ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM GHOST HUNT JUNE 2022
Take a journey with Haunted Escapes and experience the Abbey House Museum ghost hunt. Setting the scene. Breaking down the location. Reporting the unexplainable.
THE LOCATION
Abbey House Museum is located on the edge of Leeds city centre and is one of the city’s most iconic locations.
The museum is now what was the original gatehouse to Kirkstall Abbey. Even to this day, Kirkstall Abbey is truly immense. Looking to the top of the Abbey spires can make you dizzy. I can only imagine how grand this place was all those centuries ago.
The museum building looks unsuspecting. You can think it’s just someone’s house as you approach. Thankfully, the peeking spires of Kirkstall Abbey give you the visual nod to say you have arrived.
The setting is just beautiful. Tall, large trees with grassy areas and the river just off to the side of the Abbey. This is quite the contract from the concrete jungle of the city.
Haunted Escapes has previously spent the night ghost hunting here twice. Both of those occasions did not disappoint with ghostly activity.
Repeat visits to the same location are like a coin. On one side of the coin, you have the excitement of knowing what paranormal activity you have previously encountered. Then, on the flip side of the coin, you have to make sure the previous visits do not overshadow and cloud your senses.
PRE EVENT WALKAROUND
Placing your first steps inside the museum is immediately like stepping back in time. You are suddenly placed on an excellent recreation of a Victorian street. All the items on this street are all original (apart from some of the clothes hanging from a washing line). These items were all recovered and restored from all across Yorkshire, possibly even further. The potential for the spirits linked to these items to make themselves known on the night is high.
Heading up to the first floor, you are again taken to a different era. Presented with children’s toys and games from days gone by. The first floor itself has the design of each different turn you take. You are given a new learning zone, which is a great educational piece for your day visit.
The very top floor of the museum is the Abbot’s room. This was to be our space for the next five hours. It is worth noting that walking in to the Abbot’s room you immediately feel a different heavy atmosphere. Could this be why it’s not accessible if you visit here throughout the daytime?
THE INVESTIGATION
VIGIL ONE
As with all ghost hunting events, smaller groups are formed and then it’s off to the vigils for roughly an hour in duration before the next group is rotated in.
With group one, we entered the Abbot’s room with the evening sun still offering plenty of daylight. After settling the guests and running through a kit talk, we began the calling out for spirits to come forward. Not long into the vigil, a definite presence was sensed. A male who was seemingly not impressed when the group would talk between themselves. I could clearly hear the words “don’t ignore me”.
It was difficult to get this spirit to interact with us more, which does happen often on the first vigil as it’s usually a warm-up session. A little more coaxing and some members of the group reported feeling cold hands when we asked for spirit to let the group feel the spirit’s presence.
Interestingly, towards the last few minutes of the first vigil, I had to make a quick dash out of the room as a sudden feeling of being sick came on very strong!
VIGIL TWO
After a short break, now with daylight long gone, we rotated groups and went back to the Abbot’s room. It was clear early on this was going to be a very different vigil. Again, the unknown male energy was in the room with us, only this time, he let everyone in the room know.
Two REM Pods which were positioned in opposite corners on the same side of the room burst into action. This equipment activity was not subtle. It was full light show displays lighting up one side of the room, and this was only the beginning.
With a REM Pod on either side of me, making sure I was far enough away so I wouldn’t affect them, I could feel an icy cold breeze going back and forth behind me. With some members of the group saying they could also see the shadow moving behind me. In an attempt to raise the bar on the activity, I began asking for this male to light up the REM Pods.
To everyone’s surprise and delight, this did happen instantly! Can you turn the lights on, please? Now can you turn them off, please? The response of seeing the equipment light up was incredible to witness as REM Pod activity is rare, especially when on it is command!
The co-host for the vigil began using questioning skills to uncover more about the male energy that was with us. It appeared to be that when a question was asked, which was on the right line of questioning; I was receiving the validation of a yes answer.
When the answer was a yes, my whole body was receiving an immense spine tingling shiver from head to toe. This experience I have only had once, which did lead to some not so pleasant results. We discovered the energy that was with us was a friar who had direct links to the building and land.
Now as we were pushing close to the next change of group, we had a newfound excitement for the final vigil of the night. Of course, with any close of a vigil I do, I always like to say goodbye and I like to ask if spirit can also say goodbye. To our delight, we were given one last display of lights via the REM Pods.
VIGIL THREE
Our third and final vigil of the night had arrived. It was also as though the spirit also knew this as there was a definite lull in activity. The previous REM Pod activity had almost fallen silent, with only very weak interaction being detected with long periods of nothing.
The cold hands felt from our first vigil returned for some of the members of the group. With only moments left in a last-ditch attempt to create something. I asked for the friar to try to copy the sound of me knocking on the wood-paneled walls. This created a reaction with the REM Pods once again lighting up.
This reaction was a fitting way to end the evening. All members from all groups were able to leave having experienced something throughout the time spent in the Abbot’s room.
SUMMARY
The Abbey House Museum ghost hunt delivered. I can now allow my mind to recall the previous visits. Linking them together, the activity and playfulness of the energies that remain in the Abbot’s room are fully consistent. Ghostly activity in this venue became visible for all to see. It is absolutely a location that is worth visiting. Whether by day to view the impressive Kirkstall Abbey. Or by night to experience the energies that linger
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