Most Haunted Series 8 | Most Haunted Series Eight

Gladstone Pottery Museum

Yvette Fielding and guest medium Ian Lawman travel to Stoke On Trent, where they spend the night in Gladstone Pottery Museum, experiencing strange and sudden
changes in temperature and flying objects

BBC Feature On Visit Requires Real Audio Player

The origin of the pottery known as the Gladstone Works dates right back to the birth of the pottery industry as we know it today. At the end of the 18th century Longton was the next largest pottery pottery town after Burslem, and the future growth of Longton was made possible by the sale of the Longton Manor estate in the 1780s, which allowed the Burslem potters, and others, to buy land at a time when there was a shortage of developable land in the Burslem area.

Among the purchasers of the Longton lands were the Shelleys, a local family who had become well known for their potting skills. By 1787 they had established a large and thriving manufacturing concern on a site to the south of Lane End, adjoining the recently turnpiked road to Uttoxeter. It is on part of this site that the Gladstone Pottery Museum now stands.

Here the Shelleys produced their own earthenware, and also decorated plates and dishes manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood at Etruria. Two of the family, Thomas and Michael, were to achieve considerable prestige as manufacturers; yet by 1789 their business had failed, and they were declared bankrupt and forced to sell their factory. The purchaser was William Ward and he paid £900 for the site.

William Ward had less grandiose ambitions and split up the site into two smaller potbanks. This division of the Shelleys’ property is still in evidence today, for the Gladstone Pottery is part of the Ward purchase; the Park Place Works (now the Roslyn Works) , which lies opposite Gladstone, forms the other part of the original Shelley property.

There is a map dated 1815 which shows the potbank split into several small lots. Many of these ranges of buildings were incorporated into later phases of building work in the 19th century, so visitors to the Gladstone Pottery Museum today will be, at least in part, surrounded by the fabric of 18th century buildings. It was in 1818 that Ward sold his potbank to John Hendley Sheridan for £1,222.

During the next 40 years the development of this potbank was remarkable, and at the same time very typical of the development of Longton and the industry in the Potteries.

Sheridan himself rose from a relatively obscure background to become a major civic official in the Borough of Stoke-on-Trent. He let out the potbank to tenants and seems to have chosen entrepreneurs who, with his help, enlarged and modernised the whole factory site.

In 1818 the premises were made up of two houses fronting the High Street, (Uttoxeter Road), with a range of simple workshops and a kiln to the rear. This arrangement, with the Master’s house at the front of the property and workshops and only one kiln at the back was typical of the more modest manufacturing concerns in the Potteries at this date. Sheridan seems to have erected extra kilns and workshops for his tenants, completing a form of courtyard development which is clearly visible in a plan of 1840.

The most daring of Sheridan’s tenants was one Thomas Cooper. It is to him that we owe the present appearance of the potbank. Evidently under Cooper the business thrived; by the 1850s he was employing 41 adults and 26 children to produce china and parian figures. In 1853 he bought the master’s house in Chadwick Street. In 1856 he demolished the old houses fronting the High Street; rebuilding followed at once. A Deed of Second Mortgage between Thomas Cooper and John Hendley Sheridan dated 7 February 1857 refers to the two newly built houses and workshops against the High Street.... at present unfinished and unoccupied...

Evidently the period of successful expansion was relatively short-lived, for by 1876 the site had passed into the hands of Hobson and Co. It must have been at this period that the Works were called after the famous politician W.E. Gladstone. He came to Burslem in 1863 to lay the foundation stone of the Wedgwood Memorial Institute, and this works has been called the Gladstone Works ever since.

Advertisements in the Pottery Gazette show a rather fanciful view of the Gladstone Works when it belonged to R Hodson & Co (1879-1885). From this time on there was a family link between successive owners of the site, and all seem to have made bone china.

