Derby’s five most haunted places to visit this Halloween includes site of 58 executions and city centre pubs

Derby is widely considered to be one of the most haunted places in the UK.

The city that is said to have over 1,000 ghost sightings over the years, is celebrated for its spooky reputation with regular sold out ghost walks and tours.

Traditionally, older buildings are thought to have a greater chance of being haunted and Derby, a city which is believed to have been founded in the ninth century, ticks that dated box.

With Halloween around the corner, you may be intrigued by ghostly goings on in the great city of Derby.

Our list of most haunted places is made up of an eclectic mix of buildings.

Two pubs that are still operational today and popular city drinking spots make it onto our list.

Here is our round up that may send chills down your spine.

Derby Gaol

The Friar Gate site is one of five Derby gaol locations and the only one that has survived since its construction in 1756.

It is the site of 58 recorded executions and many more deaths of prisoners who died from gaol fever or typhus, brought about by cold, dark, crowded and unhygienic conditions.

Alleged paranormal activity includes cell doors opening and closing by themselves and apparitions of men hanging from beams.

The ‘condemned cell’ where prisoners awaited death, is also said to induce feelings of nausea when people enter it in the present day.

The gruesome activity continues to fascinate people from Derby and beyond.

Derby Gaol is a working museum open to the public.

You can even book the gaol for private events or host an overnight vigil to conduct your own paranormal investigation.

Ye Olde Dolphin Inne Derby

Said to be one of the oldest pubs in the UK, Ye Olde Dolphin Inne is thought to be dated from 1530AD.

It has links to a sinister story titled The Vault Of Terror where a curious doctor conducted dissection experiments on a woman’s corpse.

The story took a turn for the worse as the woman was not dead, just comatose.

She awoke as the doctor was carving out her stomach, but died from shock.

Her screams have reportedly been heard by pub goers over the years.

Today the pub is a busy drinking spot for people seeking real ale in traditional surroundings.

The Old Bell Hotel Derby

This pub’s 375 year history has told many tales of terror including one involving room 29.

Said to be one of the pub’s most haunted rooms, it is where a maid called Mabel reportedly hung herself.

Left pregnant and heartbroken with the news of her beloved’s death, she is said to have died in room 29.

The bar on the first floor is also a place where paranormal activity is said to have occurred consisting of vast amounts of cutlery being moved despite no other person - apart from the one setting the table - having entered the room.

The pub is a popular drinking destination on Sadler Gate as visitors flock to sink a pint at one of Derby’s most haunted spots.

Royal Derby Hospital

Reported ghost sightings are one thing, however taking active steps to combat a potential paranormal problem is another.

In 2009 Royal Derby Hospital called a chaplain to speak to staff who were spooked after being ‘haunted by a ghost.’

The 100-year-old location is where staff allege a black cloaked figure haunts the wards.

As reported by Guardian, then senior manager Debbie Butler at the hospital emailed scared staff and told them a solution had been sought.

Ms Butler said: “I’m taking it [the ghost sighting] seriously as the last thing I want is staff feeling uneasy.

“I’ve spoken to the Trust’s chaplain and she is going to arrange for someone from the cathedral to exorcise the department.”

There have not been any ghost sightings at the hospital recently.

The Friary Derby

The final pub on our list is based on the site of a former Dominican friary.

There may be queues of revellers snaking out of the door on its student nights in present day.

However in the 1880s, a tragic story is thought to be the source of 21st century hauntings.

Henry Mosley was a local jeweller and carver who is said to have shot himself.

He is supposedly the monk who wears a cloak, blacker the night, who haunts the basement and corridors of the old building.

Other reported ghostly appearances at The Friary include a headless monk and a Victorian gentleman.