Do you believe in ghosts? In Cheshire, it is thought that almost every town or village has at least one haunted house, castle, pub, church or hotel. Over the years, there have been thousands of well-documented sightings, many of which come from Cheshire alone. Cheshire Ghosts and Hauntings is dedicated to provide documentation of these hauntings, travelling all over Cheshire to record our findings. We are sure that there will be stories that you will have heard of before, like the ghost of Mary Fitton that haunts the charming village of Gawsworth, near Macclesfield, but many of the stories may not have been told, only being known to those that live in the area, such as the ghost that haunts Alsager Mere, or what about the tragedy that occurred at Church Lawton, near to Alsager.

But to be able to investigate these ghosts and hauntings properly, we have to first understand them, why they remain here, on earth. So, just what exactly is a ghost? The traditional view is that a ghost is the spirit, or soul, of a person that has died, either in tragic circumstances, or has faced trauma whilst alive, and now feel that they are unable to pass over to the other side. Most parapsychologists agree that, usually, such earth-bound apparitions do not know that they are in fact dead. At the time of death, most spirits will continue on into the next world, another dimension, whereas ghosts, due to their death being of a traumatic nature, are stuck here, in our physical world, needing to be released to go forward. These ghosts exist in limbo, where they are forced to repeat the scenes of their death, or constantly visit locations that they held dear to them, when alive.
     
Generally, most ghosts are classed in a variety of categories, and these can often vary, due to the type of haunting. Most parapsychologists would acknowledge that there are around four different categories for these apparitions, with the main categories being Residual Hauntings; Interactive Ghosts; Crisis Apparitions, and Poltergeists. 


Residual hauntings are believed to be the most commonly witnessed out of all the phenomena. These types of hauntings can be seen almost anywhere, although they are mostly associated with old rambling houses, castles, hotels, and pubs. The best way to describe a residual haunting is by using the “stone-tape” theory, where a particular scene or event, which ended violently or involved emotional circumstances, is somehow confined within the very fabric of the location, and replays over and over again, the same way a video-tape does, when similar conditions are met.
     
In fact, most parapsychologists would argue that these are not ghosts at all, but are simply recordings of an event in the past. A typical residual haunting would appear to be a historical figure, a person who used to reside at a particular house, where, when this event is replayed, they would perhaps sit in a favourite chair, stand up and then walk through a wall. This event would repeat itself over and over again, but would never interact with the environment as we know it, for it simply doesn’t exist. The apparition is following a pattern set by the person themselves, all those years ago. Examples of residual hauntings is where the figure, perhaps a Grey Lady, is seen walking through a wall, or the fact the legs are missing from the knees down; it simply means when the person was alive, their was a doorway where it passes through the wall, or the floor has since been raised. The “ghost” doesn’t know this, its just following a pattern. Residual hauntings not only show themselves by manifestations, they can also be smelt, heard, and sensed.


Interactive Ghosts are different from Residual Hauntings, because, as the name suggests, these ghosts can interact with their environment, and manifest themselves in many different guises. Full and partial apparitions, smells, voices, music, and footsteps appear to be the norm with these ghosts, as are orbs, and other light abnormalities. Also people have reported sensing cold spots, being touched and whispering in the ear. Interactive ghosts are believed to be the spirits of deceased people, who are earthbound, with no apparent knowledge that they are dead. Reasons for this may be because of a sudden death, guilt, or they simply have unfinished business. It is presumed that none of these ghosts are particularly evil, but are often mischievous, similar to a Poltergeist, but only visible. Interactive ghosts are not only confined to the realms of a haunted house, but are also seen on lonely country lanes, pubs, clubs, churches, and even libraries.


There is no real difference between Crisis Apparitions and Interactive Ghosts, except that these ghosts usually come to portray a message to either a loved one or a friend, someone whom they were closely associated with. Crisis Apparitions are thought to appear at the exact time, or in some cases, almost 24 hours after, death has occurred. As with Interactive Ghosts, the message portrayed can change with different visitations, but death is the most common. The theory behind Crisis Apparitions is that the agent, the apparition, has either died, or indeed, is close to death, thus sending out, through telepathic thoughts, an image of themselves to either a loved one or a friend. It is presumed at the time, the agent must be thinking about their loved ones, but are totally unaware that they have actually appeared to them. Other types of Crisis Apparitions are Banshees, but where they differ is that the Banshee is usually described as a death-omen. She is said to wail when certain members of a family are said to be close to death.


