The Grand Pavilion

Overview

The beautiful and imposing Grand Pavilion is nestled away in the picturesque valley of Matlock Bath but don’t let that fool you, this haunted building has a very dark, eerie and spooky feel inside as well as many ghostly reports.

The Grand Pavilion Ghost Hunts, Matlock Bath

Nestled in the picturesque town of Matlock Bath lies the imposing building that is The Grand Pavilion. Get ready for your ghost hunt inside the Edwardian Grand Pavilion that serves up over 100 years of history.

There are many areas to explore, and all come with their own stories of ghostly sightings and strange phenomenon. You will get to explore many rooms on the upper floors, including the main hall and stage, the dressing rooms and top floor rooms with access via a ladder to the dome structure at the very top of the Pavilion; an area that is very active and where a tragic accident occurred leading to a man’s death after he fell from the dome level during construction. Will you contact the spirit of this man on your ghost hunt at The Grand Pavilion?

Several areas of the Pavilion are in a dilapidated state and currently undergoing extensive restoration which sets a spooky scene for a fun night of ghost hunting. Building works are often responsible for heightened levels of paranormal activity, so can you handle a ghost hunt at The Grand Pavilion?

Take a look at the History and Reported Ghost sections for more spooky information on The Grand Pavilion

Your Event

On a ghost hunt with Haunted Houses you will have exclusive access to the building/location during the evening. You will learn all about ghost hunting and the techniques used to encourage paranormal activity. We have a whole host of scientific ghost hunt equipment for you to use to aid communication with the spirits. You can take part in Ouija boards, glass divination and table tipping; the more traditional ghost hunt techniques. Or simply sitting in the dark and asking for the spirits to interact with you. Lone vigils (ghost hunting alone) will also be offered where available. During your evening you will be split into smaller groups so you can get the most out of your experience. If you are new to ghost hunting we warn you now – by the end of the night you may just become addicted to the fascinating and intriguing world of ghost hunting.

This is a real ghost hunt experience, there is no fakery, tricks or actors jumping out at you. What are you waiting for? Book your places today from just £20 deposit!

Haunted Houses look forward to welcoming you at this amazing building and sharing a night that you will not forget.

Reported Ghosts

There have been many sightings of a lady in white seen looking through the windows on second floor out towards the river. It is documented that some children drowned in the river many years ago and it is believed that the spirit of the lady is linked to them.

On the bowling green to the side of the Pavilion a figure has been seen walking back and forth, which is where a man tragically died when the ground collapsed into a tunnel underneath.

Many voices and noises are heard around the building when there is no one around, cries of children heard back and forth through the corridors. Feelings of anxiety, breathlessness and being touched in certain areas. There is believed to be a man around the first-floor corridor that is not particularly pleasant, leaving many people feeling uneasy and wanting to leave suddenly. Photos have also captured ghostly faces in the stage hall.

The ghost of a caretaker has been seen around the stage area and his presence is often felt by the volunteers involved in the restoration project of the Pavilion.

The topmost level of the building sits the dome structure and when this was being constructed, a surveyor working in this area missed his footing and fell several floors to his death. This area is said to be particularly active.

Venue History

The Grand Pavilion is an Edwardian building constructed in 1910 by John Nutall and commissioned by the local council at a cost of £10,000. It was designed to be a multi-purpose building consisting of a thermal water pump room, a public hall and office spaces. At the outbreak of WW1, the building was re-purposed for billeting troops, military offices, a picture house to entertain the local community and later a glove factory. After the war, the glove factory relocated to new premises and following a slump in trade in Matlock Bath the building faced imminent closure. The council were determined to see it continue as a community venue, however.

During the 30’s the Pavilion was leased by Matlock Cinemas and this proved to be a successful tenancy which ran until the late 30’s. When WW2 was declared the County A.R.P. controller informed the Council that an air-raid warning siren was to be installed at the building. During the war, the building was used once again to support the nation’s serving forces through films shows, fundraising concerts and as a space for officers to organise and feed their men. After the war, the building went into decline again, however it continued to host prestigious events over the years.

Through the 50’s the Pavilion continued to operate as an entertainment venue and hosted many dances, performances and films. The council moved in a branch of the local library but despite the Pavilion’s popularity it continued to operate at a loss.

In the 60’s Matlock Bath became a popular tourist destination and the building continued it’s use as an entertainment venue hosting many big events, it became a springboard for acts that became international famous such as Cream, Eric Clapton, Deep Purple, Gerry and The Pacemakers, The Troggs and Reg Dwight prior to his fame as Elton John.

In the 70’s, Phil Grey a local entrepreneur, comedian and entertainment fanatic signed a 20-year lease with the council to run the building which was then in poor condition. He ran the building successfully and it attracted many famous acts. In 1979 the Mining Museum was granted its first lease and took occupancy of the ground floor space

The 80’s saw the rise of the nightclub scene and the building was regularly used for disco nights, wrestling events and many other community events. The late 80’s saw the introduction of The PAV Nightclub. The buildings condition continued to deteriorate, and it wasn’t long before substantial investment was needed to secure its future.

At a cost of £27,000 the building underwent refurbishment during the 90’s, but soon after the council announced it would need a further £1.7m to fully restore the building back to it’s original state. Throughout the 90’s The PAV Nightclub had many successful years, later closing in 2008.

With spiralling maintenance costs, the Council looked at disposal of the building from their 100-year ownership. A group was created to support local desire to save the Pavilion and through this the charity that owns the building (The Grand Pavilion Ltd) to this present day was formed. They purchased the building for £1. Soon after an application for a £3m regeneration grant went in but sadly this was unsuccessful. The charity continues its work with fundraising, repairing and restoring the historical building to its former glory.