Chester: England's Most Haunted City

Palace Poltergeist

Chester's Old Bishops Palace is a large, Georgian, haunted mansion overlooking the riverside Groves above the Dee. It's home to two well-established Victorian spirits, one of them an active poltergeist.

Back in the 19th century, the kindly Bishop of Chester rescued a small boy from the local workhouse and gave him the job of boot boy. But although the tiny orphan worked hard polishing the Bishop's boots and shoes, he got on the wrong side of the spiteful housekeeper. For some reason, she hated him with a vengeance. One day, when the Bishop was away on business, she sacked him on some feeble pretext and had him thrown into the street. By the time the Bishop returned, the boy had starved to death. His tiny corpse was found frozen by the river.

To this day, the boot boy's pathetic yet mischievous spirit still haunts the Old Palace. Shoes vanish without trace or reappear in the oddest places. Now, at last, it seems the boot is on the other foot!