Procter, Mayer, and Wooley were the owners between 1885 and 1892 and George Procter and Co from 1892 to 1939. George Procter died in 1910 and a detailed inventory of the site was made for his daughter and grandson, also called George Procter.

From 1939 the company was called Gladstone China (Longton ) Ltd, under the same management. During the Second World War, Gladstone China closed temporarily and the business was ‘nucleated’ with the firm of Thomas Poole who had been granted a government licence to continue production (George Procter was married to Thomas Poole’s daughter). The two companies merged in 1952 to be called Thomas Poole and Gladstone China. Thomas Poole and Gladstone China bought up the land around the works including the White House and the Vulcan Public House and obviously intended to expand. It may have been the Clean Air Acts of the late 1950s which forbade the use of the coal firing bottle ovens which required them to concentrate their investment on the core factory of Thomas Poole - the Cobden Works.

It was in March 1960 that the ovens last fired; but decorating and then only despatch departments were active until May 1970 when Thomas Poole and Gladstone China put the works up for sale.

During the 1960s when the old pottery factories and bottle ovens were being demolished there was a group of local people centred on the Trustees of the Cheddleton Flint Mill who were interested in saving part of the traditional landscape of the Potteries. Many sites were considered but the Gladstone site was considered the best example of a medium sized typical potbank.

When the factory was due to be demolished to make the site more attractive to purchasers, a local businessman, Derek Johnson of H & R Johnson the tile manufacturers, bought the site and turned it over to the Staffordshire Pottery Industry Preservation Trust to be run as a museum. The museum was opened in 1974, officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester in 1975.

In May 1994 ownership of Gladstone Pottery Museum passed to Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Margam Castle, Port Talbot

Margam Castle, a Tudor Gothic mansion was, with it’s service buildings and courtyards, built between 1830 and 1840 and it is listed Grade I as a building of exceptional quality and with some spectacular features such as the staircase.

It was not until the 1820’s that Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803 – 1890) determined to build a new house at Margam.

The Margam estate had been in his family since 1536,however Thomas Mansel Talbot had demolished the original mansion house in 1787 to replace it with the magnificent Orangery that can be seen in the gardens today. Proud of this ancient family lineage Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot had always been attracted to romantic Margam. He wished to rebuild a suitable country residence which would compliment Margam’s illustrious history.

The site was deliberately chosen for its historic associations and picturesque position at the foot of a wooded historic hill, Mynydd-y-Castell, itself the site of Margam’s earliest habitation, with the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey and the eighteenth century Orangery visible to the West. The prospect of the house, rising above the Orangery and monastic remains to the west is unique in Wales.

Whilst the recognised and accredited architect is Thomas Hopper (1776 – 1856), it is rather interesting to find that another distinguished architect was closely involved with the project and almost certainly influenced the finished house with work on the interior and exterior, the stables, terraces and lodges, the Shrewsbury architect Edward Haycock (1790 – 1870). Thus we have two distinguished 19th Century architects involved with Margam.

However there is a third person who was to greatly influence the architectural style and finished design and this was C.R.M.Talbot who was greatly influenced by the architecture of two family homes borrowing elements from Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, ancestral home of the Talbots and residence of his cousin W.H.Fox Talbot ; and the idea of the octagonal tower from Melbury House in Dorset, the seat of his mother’s family, the Fox-Strangeways, Earls of Illchester.

Margam was really designed by three men Hopper, Haycock and Talbot and influenced by two earlier houses Laycock and Melbury whilst presenting an unique creation in sympathy with its sylvan surroundings, evocative of a rich and illustrious past – which is exactly what C.R.M.Talbot had in mind.

