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St Margarets Hospital - Great Barr

hi nick ;
my dear old friends the wintle family would know about those sort of things as they live up the rd across from the dears leap
his mother and is mother was a senior sister whom worked there for many years and way back in the fifties ;sixties and longer
she would know also my friend john; they live just along from st margrets ;i do beleive one of them comes on this site fromtime to time ;
have a word with nicky overton she is a very good spiritulist and very popular i beleiv the BBC are going to do a programe shortly of the midlands ;
go to key hill if you want spirits they are still knocking about in there i could give you a name but its that old and the crem temple as long gone so the strengh there could be weak i am contemplating going there myself in the near future to relive the experiences ;
best wishes astonian;;
 
That explains why my grandmother always lectured me and my cousin to stay away from the area at the bottom of her garden. She lived in Queslett Road and her house backed onto the grounds of St Margaret's. She would say bad people are kept there. It was enough for us we never went near the fence at the bottom of the garden. It must have been a frightening time when this murder occurred. I would have been three so don't remember it but it obviously scared my mother and grandmother.
 
Unfortunately the murder stories are true. My Dad told me his version of the story and I felt inclined to research it's truth. I came across this shocking news report-

https://www.birminghammail.net/news...ponsible-for-halloween-murder-97319-29996988/

It's surprising that incidents like this didn't detur the 'care in the community' scheme which saw the majority of patients pushed back into the open community.

I remember that incident, was 12 at the time and living on the Pheasey, still comes to mind when passing the house.
 
Hi all I worked on St Margaret's hospital (Excuse the spelling). I was a night security guard years 1998/2000 and my job was to make sure all the buildings secure, but I did my job 100% I rescued one building from fire, I remember securing the morgue one night and I don't get scared very easily but I still had a job to do, I'll get to the point lol. What I heard in the morgue sounded like people crying and sometimes the doors would shut even when there wasn't any breeze I also remember a little building not far from main entrance was set on fire unfortunately the fire fighters couldn't save the historic building. I Caught a few youths smashing windows in a building I chased them out and I was on the third floor of a building next the the clock tower and While I was securing the fire exit and trying to make sure no more youths could get in I was making my way back down the stairs when I heard Something like bed being moved but I went to investigate just to make sure there was nobody in building but I was on my own in Building, conclusion it was the wind but another part of me said it could be paranormal activity call me silly but you had to be there to understand what the atmosphere was like. Was St Margaret's hospital haunted by the patients and staff? I would like to find out but sadly the buildings are not the re anymore, I hope I haven't bored you with my events at St Margarets hospital, I do miss seeing the historic buildings
 
Coldplay78, I have read of similar stories from this place. One bottle digging website speaks of finding human bones in the nearby man made lake on the site. I wish I was able to visit this place before it's demolition but sadly I never got inside it's buildings.
 
I went all of the buildings apart from the ones that had been burnt to the ground as far as I'm aware there is one building still standing you cross a bridge to get to it and that building there was human bones found in there.being a security guard I walked around in the buildings thinking of all the history and I didn't know the hospital was for people who had medical issues.I'm trying to word the site without offending anyone but when I found out the hospital housed people who weren't fit to be in society it upset me of what patients went through even to now I can't believe its not there anymore.
 
I know certain words and phrases are now considered politically incorrect but when referring to factual history I don't think many would frown upon the same wording being used in historical context. It's only modern misuse of the words, such as idiot, imbecile, etc that have led to the words poor perceptions today. In the era of the 'Mental Asylum' or 'Idiot Colonies' or even 'Homes for the feeble minded' these words were merely educated medical terms.
 
I agree trying to word things without offending can be difficult. I did believe that some of the building were suppose to be haunted but some stories I were told seem to be just what were made up for example: a patient supposed to have murdered 6 other patients in one of the buildings not sure if that was true. I remain sceptical about that but I remember being told about a murder of the lady,she was hit over the head with a hatchet or a shovel and the dumped in a shed.I don't if that was true or not but she was killed by a patient from the hospital.
 