The word Poltergeist literally means noisy ghost, in German, and indeed, this is an apt description, since the Poltergeist usually manifests itself by noise. It is thought that Poltergeist activity generally occurs around a single person, usually pubescent children, but nowadays, parapsychologists think that it is a form of psychokinesis, created by the individual. Most Poltergeist activity starts with the most commonly witnessed phenomena, the throwing of stones, objects disappearing and then turning up a few days later, then culminates with the movement of large items of furniture, noises and shrieks, whilst others, albeit rare, have been known to attack the living, through punching, biting, kicking, and levitation. Most activity starts quickly and ends the same, in an abrupt manner, but at the same time, it has been known to last for several days, or even years.


Any Paranormal Investigator will tell you that the key to approaching any haunting, whether it be an old church, as with St. Bertoline’s at Barthomley, or an Inn, such as the Headless Woman, at Duddon, is good old-fashioned research. Without it, the Investigator will never have a clue what he/she is investigating or what type of haunting is reported to occur at that particular location. If you walk into an investigation blind, the majority of the time will be spent following various fragments of information, many of which would already be in the public domain. Properly researched information can be vital to any on-going investigation, and will add credence to any report that you do.

Lets say, for instance, you are investigating the sighting of a man at a reputedly haunted location. Regardless of whether there is boundless information available, or not, it is always best to start your own investigation on the subject from scratch. If he haunts a house, then start by researching the history of the property; if any other property was built on it beforehand; use the local library to establish any incidents at the house, as they often keep micro-files of all the local papers. Go to the local council offices and find out who has owned the property, both past and present. Always remember to respect the owner’s privacy, though, so perhaps you could write a letter and explain your reasons for being interested in their house. Most owners are proud of the fact that their home is haunted, but remember, some are not, so you may well not get a reply. If most of this proves fruitless, you could always ask around in the neighbourhood, as many older members of the community may well remember the person, or house that you are investigating.


The serious and dedicated paranormal investigator will not only have the basic equipment that will enable them to carry out an investigation properly, but they will also have some serious electronic kit. Generally, the basics will include a 35mm Camera, with a flash, a Digital Camera, for instant results, a trusted torch, along with spare batteries and bulbs, a First Aid Kit, pens and paper, Pocket Tape Recording equipment, such as a Dictaphone, a Watch and appropriate clothing, such as walking boots, coats, and scarves, particularly if you are investigating in cold weather. The more experienced investigator will probably have Video Recorders, Digital Audio Recorders, and EMF Meters, which stands for Electromagnetic Field Detectors, used by most ghost hunters, and Motion Detectors, used to sense movement. Whenever large groups of people are involved in an investigation, it is always a good idea to use Walkie Talkies, for communication purposes.


Once you have all the facts and information you need, you are ready to proceed to the next step…the investigation. These investigations are mainly split into two groups; a Ghost Hunt, and a Ghost Investigation. The Ghost Hunt is perhaps the most misunderstood of the two, as you are often going to places where sightings of ghosts have not been reported. You are there to try to capture images, on digital camera, and video, favourite locations can include cemeteries, churches, theatres, schools, and old houses. The Ghost Investigation, however, is where the researcher goes to a location that is known to be haunted. Usually, they will take lots of recording devices, both visual and audio, EMF meters and the like, in an attempt to capture something on film, or perhaps a sound recording.

Some general tips whilst holding investigations, or vigils, is to familiarise yourself with the location. Go during the daytime as things can appear different at night. Search for dangerous items, or obstacles; if you are investigating at a cemetery, look out for upturned headstones, or loose floorboards if you are at a house. Be aware of private property signs; you can take the time to get permission of the respective owners. Inform the local police if you are going to be out and about taking pictures, as the last thing you want is to be arrested for trespassing, or worse, to be mistaken for a burglar. Always take I.D. with you, such as a Driving License, so at least you will be able to prove that you are who you say you are. Most importantly, always let someone know when and where you are going, and if you can help it, get someone to go along with you. An important item to take with you is a mobile phone, you never know when you will need it.

In any paranormal investigation, weather conditions are often as important as the research, as if it is pouring down with rain, or perhaps there are blizzard conditions, no self respecting investigator is going to stand around in it, waiting for a ghost to appear. Reschedule the event for when the weather is better. Remember to be respectful of where you are, particularly where houses or cemeteries are. For obvious reasons, during an investigation, and especially when pictures are being taken, try not to smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs. Again for obvious reasons, try not to wear any perfume, or aftershave, as many forms of hauntings often include smells. It is easy to confuse the two. Most of all, and importantly, try to remain calm with any paranormal experiences that you may have, and have fun whilst investigating. Most of all, be safe, and enjoy the experience.