Speke Hall

Speke Hall is one of the finest surviving half-timbered Tudor manor houses in England, a stunning black-and-white building set in gardens and woodland on the banks of the Mersey. Built between 1530 and 1598 by the Norris family, the house features elaborate timber framing, secret priest holes, and a priest’s hiding chamber—testament to the family’s Catholic recusancy during the dangerous years of persecution. The hall’s long history of joy and tragedy has left it pervaded with spectral presences, none more poignant than the ghost known as the White Lady.

The White Lady of Speke Hall is one of Liverpool’s most famous ghosts. According to legend, she was a young mother, possibly a member of the Norris family, whose infant child died in tragic circumstances—some versions say the child drowned in the moat, others that it was stillborn or died of illness. Overcome with grief, she is said to have taken her own life. Her ghost appears throughout the house but particularly near the tapestry room and by the moat, dressed in white Tudor clothing, searching eternally for her lost baby. Witnesses describe her as appearing solid and lifelike, often looking distressed and calling out softly. The sound of a woman weeping is frequently heard, and some visitors report seeing her cradling something invisible in her arms before she fades away.

Beyond the White Lady, Speke Hall reports extensive paranormal activity. The Great Hall sees phantom figures moving across it at night, and shadow people are regularly seen in doorways and corridors. The priest hole, where Catholic clergy hid during raids, is a focal point for strange phenomena—visitors report feelings of claustrophobia, anxiety, and the sensation of being trapped. Some have heard whispered Latin prayers. Staff members document frequent unexplained occurrences: objects moving on their own, doors locking and unlocking, footsteps in empty rooms, and sudden temperature drops. The Blue Room is considered particularly haunted, with reports of a male presence and objects being thrown. The gardens are not exempt—figures in Tudor dress have been seen walking the grounds and then vanishing. Speke Hall’s ghosts seem deeply connected to the building, unable or unwilling to leave their ancestral home.