Spooky Sheffield! New data names the city in the top paranormal places in the UK

New data has revealed Sheffield could be among the top paranormal places in the UK.

The city is known to have a haunted history, with paranormal investigations and ghost tours a staple for visiting tourists. Sheffield is also home to the road dubbed “one of the UK’s most haunted” –  the A616 Stocksbridge  Bypass – with alleged reports of ghostly children, hooded figures and cars stalling.

A study conducted by Alan Boswell Group ranked the city 31st in the UK, and revealed there were at least 27 paranormal reports in Sheffield in the last year.

The study also looked at a number of cemeteries, vacant properties, and houses built over 100 years ago.

45 cemeteries and 174,747 memorials are located around Sheffield, alongside 2,644 empty buildings. There are also said to be 66,830 existing properties which were built before the year 1919.

However, do these eerie findings haunt our student halls? A survey conducted by The Sheffield Tab saw 50 per cent of respondents say yes and 50 per cent say no when asked if they have had a paranormal encounter with a ghostly figure.

In recent years, ghost tours have been held at the National Emergency Services Museum at West Bar and at Endcliffe Hall, which is a short distance away from the University of Sheffield’s Endcliffe student village.

Academics from Sheffield Hallam University have recently worked on the National Folklore Survey for England, which showed that just over one in three people in England believe in ghosts.

Those aged 25-34 were more likely to believe in the paranormal in many forms: From possession and spells, to angels and demons.

Over 60 per cent had heard a ghost story or legend related to the area they live in.

Most Read

Ex-Nickelodeon actor Tylor Chase’s mum speaks out after videos of him homeless go viral

From Nickelodeon actor to homeless: What happened to Ned’s Declassified actor Tylor Chase?

Another video of homeless Tylor Chase surfaces as Nickelodeon star’s mum speaks out

Dr David Clarke, an associate professor at Sheffield Hallam University who led the survey team, said: “Our aim is to produce the first representative national survey of folklore in multicultural England to raise awareness of the value of folklore as a cultural asset.

“Far from folklore being something old fashioned, our results show that traditional beliefs and customs are a central part of modern life for millions of people. Everyone has folklore and this is reflected in the responses to our questions on supernatural beliefs and experiences.

“One surprising result is that, of those who say they have had an extraordinary experience, almost one in five have never told anyone about it, even family and close friends.”

Featured image Google Maps / Canva