The Stocksbridge Bypass Ghosts

The Stocksbridge bypass opened in 1988 in the city of Sheffield. The road was intended as a solution to the build-up of trans-Pennine traffic on Main Street in Sheffield. The locals welcomed the development after they had been frustratedly campaigning for years for a change in the roads.

The haunted history of this road begins even before its opening date, there have been previous reports of paranormal activity which were escalated to the authorities. The South Yorkshire Police were involved in investigating some of this ghostly activity.

The community in Sheffield were extremely pleased by the initial announcement of the Stocksbridge bypass. The plans were that the road would run through the centre of Stocksbridge, cutting through farmland and linking the M1 and the A629 Woodhead route. As a result, the trans-Pennine traffic would be steered away from Manchester Road.

Stocksbridge Bypass Development Project

The Stocksbridge bypass was not a plan that could be actioned overnight, it was a huge development project which took massive amounts of engineering work and a large team of people. The workers were required to break down the rock in order to form the road. Despite the impressive engineering work behind the project, the road is more famously known as a hotspot for haunted activity.

The ghostly reports originated from the construction workers who had witnessed strange happenings whilst they were working on site. Some of the workers claimed they had seen groups of young children playing together in the field and laughing. This report is particularly terrifying as public access had been banned in this area, and so there would not have been any members of the public on this site, especially not children.

Reports and Stange Events

These reports were looked into by professionals in the hope to provide an explanation for the strange events and settling any queries. Unfortunately, no evidence came to light of any children on the premises, which meant the workers remained living in fear and refused to work on-site alone.

Over time, the road built up a reputation for ghostly activity and unexplained events, and eventually, the police became more involved. A group of police offers were instructed to go on a night patrol around the road, keeping a watchful eye out for any suspicious activity.

One night, the police patrol returned completely shaken up and confused by what they had experienced. The officers had been sitting in their car, patrolling the road when they picked up on some suspicious activity coming from the outside which could not be explained. They began to slowly drive off when something started banging and hammering down extremely hard on the outside of the car. When the battering eventually stopped, the officers inspected the car and found there to be no damage whatsoever. They also did not see anyone present throughout this event, there was no explanation for the cause of the banging.

The officers struggled to recall the event to their friends and colleagues, they were extremely traumatised by what they had experienced on that night. Their story made headline news in the local paper, and it wouldn’t be the last time that the road was acknowledged for its haunted activities.

Ghostly Sightings at Stocksbridge Bypass

Many further reports of ghostly sightings have surfaced following the police officer’s account. There has been a common theme between the reports of a ghostly figure which resembles a monk. The monk is said to appear on the road during the night, it is speculated that the spirit could be harmless and does not hold strong evil energy. Other travellers have claimed to witness ghostly passengers in their cars whilst driving through the bypass.

As the bypass has built a reputation for haunted activity, it is no surprise that it has travelled up the most haunted list and become a top attraction for ghost hunters all around the UK. The ghost sightings have made the road famous across the country, and it has claimed a spot on the record of the most haunted roads.

Despite the fame, there is much controversy surrounding the Stocksbridge bypass. There have been many fatal collisions that have occurred on the road. The safety of the bypass and its construction has come under fire and is viewed as questionable, considering the first accident happened within months of its opening.

In response to the threats of safety, the use of CCTV surveillance was increased on the road. Many safety cameras were installed, enforcing lower speed limits in an attempt to reduce the number of accidents. Some have suspected that these cameras may also pick up on some ghostly activity.