Plas Mawr

Plas Mawr, the 'Great Hall', built between 1576 and 1585 for the influential Welsh merchant, Robert Wynn.
The tall, lime rendered walls reflect the status of its builder as does its richly decorated interior. But do not let this rugged exterior deceive you, for within it is rich in ornamentation.
Plas Mawr is an architectural gem, the finest surviving town house of the Elizabethan era to be found anywhere in Britain.
It stands as a symbol of a prosperous, buoyant age, epitomised by the style and taste of Robert Wynn, a remarkable and well-travelled courtier and trader who rose to pre-eminence amongst the Welsh gentry. Wynn's 'worthy plentiful house' is especially noted for the quality and quantity of its ornamental plasterwork, now fully restored to its original splendour (look out for the many initials 'R. W.' in its crests and coats of arms).
Particularly exquisite is the plaster overmantel in the hall, repainted in its vivid original colours, which immediately proclaimed Wynn's wealth and status. Other riches in this noble dwelling include the glorious decorated plasterwork ceilings and friezes and skilful carpentry.
Plas Mawr's authentic period atmosphere is further enhanced by furnishings (many original to the house) based on an inventory of the contents in 1665. Visitors can take an audio-tour of the house which describes the restoration and the life of the Tudor gentry (not just Wynn's generous entertaining and feasting, but also the work of the servants which underpinned such a lavish lifestyle).
To mark the 400th anniversary of Wynn's death in 1598, Cadw plan to re-create the Elizabethan garden around the house.

The Most Haunted team visit Plas Mawr located in Conwy, North Wales. The building has been standing for over 400 years, one of Britains best surviving Elizabethan town houses. It was built around 1585 for its original owner Robert Wynn. Both Robert's two marriages both called Dorothy both had premature deaths. Illness killed the first, but a tragic fall killed the second who was pregnant. Dorthy slipped by accident down the stairs with her child while she was pregnant with another, the doctor came and said she would die, when Robert returned home he found his wife and child both dead in the bed and the doctor had dissapeared never to be seen again. The doctor is rumoured to have suffocated in the chimney whilst trying to escape from her husband because he could not save Dorothy. Are Robert Wynn's second wife and the doctor who tried but failed to save her still trapped in the bedroom? In the bedroom a ghostly face is seen in the doorway, also the master of the house is said to walk here, he greets people with a ghostly 'hello'. Also two lady's have been seen on the second floor, one of them distressed, could this be both the wife's of Robert who had premature deaths? Alot of poltergeist activity is seen in Plas Mawr, also footsteps are heard and smells of tobacco is smelt by visitors. Touchings by unseen hands are felt, security doors swing open and a ghostly black cat has been seen running across the floor. Parapsychologist Ciaran O'Keefe returns, and Ian Lawman is the guest Psychic.

The Ancient High House

Stafford's Ancient High House has been one of the most important buildings of the town for over four hundred years. Its late Elizabethan architecture makes it particularly distinctive among its 20th century neighbours. Rooms are displayed in period settings illustrating the varied history of the house. The Dorrington family had the house built in 1595 of oak believed to have come from Doxey Woods. It had an important role when King Charles I and his nephew Prince Rupert stayed here in 1642 at the start of the Civil War. The following year, when Stafford was taken over by the Parliamentarians, it became a prison for Royalist Officers.

As you would expect for a house with such a long history, ownership has changed many times with some the region's most important families living here. The Sneyd family were here through the 17th century and in the next century, Mr. Brooke Crutchley owned the house and divided it, the other half being lived in by Samuel Twigg, a mercer. Alterations to the ground floor in the 19th century seriously weakened the structure. Continued deterioration this century resulted in Stafford Borough Council carrying out an extensive programme of restoration. At the rear of the building is a small demonstration herb garden. The Ancient High House promises you an enjoyable and interesting visit.

Museum
The Staffordshire Yeomanry Museum, housed within the Ancient High House since 1993, gives visitors a flavour of the history of the Queens Own Royal Regiment. The display covers over 200 years of tradition and is specifically designed to be interesting to members of the general public as well as military enthusiasts. The centre piece of the exhibition is the Guidon (Standard) of the Yeomanry. It is surrounded by maps detailing the 19 battle honours the Guidon carries. The museum is a fine record of a fine regiment.

