Ghosts of Lodge Moor

[jmn1 10]

Is it true that lodge moor is meant to be haunted.

 

Ive lived there for years but have recently been told about a ghost called the white lady or something that haunts redmires road

[Cols 10]

I've read books that state that Lodge Moor Rd is haunted. Lot's of stories of farmers seeing ghosts etc. Check out the local history books in Broomhill Library.

[Ousetunes 10]

I've spotted many a corpse at The Sportsman, most of them tucking into a meat and potato pie. Some even bring their dogs with them.

 

It's easy to see why ghost stories abound up Lodge Moor. The hospital always had a spooky appearance (and feel. Did you ever walk through those corridors on your own?), plus ofcause, its connections with disease, injuries and death. The weather can be very harsh up here - fog and mist and it's ALWAYS windy and then there's the connection with the WWI training grounds with trenches still in situ (not to mention those poor souls who trained up there only to go and give their lives for our freedom).

 

I only know of one story of a ghost (and not an awful lot about it at that). A bloke set off from either Wyming Brook Farm or maybe even The Three Merry Lads, walking over Roper Hill toward, I believe, Derbyshire. He never made it, being a dark, cold night and supposedly his ghost can still be seen around the Roper Hill, Soughley Lane area. (Derek Acorah and Yvette Fielding might be able to turn this story into a compelling episode of Most Haunted.)

 

I love the place - I am lucky to live up here 'in the clouds'. Do a search on ghosts because I am sure there have been other instances of ghosts being witnessed in Lodge Moor.

 

Finally, whenever I run past the gypsy camp, I tend to find an extra gear - now that's scary (and shows good common sense).

[timo 10]

Ousetunes,

An interesting post there re Lodge Moor. I think you do a good job there of 'unpacking' the reasons why the area might be associated with ghosts.

 

As you know, I am an ex-pat [darkest Lancashire], but when we lived in Crookes, I used to cycle up to the Stanage area. I remember feeling very ill at ease one afternoon standing at Stanage Pole, surveying all around me. That really is an eery place, on a windswept, cloudy late afternoon. I am surprised that there are not many ghost sightings there, with the remnant of a Roman road, and the bleak, craggy landscape.

 

Mind you, Crookes has its ghosts. Clough Field, as I once mentioned on another thread, is reputed to be haunted. I always poured ridicule upon the tales, that is, until one night in the late 80s when taking my dog for an evening walk. But that is another story.

[BoroughGal 10]

You can't leave us in suspenders like that!! Come on Timo, tell us your ghost story!

[timo 10]

As it is you, dear heart, I shall. I have told this tale before on a Sheffield ghost thread. I do not claim that what I saw was a 'ghost' in the sense of a disembodied spirit or supernatural entity. There may be a rational explanation for what I saw, as indeed there may well be for many so-called 'ghost' sightings. Perhaps there are perfectly 'natural' phenomena of which we, as yet, know little, and wrongly attribute to the world of spirits. I do not know. However, this is what happened.

 

From the mid 80s until 1991, we lived in Crookes. Local folklore has it that Clough Field, near the Cemetary, is haunted by the ghost of a Victorian schoolboy. Apparently, the ghost is seen running across the field, in Victorian garb, but 'white lights' have also been reported. A colleague at the time, lived at nearby Crosspool, and he made the remark that he would never walk on the field, or on the nearby footpath which leads past the field and the Cemetary at night. When he told me why, I ridiculed and mocked him [much as I do unfortunate posters on the forum...]. Perhaps I should have held my tongue.

 

One night later, in Autumn, already rendered eery by the calls of Tawny Owls, I walked my dog [then a huge Labrador, named 'Basil'] down the footpath which leads past the Cemetary, until I reached a stone wall where one can lean and look across the 'haunted' field. After a few minutes, I smiled to myself thinking what a fool my colleague was, and began to turn away. Then, in all honesty, from the corner of my eye, I saw a white flash whoosh across the field like a flame. I cried out in horror, and my dog became very agitated. Filling the air with terrified foul language, I grabbed Basil's lead and made haste down the path, stopping only when I had reached the football pitch. What on earth had I seen?

