The Shakespeare

Originally standing in Chester, this pub was transferred to Manchester in 1926. A Victorian kitchen girl, said to be friendly is one spectre here, while a male phantom is seen on the upper floors. There may be a connection between the two; in one version of the tale, the girl killed herself by setting herself alight with candles after being attacked by the chef, who later hanged himself out of remorse. Other versions say that the young lady was killed by the chef, or that she accidentally set fire to herself. A rocking chair in the kitchen has also been seen to rock by itself.

Update 11/2/22: The pub responded to my Facebook request for any recent occurrences: "We have had occasions when drinks are inexplicably moving and falling off tables (Bill the ghost of a former landlord) and there have been paranormal investigation done in the past. I've been here 2 years though, and other than an occasional moving pint it all seems clear. Hope this helps. You can see an investigation on you tube." Researcher Greg Hardman visited the pub on May 28th 2025 and told me, "[I] spoke to the landlady and two bar maids...the landlady told me she had been there 2 years and not had any experiences...the staff hadnt either. The landlady believes the stories originate from when the pub was in Chester and she told me that only the pub front wall is originally from the pub in Chester that was transported over to Manchester in 1926. To that end, did the stories travel with the workmen at the time of the transfer...or are the ghosts somehow attached to the new building somehow connected with the buildings frontage?"

Link: The Mirror

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