Featured in the Ancient High House are samples of 18th and 19th century wallpapers restored as part of the work carried out on the house by Stafford Borough Council. Designs bear intriguing clues to their history, such as excise duty stamps from 1740s.

The visit of King Charles I and Prince Rupert is commemorated in the civil war room. The coat-of-arms of the Sneyd family, can be seen in this room as a magnificent stained glass window, purchased by the Friends of the Ancient High House.

The furnishings in the Victorian room show some of the splendour of the time. The room is used for Victorian evenings when the piano provides entertainment of the era.

Access to the Ancient High House is difficult for disabled visitors and severely limited for wheelchair users. Our guides will help wherever possible.

North East Aircraft Museum

The North East Aircraft Museum, formerly the Northumbrian Aeronautical Collection, began life in 1974 as a small group of vintage aircraft enthusiasts meeting very informally at Sunderland Flying Club to exchange views and information on their chosen interest. At this time, the North East was the only major area of the United Kingdom not covered by any form of vintage aircraft group. Indeed, the only enthusiast aviation group in the whole region was Air North which mainly indulged in aircraft spotting. As the number of people attending the informal group meetings began to swell the decision was taken to establish a more formal organization and thus the Northumbrian Aeronautical Collection was born.

About the time of the formation of the N.A.C. , reports were received of the existence of an ex-Fleet Air Arm Westland Dragonfly helicopter rotting in a North Yorkshire scrapyard, and that a Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 fighter aircraft was to be broken up at RAF Acklington. After many hurried conversations and much frantic money raising, it was decided that the N.A.C. should go into aircraft preservation.
Following the acquisition of the two airframes, finding a suitable site to display the embryo collection was the first major difficulty. However, this was finally overcome when the owners and organizers at Lambton Pleasure Park showed an interest and were kind enough to provide a site free of charge. Thus, a trend was started that would eventually develop into the North East Aircraft Museum.

Over the following years the museum continued to grow, by collecting aircraft and artefacts from home and abroad, this included three aircraft donated by the United States Air Force. As the size of the collection increased so did visitor figures and the museum was considered to be of sufficient standing to allow an entrance fee to replace entrance by donation. In an effort to enhance the status of the museum it was decided that the museum should apply for registered charity status and that the museum support and fund raising activities should be set up as a limited company.

It was also at this time that the museum achieved its first major preservation coup by successfully saving the remains of a Supermarine Swift F.4 and a Bristol Brigand. These two airframes were of a particular historical significance in that the former was the remains of an aircraft that had captured the World Air Speed record in 1953. The latter represented the sole surviving remains of this type of aircraft anywhere in the world. Both of these exhibits wre saved from certain destruction, while many larger museums looked on.

In January 1983 the largest aircraft to land at Sunderland Airport arrived for the museum. This exhibit, the mighty Avro Vulcan bomber, which is still the largest and most expensive of the museum's acquisitions instantly became the museum's biggest attraction and to this day remains open for public inspection.

In line with a policy of continuous improvement the museum was able to stage another major preservation coup in 1988 when an F-84 Thunderstreak arrived on site from Greece. This was followed in 1989 by an F-86D Saber from the same source and thus gave the museum two further unique exhibits. The success of the policy of continuous improvement and extended opening times was supported by the ever increasing number of visitors, which by the end of 1990 had reached an annual total in excess of 20,000.

RSS Discovery & HMS Unicorn

The two ships located in Dundee Scotland. RSS Discovery and HMS Unicorn, both are based within a mile of each other.
RSS Discovery built between 1900 and 1901 lived up to its name by carrying Captain Scott to the West Indies and New Zealand towards his historic expedition to Antartica. In Februrary 1904 two years on the RSS Discovery returned home to a hero's welcome. Ghostly footsteps are heard throughout the ship, people believe it could be a crew member that followed Captain Scott to the Antartic, others believe it could be from a young man who fell to his death from the crows nest. A figure has been seen in one of the cabins, a ghostly boy has been seen running around the Ship and ghostly shadows have been seen, a ghost of a young sailor is seen so vividly that visitors stop and talk to him.

