Ghostly sounds heard at 'most haunted' former Sheffield pub which is now a Starbucks

Employees at the Carbrook Hall Starbucks in Attercliffe have spoken of hearing children’s laughter and a baby crying as they get ready to lock up at night.

Doors are also said to have mysteriously opened by themselves, and bags of coffee and stacked cups have allegedly been sent tumbling with no one around.

These spooky happenings add weight to the Grade II*-listed building’s haunted reputation, with tales from its past life as a pub including mischievous spirits throwing open doors, smashing bottles and even locking customers in the toilets.

But it seems staff aren’t too frightened, as they have taken to naming the children whose disembodied voices they hear.

The building’s landlord Sean Fogg, of West Street Leisure, said: “Staff say they’ve heard strange sounds, like little children laughing and a baby crying, coming from the cooking area while they’ve been locking up or stock-taking in the evening.

"They think they're quite friendly ghosts, but they won't go downstairs in the cellar alone.

"One woman working there said at first they were quite scared but now they've even started naming the children they hear.

"There have also been bags of coffee and stacks of cups which have fallen down with no explanation.

"And the upstairs doors are kept shut because those rooms aren't used at the moment, but when someone went up recently they'd all been opened.

"They were visited by a lady from a paranormal society who described the presence she felt when she walked through the door as ‘spine tingling’.

“She said all the staff and customers had woken the spirits, who apparently feed off people’s energy.”

Carbrook Hall dates back to at least the 12th century, though the oldest surviving part is believed to have been built in 1620.

It was home to the leading parliamentarian Colonel John Bright during the English Civil War and was a key meeting place ahead of the taking of Sheffield Castle in 1644.

The building was used as a pub for many years but closed in 2017 and was damaged in an arson attack before being restored by Mr Fogg to become a cafe.

Mr Fogg says he doesn’t know the story behind the ghostly voices but believes they may well be connected to its military past.

“I understand a lot of the soldiers stationed there would have had their children with them, who would have helped preparing meals,” he said.

“It may be that there were children who died there and were buried in the grounds, where there are said to be a lot of soldiers buried.”