Behind the grandeur of its façade, Bolton’s The Watermillock House Toby Carvery could be hiding sinister secrets of the supernatural kind. The stately building has earned a reputation for being one of the town’s most haunted locations. And later this year, brave souls can put it to the test by joining a paranormal investigation by torchlight at the Crompton Lane establishment.
The property was built as a grand manor for local mill owner T.H. Hesketh in the 1880s.
Its ornate interior and period features have been retained, which certainly lend it an atmosphere ripe for hauntings. When the Hesketh family left, it became a hospital that specialised in treating military casualties during World War One, many of whom were pilots who had suffered horrific burns. Then, in 1937, it became a children’s hostel caring for refugee children who had fled the Spanish Civil War.
Typically, they remained there for about a year before returning home to a more stable Spain. During their time in Bolton , the townspeople went out of their way to make them feel welcome. Northern hospitality included fundraising events by schools and colleges, and one local girl even invited some of them to her 14th birthday party.
If any relatives of that kind girl are reading this, the Bolton News would love to hear from you! Although the refugee children felt safer living in The Watermillock, and were no doubt touched by the compassion they received, many of them must have still felt traumatised by being .
