It is said that Stanley Palace is the most haunted house in Chester! Built in 1591, also known as Derby House, it now a grade II listed building which also stands on the site previously thought to be occupied by a Dominican Friary. The man who owned and built the original building was Peter Warburton who was a lawyer who went on to have a variety of other positions in his life such as a sergeant-at-law, a judge and a member of parliament to name a few.
The house then passed through a number of different owners, all leaving their mark. Sadly the home fell into disrepair and in 1831 the house, owned by two builders Hodkinson & Boden, was split into three cottages. Along with this, additional land and outbuildings were also sold off for further housing development. Again the cottages passed from owner to owner and 1866 a prospective American buyer wanted to buy the building and have it shipped to the USA but the Chester Archaeological Society blocked this.
In 1889, Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby, came to the rescue by buying it to have it preserved for the community. In those days he was Foreign Secretary and a Knight of the Garter. In 1911 the house opened as a Museum & curio shop by a Manchurian gentleman, E. Booth-Jones. As the house was still three cottages, and after some restoration work to open up the building, tunnels to both the Watergate & the Castle were discovered, possibly by the trap door, that was situated in the floor of the entrance. In 1928 the 17th Earl of Derby passed the house over to Chester City Council on a 999-year lease. The Council commenced work to restore and extend the building.
Activity
Being labelled as the most haunted house in Chester, there have been numerous reports of various phenomena happening over many years. Elizabeth Warburton, Sir Peter's daughter died in the house in 1627. It is thought Elizabeth still roams the Palace and welcomes visitors to her home.
A volunteer reported seeing a lady dressed in 17th century attire disappear through a closed doorway! Over the years phantom footsteps have been heard in the Gallery area, the playful giggles of children and low murmurings have also been heard with no rational explanation. We're hoping that Stanley Palace will also welcome Paranormal Tours and hopefully we will be able to make contact with residents from the past
Ian Lawman
Investigate with celebrity Medium, Ian Lawman, from 'Most Haunted' and 'Living with the Dead'!
This event includes
Overnight Access Tea & Coffee Demonstration and use of equipment Ghost walk with Medium Experienced Investigators Late night vigils Paranormal experiments Post investigation discussion Historian
All Available Dates
Paranormal Tours Crew
Crew Lead:
Lee Murphy (aka Squealer)
Medium:
Ian Lawman
Crew:
Rachel Murphy Paul 'XL' Ashworth
(Teams and Medium may change subject to availability on the night.)
BRINGING TWO WORLDS TOGETHER