 

Previously, I had ridiculed the stories, as some bright spark might try to do to this one. However, I DID see something flash across that field, and it did not seem 'natural'. Cynics may say that the whole scenario, from the folklore to the eery setting near a Cemetary is just too convenient for the tale. They might say that such surroundings, and the rumour of a haunting, would lead to the mind playing 'tricks' on itself. I do not think so. Strangely, like the ghost of the Anglo-Saxon King in M.R.James' A Warning to the Curious, the white flash was seen in the corner of the eye. This 'half-seeing' is a reported phenomenon. Cynics, again, would say 'why are these ghosts never captured on camera?'. All I can say is, if that was the ghost described in local folklore, it moved too fast for most cameras- like a sheet of white flame, an absolutely startling experience.

 

I don't think of the experience very often. However, when I do it gives me pause for thought. The question occurs, would I be tempted to walk past Clough Field late at night today? And the answer is, no!

[simonLodgeM 10]

There are a few Ghost stories of lodge moor i know about (i've have lived there all my life). The First is of a headless horseman who has been seen running down from the three merrys and disapearing at the bus turn-around. I have also heard about the white lady - and then theres the WW2 plane that crashes into the trees and fire can be seen, on the opposite side of the road to the hospital but further up towards the dams.

However the only experience i had was when i was walking my dog along the crags and Public Footpath in november last year. I had seen knowbody all night, as i walked up to the Sportsman i saw a light flickering towards the far end of the football pitches near to the woods. I always walk across the field let the dog have a run and then pick up the public footpath back along the old Hospital grounds which comes out near the New Park (the Old berkdale pitches). I tried to let the dog off his lead but he just wouldn't budge - so i kept him on and head'd up towards the path - as i grey nearer i saw a man digging in the courner of the trees - he turned and looked at me with these demonic eyes - the dog started barkin and he turned away - then he went into the trees and came out dragging a body behind him - there was nobody else around so i decided me and jack(the dog) could take him, we ran towards the area but when we got there - nothing. No grave, no body, no man - i searched the area a little but the light which had been so ever present was gone and i could bearly see a thing now. I seen felt a chill and so headed home shapish - i told the wife and she investigated. Turns out there was a patient at the Lodge Moor Isolation Hospital - the hospital was mainly used for contagious diseases - however they also had a mental ward for the mental ill patients in the area - this was expanded in 1903. One of these patients had been locked up for the sacrificial killings of women in the area of crosspool - and had con't these killings whilst he was at the Hospital in lodge moor - bodies of missing patients turned up around the area of the hospital!

 

When i found that out i changed the route i walked the dog.

[SheffieldBlu 10]

its true simon - aparntly there was a man named John William Timmons - he killed around 20 girls over a long period of time both whilst he lived in crosspool and when he was locked up at the isolation ward. Although its really difficult to get information about both the hospital and John Williams. I did find out that the only reason he was discovered killing girls at the hospital was bacause three girls went missing in the space of a month - one of them being the new ward nurse. She was later found under his bed - and after that he was kept locked up at the hospital under supervision until his death years later. I also found the reasoning behind it was that he had acute schizo - thats why he didn't go to prison. He said he had spoke to god - and apparntly had made up these two other characters which helped him with the killings altho these were all a part of his imagination and condition. All the killings were sacrifictial to god - and he left a page of the bible with them all. Simon, these sightings a rare, not that many people know about this man - but he was definatly a patient at the hospital.

[simonLodgeM 10]

That all makes perfect sence -

my wife mentiond something about the killer thinking women were the devil and that god has chosen him to cleanse them from the world. I didn't realise the Isolation Hospital was for mental patients - although like i say it makes perfect sence - scary!

[WallstreetWi 10]

Its true simon - the hospital was deffinatly an Isolation Hospital with a mental ward - it was further developed in 1903. If its true then JWT wasn't kept that isolated. Apparntly the hospital used the old skool methods slightly - having all the (mental) patients playing cricket - lol.

Did you know the green at the David Wilson homes is the origional green from the hospital - i wonder if JWT put someone under there. Maybe thats what the tree was planted on - oh yeh and i live around there and heard a similar storey!

 

But im sure the main one around that area is deffinatly the white lady or the headless hourse!

[WallstreetWi 10]

maybe the white lady is one of his victims?

 

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!

 

or maybe we are all mad

 

I won't be walkin aound that area in november tho - lol!

[SheffieldBlu 10]

Well actlly Wallstreet thats true - he only killed like women once a year - and waited till the winter season so he could drag them out under cover of darkness. Your comment about the November season couldn't be nearer to the truth!