Greengate Brewery, Middleton

Description:
The Brewery, Middleton

Era:
Cottages turned brewery, it is thought that the original brewery buildings date back to the 17th century, but the Deeds don’t shed any further light. They do, however, relate to a “Greengate House” being on the site in 1791. The buildings were bought from William Hilton, on the death of his father Thomas Hilton, who was a weaver. A manufacturer named John Lee bought the row of cottages in 1828 to set himself up as a brewer. About 175 years on, JW Lees & Co. is still going strong!

Bloody history:
– A number of workmen who died during the sinking of the brewery well in the 19th Century.
– In the 1930’s, brewery supervisor went missing for days, he was eventually found curled up dead at the bottom of the well. This is separate from the death of the workmen who were building it.

Ghost ratings:
– A lady has been spotted sitting at the JW Lees Boardroom table, facing away from the table.
– A woman in a long, brown dress has been glimpsed coming through the staff kitchen door.
– A clerk at the brewery says she saw a hovering brown cloaked figure, tall and slim, moving towards her between filing shelves. Before it got to the end of the shelving it moved away to her left, though the solid shelving and out of sight.
– A figure in a white cloak has been spotted in the brew house.

Spooky Experiences:
– While walking past the same boardroom, a night watchman once claimed that he was hit across the face by something or someone never seen. He was so scared he waited outside the building until more staff arrived at 6am.
– One staff member claims that while she was sitting eating her lunch, she felt as if someone had come through the door, walk up behind her and then stand next to her. When she turned around, there was no-one there. Several others have made claims to experiencing similar.
– In the tank room, there have been several stories of a spanner flying across the room, and a kettle moving.

Events

Medium Derek Acorah picked up several spirits all over the brewery and upon hearing this, the team split up to investigate different areas. Later on with strange tapings on barrels and the crew already spooked the extraordinary happened, whilst investigating the attic a cupboard started to rock back and forth whilst a crew member in the barrel room found a barrel rolling towards him from the apparently empty barrel run area of the cellar.

First broadcast: 1st June 2004

Matt Barlow

A self confessed super fan of Most Haunted and editor of GhostMag.com. Matt’s passion for ghost hunting began when he moved into a haunted house in his second year of university in Leicester! His favourite location is the Niddry Street Vaults in Edinburgh.