HMS Unicorn will be the main focus for the crew on this episode. HMS Unicorn is the oldest British Ship still afloat. The Ship fully launched in 1824, but the Ship never did get to see active battle due to due to onset of steam powered sailing, but the Ship did contribute to other things but it just remained in its location in Dundee. People feel uncomfortable on the decks as if someone is watching them, but the heavy booted footsteps and dark figures that scare people the most. There is only one known death located in this ship as well, one of the shipkeepers fell down the stairs near the boiler room and died and was found the next morning. Poltergeist activity is known to happen in one part of the ship and heavy objects and display cases are thrown on the floor when no-one is around. Some staff members refuse to enter the ship alone.
Steve Parsons is the Paranormal Investigator, and Guest Psychic Ian Shillito returns.

Bamburgh Castle

The impressive Bamburgh Castle located in Northumberland. With the backdrop of the North Seas Bamburgh Castle is a wonderful site to see. The nine acre site once formed a smaller timber construction, the Norman Keep dates back as far back as 1120, so many wars has been seen from this Castle, numerous people are associated with this Castle. Early in the 19th century a charitable trust went about to bring Bamburgh Castle back to its former glory. As a result the castle has since been a school, a World War Two HQ, and a hospital. The ghost of John Sharp who renevated the Castle has been seen walking in the gallery area, the ghost of a women has been seen in a particular room and the camera's fail on a regular basis in the room. A soldier has been seen, and a baby heard crying, there is also a piano playing ghost. Visitors have felt terrified near the library room, they have also felt sick, dark shadows have also been seen around there, and people complain about being touched by unseen hands while looking at the pictures. During World war Two when the Castle was used as a hospital a young male patient shot and tragically killed himself, his figure has been seen at the bottom of the stairs, and cold spots have been felt, a cold hand has been felt by visitors trying to hold their hand, this all happens in the Tapestry Passage. Matthew Smith returns as the Parapsychologist. Gordon Smith is the Guest Psychic Medium.

Chambercombe Manor, Devon.

The earliest records show a Lord of the manor as early as 1162, and as well as its priest holes a chapel was added in 1439. Then in the 1650's the Oatway familys short but significant stay began, a succession of familys was lucky enough to call this their home. Recently its role change to a working farm, in 1979 the Chambercombe Manor trust took ownership allowing visitors to visit this site from then onwards in the summer months. The spirit of a women called Elizabeth has been seen walking on the 400 hundred year old floor, the spirit of a man has also been felt near the fireplace, also an old women dressed in black has been seen sitting on the windowsill. Legend has it that William Oatway was running out of money, his daughter had left and married an irish sea captain, they had not seen her for years and they wrecked a shipwreck which had alot of dead bodies, they saw a women lieing on the sand, she had been bashed against the rocks, her face was badly disfigured, William robbed her then brought her back to the house when he realised that she was still alive unconscious, he lied her in the bed and she died 5 days later, William wondered how he could dispose of the body and he went to the pub and was talking to some people who had a list of all the people that had died from the shipwreck, there was only one women on the entire list and they gave him the name and it was his daughter Kate Oatway, they did not know what to do with the body so the bricked up the room with the body still in the bed, in the 1880's a farmer broke through a spare windowsill wall to discover the body of Kates skeleton in the four postered bed. In the four postered bedroom a child has been seen inside the cot as it swings from side to side, and a ghost of a women in grey has been seen standing over the cot. In another room a 6 year old girl who died has been seen playing with a friend, and two male figures have been seen in the same room, one of them is not too nice, cold spots, and poltergeist activity is also witnessed in the room. Ciaran O'Keefe is the Parapsychologist, and Gordon Smith is the guest Psychic Medium