Manor Farm in Rainhill looks every bit the traditional country pub, but behind the cosy beams and Sunday roasts lies a 17th‑century farmhouse with deep roots in local history. The original Manor Farmhouse was associated with families like the Mellings and Chorleys, with records suggesting rebuilding or major work around 1662 and earlier structures on the same site.
In 1977 the old farmhouse was converted into the pub that locals know today, complete with original well, thick walls and a layout that still whispers of its agricultural past. That combination of age, layered use and preserved features is exactly the sort of setting where ghost stories tend to gather.
A House Steeped in Rainhill History
Rainhill itself developed from a rural cluster around Manor Farm into a key stopping‑point on roads and railways between Liverpool and the interior. The wider area became famous for the Rainhill Trials of 1829, but long before steam locomotives, ordinary farm life, family dramas and religious tensions played out around the old farmhouse.
Local historians note that the region saw periods of Catholic persecution, with hints that tunnels and hidden routes may have existed beneath some properties, including Manor Farm. Whether or not all of those tunnels survive, the stories alone add weight to the sense that people once moved in and out of the house in fear and secrecy.
The Boy Who Never Left
The most talked‑about ghost at Manor Farm is a young boy who seems determined to be noticed. In one well‑known case, a family were dining in the pub when their grandson became unsettled, saying a boy in the corner was “pulling faces” at him. There was no other child visible to the adults.
Later, the same child reportedly said, “It’s okay now because she’s gone back to heaven,” a puzzling but powerful line that stuck with the family and staff. Paranormal teams and visitors now associate that area of the pub with a playful but persistent presence – objects are said to be nudged, cat balls light up, and people feel a small figure standing by their chair before the sensation suddenly vanishes.
Dark Shadows and the “Special Book”
The Manor Farm haunting is not all innocent mischief. Investigators and staff also report a darker side to the building, centred on upstairs spaces and one particular “special book” said to stir heavy energy when disturbed. Some teams describe an oppressive atmosphere around that area, with guests becoming agitated or emotional during vigils.
In the bar and historic sections of the pub, a tall, black shadow figure has been seen crossing doorways or gliding along walls, with no clear facial features – just a dense silhouette that absorbs the light. People have reported feeling watched from empty corners, cold spots blooming near the well and sudden tingles across the back of the neck, as if someone has stepped up silently behind them.
Hidden Tunnels and Catholic Secrets
One of the most intriguing strands of Manor Farm lore involves blocked‑off tunnels beneath the building. Stories suggest that, during times of religious tension, these routes may have been used to move Catholics secretly in and out of the farmhouse or neighbouring properties.
Even if much of the physical structure is now sealed, the idea of priests and worshippers hiding out below – frightened, praying, waiting to move under cover of darkness – adds a powerful emotional layer. For paranormal investigators, that kind of hidden history can be as important as recorded deaths when trying to understand why a location still feels charged centuries later.
Why Manor Farm is Ideal for Ghost Hunts
From a ghost‑hunting perspective, Manor Farm has all the right ingredients: history, variety of spaces and clear, repeated reports of activity. The downstairs bar and dining areas are perfect for small vigils focusing on the child spirit, using simple trigger objects and calling out sessions in the corner where he is most often sensed.
Upstairs, the “book room” and any accessible landing or corridor areas provide a more intense environment, suited to shorter, carefully managed sessions where guests can test whether changes in mood and temperature occur when specific objects are moved or questions are asked. The presence of an original well and older architectural features also gives investigators natural focal points for EVP and dowsing experiments.
A New Merseyside Hotspot for DeadLive Fans
Manor Farm fits perfectly into the wider story of Merseyside’s haunted pubs and historic buildings. For guests who enjoy our Liverpool ghost hunts and DeadLive paranormal events across the North West, a night at this Rainhill pub offers something a little different: farmhouse heritage, a playful child presence and a hint of darker secrets beneath the floorboards.
DeadLive would love to bring structured investigations to Manor Farm and explore its stories further with guests, but right now events are focused on locations such as Lark Lane Old Police Station Liverpool, Mayer Hall Wirral, Vernon Institute Chester, Penrhyn Old Hall, Coffee House Wavertree and the Transport Museum Manchester.
DeadLive – taking you where the haunting is happening.