriage was stopped by an old beggar woman who asked him for money. When Charles refused, she pointed to an oak tree and screamed that every time one of its branches fell, a member of his family would die.
Later that night, during a violent storm, a branch of the oak crashed to the ground. It wasn’t long before Charles discovered one of his relatives had been struck dead that very same night. The horrified earl ordered workers to chain up the tree’s branches to stop them falling — and the oak remains wrapped in chains to this day.
In 1924, the estate was sold to a group of local businessmen, who restored the grounds and opened them to the public. During the Second World War, Alton Towers was used by the military as an officer training unit, before being reopened as a visitor attraction in the 1950s.
Will Broome, whose family lived at Alton Towers for 90 years, described hair-raising activity, which his family attributed to a poltergeist, that took place in a shop on the site during the 1960s and 1970s.
One spooky incident happened when Will’s grandma opened the shop one day.
Will said: ‘She unlocked the huge front doors and was faced with hundreds of little green toy soldiers — which had been packed away and sealed in boxes behind the toy department — scattered across the stone floor.’
Will’s family, who believed the poltergeist was the spirit of a woman, called in a paranormal investigation team to look into the ghostly shenanigans.
Will added: ‘Alton Towers is an amusement park by day but a ghostly playground by night.’
In April 1980, Alton Towers opened its gates as a theme park. Spooky sightings reported
