Whittingham Hospital

Whittingham Hospital near Preston opened in 1873 as the Lancashire County Lunatic Asylum and grew to become the largest mental health facility in Britain, with over 3,000 patients at its peak. The sprawling Victorian complex closed in 1995 after scandals involving patient abuse came to light. The abandoned buildings have since become legendary among paranormal investigators and urban explorers as one of England’s most haunted locations. The sheer scale of human suffering—decades of patients subjected to electroshock therapy, lobotomies, and brutal restraint methods—has left an overwhelming psychic residue.

Explorers report intense paranormal activity throughout the decaying wards. The most commonly reported phenomena include anguished screaming echoing through corridors, shadow figures darting between rooms, and the sound of metal bed frames scraping across floors in empty wards. The former treatment rooms are particularly active, with witnesses reporting the smell of ozone (associated with electroshock therapy), sudden temperature drops, and the sensation of invisible hands grabbing at them. Many who venture into the hospital’s abandoned morgue and autopsy rooms refuse to return, describing an overwhelming sense of dread and malevolence.

The hospital’s infamous “water tower” has become a focal point for paranormal activity. Multiple investigators have reported seeing faces in the windows, hearing children crying (the hospital had a children’s ward), and experiencing equipment failures. The underground tunnel system connecting the various buildings is considered especially dangerous, both physically and paranormally. Witnesses describe being followed by footsteps, hearing voices calling their names, and experiencing intense psychological distress that forces them to flee. Despite demolition of many buildings, those that remain continue to attract ghost hunters drawn to what many consider Britain’s most haunted asylum.