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Saturday 11th September

8.00 PM - 2 AM approx

Join our guest medium and the Compass Team as we unlock the doors and make our way around this historic building investigating its past.

With over 600 years of history this fantastic location is a must for those seeking to experience what a true ghost hunt feels like.

Join the real ghost hunters for a night to remember!!!

The Guildhall is reputedly Leicester's most haunted building – five ghosts have been reported in total.

The Great Hall was built around 1390 as the meeting place of the Guild of Corpus Christi; the guild was a group of businessmen and gentry who had religious connections.

The Guildhall was used for banquets, festivals, and as a home for a priest who prayed for the souls of Guild members in the nearby St Martin's Church. The Corporation of Leicester bought the Guildhall by the end of the 14th century.

During the English civil war the Mayor and corporation received a demand from Prince Rupert a demand for £2000.

The decision was made at the Guildhall to offer a loan of £500 and made an appeal to King Charles I.

In May 1645 the King in attempt to divert attention away from Oxford positioned an army of 6,000 men outside the city walls on 29 May 1645.

Again important decisions regarding the fate of the city were to be decided in the Guildhall. On the 30th May 1645 the Royalist Army made demand after demand to the city, who played for time. In the end the Prince Rupert attacked at 3:00 pm. The City walls were breached, and the last stand made by the defenders outside the Guildhall and St Martins. The Royalists then entered the Guildhall looting the towns archives, and mace and seal. The Royalist victory was over turned a couple of weeks latter with the defeat at Naseby.

Records also show that entertainment expenses were paid for such items as wine, beer for Oliver Cromwell. Although this does not prove Oliver Cromwell stayed at the Guildhall, it is highly probable that he visited several times. The coat of arms of King Charles I can be seen today inside the Mayors Parlour.

It is reputed that William Shakespeare appeared here. In recognition of this, the television company, Maya Vision, brought the Royal Shakespeare Company to perform at the Guildhall as part of its 2003 series for the BBC, 'In Search of Shakespeare,' written and narrated by the historian, Michael Wood. Part of the Shakespeare legend is that Shakespeare first came across the tale of King Leir whilst appearing at the Guildhall and this inspired him to write his own play King Lear.

There is, however, no actual evidence to support this, although the legend of King Leir is associated with Leicester.

The Guildhall was retained in use until quite late. It was not until 1876 that the Corporation moved to the new Leicester Town Hall. It was later used as a police station and school, before becoming a museum. It is currently also used as a venue for musical performances.

The most frequent visitor is the White Lady, a name given to the phenomenon though she is very rarely seen. The ghost makes her presence known by moving the heavy Tudor furniture around the library and by opening doors once they have been locked and bolted.

On numerous occasions, staff and police have been called out in the evening to attend to burglar alarms which have been triggered by an unseen presence.

The White Lady also has a soft spot for the large Bible which is situated on the main table within the library. Staff will often close the Bible in the evening only to find that in the morning it is back open in exactly the same place as the night before. No one has any knowledge to the identity of the ghost.

The sound of heavy footsteps has often been heard crossing the main entrance to the constable’s cottage. This ghost is believed to be that of one of the officers who would have been based in the building during the Victorian era.

Footsteps have also been heard in the roof space which, again, is believed to be associated with the Victorian police force. The officers slept in the roof space - the pegs for their uniforms can still be seen today.

There has been reports of a cavalier type character in the Great Hall and a phantom dog in the courtyard, though no record of this phenomena has been recorded.

In 2004, Living TV’s ‘Most Haunted’ visited The Guildhall and their mediums, Derek Acorah and David Wells, immediately sensed the presence of Victorian era pick pockets, policemen and an ‘evil presence’ in the cell area. Footsteps were heard in the library roof space, two duelling men were sensed in the Great Hall and many of the crew felt sick in the area of the cells.

Join in with group séances, table tipping and more. As with all our events you will have the opportunity to break down into smaller groups and carry out your own investigation, with the help and guidance of our team.

Our ghost hunting equipment will all be made available for your use, and you will be shown how to use it effectively.

You are welcome to bring any ghost hunting equipment of your own, and don't forget your camera and / or camcorder.