Newsham Park Hospital, Liverpool

Newsham Park Hospital in Tuebrook, Liverpool, is a Grade II listed building. This one-time hospital and Seamen’s Orphanage now lies abandoned, with a growing reputation as one of the most haunted former asylums in the country.

Ghosts of Newsham Park Hospital

Broken beds lie in decaying rooms, rusted wheelchairs and trolleys are parked in the exact position they were last used decades ago, and the names of some long-dead staff are displayed on the empty lockers like epitaphs.

The fridge doors lay open in the morgue, revealing the uninviting body drawers inside. This truly is a terrifying location, a ghost hunters dream! Newsham Park is so haunted that there’s an 18-month waiting listing for companies looking to book their ghost tours!

This building is indeed haunted, and the oppressive atmosphere hits you as soon as you walk through doors!

The reports date back to when the building was used as a hospital as a female nurse complained about seeing apparitions. Strangely, she was found dead at the top of the staircase on the main corridor.

Patients were constantly mentioning ‘the children’, and psychiatric patients talked to people who weren’t there. Yes, this could very well be a factor of their illness, or it could have been that these patients could see and hear things that the sane people could not?

There is a row of cupboards on one of the upper floors leading to the attic, referred to as the naughty cupboards. Misbehaving orphans were placed here for hours as a form of punishment.

It is believed this area is haunted by the ghost of a little boy who died whilst locked in one of the cupboards. His spirit has made itself known by opening and shutting the cupboard doors.

Visitors have reported missing tools only for them to show up in other parts of the building. Disembodied voices and dark shadowy apparitions have been seen darting around rooms.

Could it be that the spirits of the 16,000 orphans who were cremated onsite with their ashes being thrown into a pit in the mortuary? Or could it be the psychiatric patients still walking round the building confused and lonely?

Related pages: The Most Haunted Places in Liverpool

History of Newsham Park

The Seamen’s Orphanage, Newsham Park, was founded in 1874 and officially opened on 30 September 1874 by the Duke of Edinburgh.

By 1884 the orphanage supported over 800 fatherless children, with around half of those taking up residence in the home.

During World War I, the devastation left thousands of children without support, many of them with nowhere to turn, moved into Newsham too.

Following a visit from Queen Mary and George V in 1921, the orphanage was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation, which would have undoubtedly been a welcome honour at a time when more significant funds were much needed.

Throughout their time at the orphanage, the children were treated harshly, with several very stern matrons who kept things in order. Former residents have stated just how strict it could be and that children would often get punished quite severely.

Towards the end of the Second World War, the country’s social care schemes improved, resulting in Newsham losing many of its children and, therefore, its funding. By July 1949, the orphanage was closed, and in 1951 Newsham Park was sold to the Ministry of Health.

The Newsham Park Hospital was opened in 1954, with its own dedicated psychiatric department, which brought an influx of mental health patients.

By 1992 the hospital had closed, and all its patients relocated. In their place came the Rainhill Lunatic Asylum inmates, after £1.6 million was spent on its renovation, over 90% of the hospital was full.

It’s now privately owned by property developer Anglefarm Limited, who have plans to turn it into an events venue.

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Visiting Newsham Park Hospital

Newsham Park is still undergoing restoration work. However, it is open for event bookings.

If you wanted to tour the building, your only option would be to book into one of the ghost hunts held here or one of the many other events throughout the year.

Address: Gardner’s Dr, Liverpool L6 7UN