Ever been wandering around campus and felt a shiver down your spine, or an inexplicable feeling that someone, somewhere, is watching you? You may have been right to worry as here are four spooky UoB ghost stories that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat:
The War Time Nurse of Aston Webb
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Whilst we recognise it nowadays for its beautiful lecture theatres and the iconic graduation spot, the Great Hall, Aston Webb was historically transformed into the First Southern General Hospital during World War I. While in the day it is a bustling hive, when the lights dim and the chatter subsides, students and staff have reported seeing something inhuman lurking in the shadows cast by the historical buildings. Eyewitnesses have frequently reported hearing footsteps when no one is around, along with seeing shadows move in their peripheral vision. Some have suggested that it is the ghostly spirit of a nurse or patient from the war.
The Friendly Ghosts of University House
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The University House is a part of the campus that many students may not visit regularly. Located near the Guild, it acted as a hall of residence up until 2002. During this time, it was no stranger to paranormal activity. Upon visiting the accommodation, a student’s brother encountered a friendly spirit clad in black, who politely asked if she could walk past him as he lay on the floor in his sleeping bag. Initially thinking he may be dreaming, he was startled when he felt her presence as she floated over him, attending to a task in the corner of the room before vanishing without a trace. Although it does sound like a drunken hallucination, he was sober and confirmed that no student pranks were involved, as he checked that his sister had been in bed the entire time.
On another occasion, a cook reported seeing a ghostly figure in the dining room. After the affair, the cook refused to return to the dining room out of pure terror. After hearing about the abundance of paranormal events in the building, a chaplain blessed a room within the University House. Following that, all of the ghostly pranks thankfully ceased, with the chaplain playfully commenting, ‘There’s no harm in a friendly ghost!’
The Grey Lady of the Business School
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The most well-known ghost story associated with the university is the Grey Lady. Nurses working in the Great Hall during the War from 1914-1918 were housed in the Business School. Student Grace Surman was warned about the ghosts while she was a student ambassador working in the Business School.
Grace described the original features still present in the building, such as “fireplaces, cornicing, and wrought iron gates”, which create an airy atmosphere and give the impression that anything or anyone might be lingering in every corner. The postgraduate said: ‘The first corner of the building feels colder and darker than the others.” Spookily, this was the spot where the Grey Lady was first seen. She drifts around the building, still dressed in her nurse’s uniform, gliding through the corridors and keeping to herself. Legend says she fell down a spiral staircase to her untimely death.
The Roman Centurion in the Biosciences Basement
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Just a short walk from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University station now welcomes commuters and students alike. However, long before lecture halls and lab coats, Roman Centurions once marched across this very ground. Lorrain Wallace is a Research Fellow in the Medical School, and she shared her first-hand account of seeing the ghost of a Roman Centurion with the university’s official news page, Old Joe.
Lorrain recounted going to the basement of the Biosciences building to clear the freezer, only to be met by a “tall straight-backed figure”. But when she approached, it disappeared behind the doorway at the end of the long, narrow corridor – the makings of a horror film. Assuming it was a work colleague playing a harmless prank, Lorrain crept around the corridor and exclaimed “Boo!”, but she found only empty space. She raced upstairs to her colleague, who was surprisingly not shocked at the story, as many colleagues had also reported similar experiences. Lorrain said: “While I can’t be certain it was a Roman centurion, there are others in the department who report similar experiences and seeing figures wearing Roman helmets.”
So, next time you’re on campus, keep an eye out; you might not be alone after all…
Featured image via Korng Sok on Unsplash, edited via Canva.
