Your Ghost Hunt at Newsham Park Hospital and Orphanage
Join the team for a night at the abandoned Newsham Park Hospital and Orphanage in Liverpool and investigate areas which include the Victorian nurses home with long winding staircases and dark corridors, the basement which was once used as a laundry area and not forgetting the well known naughty boys corridor, once used to lock away any child that was deemed naught.
We have witnessed some of the most chilling activity during past ghost hunts here at Newsham Park Hospital and Orphanage and the experiences have been the most frightening ever encounted.
For years we have searched for the ultimate ghost hunting experience and the abandoned Newsham Park Hospital and Orphanage is the perfect setting. This sprawling Victorian Grade II listed building in Liverpool now lies derelict but has been the site of an orphanage, hospital, asylum and nursing home during its 138 year history. Boarded up and surrounded by perimeter fencing, we have 99,000 sq ft of terrifying corridors and rooms to explore as we enter this building in search of the ghostly inhabitants that still reside here.
Ghosts of Newsham Park Hospital and Orphanage
The abandoned Newsham Park Hospital and Orphanage has a massive array of spooky rooms, corridors and basements, including numerous hospital wards and the nurses accommodation. There is an instant feeling of uneasiness as you enter and begin to roam this frightening place and you cannot fail to sense the torment and of those who belong to its long history.
Wheelchairs sit empty in corridors as a reminder of the lives that passed over in this place, giving this location a unique and frightening atmosphere. Although the building has laid empty for many years, there have been numerous reports of paranormal activity here from security staff and workmen alike.
Distant voices have been heard from within the empty building, shadowy figures have been seen darting down the stairwells and workmen's tools have disappeared only to turn up in a completely different part of the building. Could this be the work of mischievous children from the orphanage coming forward to make themselves known?
History of Newsham Park Hospital and Orphanage
The institution was opened in 1874 as an orphanage for the education and support of the orphans of British seamen and by 1899 there were 321 children housed here under the harsh supervision of a number of Matrons. Conditions were harsh and cruel, siblings were segregated and "they weren't fussy how they punished you" described one former resident. The First World War brought more residents to the orphanage and by 1918 almost one thousand orphans were being housed here. The orphanage eventually closed in 1951 and became Newsham Park Hospital which remained in operation until 1988 when it closed down completely, beginning the demise of this spooky building.
Before 1869, there was no institution in Liverpool for the support and education of the orphans of British seamen. The first move to establish such an institution was made by a group of leading Liverpool ship-owners in 1868. The sponsors of the project comprised a group of ship-owners and merchants who for some time had been concerned how best to help the widows and families of deceased Merseyside men including those lost at sea. Members of the public were invited to attend a meeting at the Mercantile Marine Service Association Rooms on 16th December 1868, at which the resolution to found such an establishment was proposed by Ralph Brocklebank and Bryce Allan, both leading ship-owners and philanthropists. James Beazley, another leading ship-owner, was invited to be chairman of the committee to establish an orphanage.
One of the ship-owner sponsors wrote on 17th December 1868 to nine of his colleagues offering to donate £500 to start a building fund if they would donate the same amount. There was an immediate response to this letter, and further donations were received following a more widespread public appeal.
In 1869 an account was opened in Heywoods Bank, Brunswick Street and within a few months, there was enough money for the General Committee to look round for a temporary home. On 9th August 1869, the Liverpool Seamen's Orphan Institution opened in temporary rented accommodation in Duke Street and by the end of that year there were 46 boys and 14 girls in residence. On 7th April 1870, Liverpool Town Council gave 7000 square yards of land on the North-East side of Newsham Park to construct a Seaman's Orphan Institution and on 11th September 1871, the foundation stone of new building was laid by Mr. Ralph Brocklebank, first President. By 30th January 1874, there was an informal opening of the North wing of the orphanage. As well as the children who moved from the temporary orphanage in Duke Street, the committee also looked after children on an outdoor relief basis.
On 30th September 1874, the orphanage was officially opened by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The First World War brought problems and by 1918 one thousand orphans were being assisted. During the Second World War the children were evacuated to Hill Bark in Frankby, Wirral, the country home of Mr E.B Royden, a devoted friend and committee member. Here the children remained and flourished throughout the war.
In 1946, preparations were made for a return to Newsham Park Orphanage, but with the great expansion in the country's social service schemes, many surviving parents were understandably reluctant to place their children in the orphanage. This led to a gradual decline in the number of resident children.
Despite Newsham Parks endowment, financial difficulties were increasing and there seemed little prospect of bridging the widening gap between income and expenditure. As a result the orphanage closed on 27th July 1949. Places in various schools were found for those then being housed and educated at Newsham Park and most were transferred to the Royal Merchant Navy School at Bearwood. The sale of the premises went to the Ministry of Health for use as a hospital.
In 1951 the committee continued to provide support to orphaned seamen's children on a non-resident basis, thus continuing to pursue the original objectives of the institution's founders.
Newsham Park Hospital opened its doors in 1954 and the hospital developed its own psychiatric department and received an influx of patients with severe psychological problems such as Schizophrenia.
The hospital officially stopped taking new patients in 1988 and by 1992 all remaining patients and staff were relocated to Rainhill Asylum. The building now lies in a state of dispear but the echos from its past still resonate around this magnificent abandoned building.
Your Event Includes
- Use of ghost hunting equipment including EMF Meters, K2 Meters etc.
- Experiments including glass divination, table tipping and Ouija Boards.
- Workshop and separate vigils for returning guests.
- Ghost hunting vigils and séances in small groups.
- Includes teas and coffees
- Free time to investigate alone
Address, Maps & Hotels
Address & Hotel Information
Newsham Park Hospital
Orphan Drive
Liverpool
Merseyside
L6 7UN
For Hotels near to
Newsham Park Hospital , please click here. opens in a new window
Parking
Information
Accessibility
- This location is not suitable for wheelchair users
- This location is not suitable for people with mobility issues or walking difficulties
Important
- All attendees must be 18 years or older
- All attendees must bring a torch
- Wear sensible shoes and warm layered clothing as the location may get cold at night