HI WENDY ;
Thje same thing could have been said about the lodge road mental hospital inwinson green ;
they used to loose patients most week ends you could be sitting there and one would come into your house
men and ladies in winjams ranting and screaming at you ;
you was always cross over and do not walk down pass the lodge it as its chostly stories as well ;
to have vistid was an experience on its own with the eriee feeling and dark gren dungeon alley ways under ground to get to the wards ;
best wishes astonian ;;
 
Hi All,

Firstly - can I just say THANK YOU to Big Gee for having just drawn my attention to the fresh activity on this thread! Also, many thanks to Coldplay78 for having taken the time to email me directly with the data included in his recent posts, etc.

With regards to Coldplays query concerning whether the site itself is potentially haunted 'by staff and patients', perhaps.... I can only reflect on the variety of stories that we have received from different sources over the years and say that - visually speaking - this possibly doesn't seem to be the case? We've been informed of a variety of different 'figures' being seen in the general region (both on hospital grounds and in the surrounding area) and most appear to be historical figures - period costume, etc - or, as with a potential, phantom horse-rider seen on hospital grounds, not actually / obviously engaged in hospital related activities(?) Looking at the matter objectively, it would seem that a lot of references / motifs mentioned pre-date the hospital itself.... i.e. figures in period costume, phantom coaches and the like.

One bottle digging website speaks of finding human bones in the nearby man made lake on the site.

I must admit that the above quote from Mr Faultless both stopped me in my tracks for a second and made me giggle a little (uneasily) as, in interviewing a past staff member of the site, we were told of occasions where people were supposedly 'thrown into the lake'. Needless to say, this did sound rather far fetched, to be honest....... but, in light of the quote, I won't be too ready to dismiss from now on, possibly? Laugh!
 
Sometime next week I'm going to take a day out to the grounds even though its an housing estate just to take it in what it use to be to what it is now. Call me a idiot but I most likely get emotional as the memories I had on that site even though I was only a security guard but I loved doing the night guarding at that hospital.
 
Hi coldplay78
In answer to your query about St Margarets Hospital I myself was and still am sure there was something unnatural at St Margarets. To many staff had unexplained events to relate as regards physical sightings and feelings some of wich were related to me at the time along with one of my own. These were highly trained and or very inteligent people and as far as I was concerned were found to be reliable.
See you soon Kevin gs
 
Hi everyone sorry i havent been on lately ive not been well, not long got out of hospital. The day i was going to visit the old st margarets hospital i ended up in back of ambulance instead of on a bus due to having a severe epileptic seizure but im planning to go next weekend with my partner and kiddies.ill update you all after my visit. Once again id like to apologise for my abscence and not posting.
 
Coldplay78, glad you are feeling better, that's the main thing!!
Look forward to hearing your thoughts on St margarets after your visit and hope it all goes ahead ok!
Sue
 
Hi everyone sorry i havent been on lately ive not been well, not long got out of hospital. The day i was going to visit the old st margarets hospital i ended up in back of ambulance instead of on a bus due to having a severe epileptic seizure but im planning to go next weekend with my partner and kiddies.ill update you all after my visit. Once again id like to apologise for my abscence and not posting.
Hope things are looking better for you now, all the best and nice to see you back.
 
Hi Kevin,
I have lived just off the Queslett Road most of my life and I DO remember a murder on the Queslett Road.
I think it was in the 60s or 70s and I believe ( Although not certain) the house which had an old cartwheel at the front entrance was on the left hand side going up the hill toward the Scott Arms.

Regards
Jim
 
Coldplay78 I do hope you are making a steady recovery after your stay in hospital. My aunt Phyl was a pshyciatric nurse at the hospital for many years but I can't remember any ghostly experiences she had. This should have been a photo of her in her uniform but is has not attached. It is the first time I have put this one on I think. Sorry about that. Jean. The photo has gone on at last Coldplay. Aunt Phyl at last.
 

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Absolutely fasinating thread...
I lived for most of my life in Perry Barr/Great Barr and remember some of the stories of St. Margarets...there was stories about patients committing suicide in the lake...
Then in the early 70's we use to go to a Disco held in the Clubhouse once a week..
I had heard of the murder of Cynthia Stride but didnt know any details,then approximately 12 years ago we were looking to buy a house..we went to view one on the Queslett Road...a nice Detached with a cartwheel in the front garden..we liked the house but something just wasnt right...just looked at the news report and it is the same house...
https://www.birminghammail.net/news/local-news/casebook-lone-wolf-responsible-for-halloween-167417
 
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