Paranormal explorer Haunted Charlie Hall has transformed a lifetime of eerie experiences into a personal and public quest to understand the unexplained, writes DAVID SAUNDERSON
Haunted Charlie Hall has lived with unexplained experiences for as long as she can remember.
From strange sightings and night terrors in childhood to intense encounters in historic sites across the UK and Ireland, Charlie’s life has always been touched by the paranormal – and rather than shy away, she has embraced it.
A childhood steeped in ghost stories
Charlie’s fascination with the supernatural began early.
As a child, she devoured her mum’s Unexplained books, lingering over eerie photographs of misty apparitions.
Her stepdad worked as a night watchman in famously haunted buildings and often shared chilling tales — even taking Charlie along to witness some of the places first-hand.
On television, the BBC’s ghostly children’s series Moondial lit her imagination. Charlie would watch, wishing she could step inside the story.
Years later in 2021, that dream came true when she visited Belton House, the show’s filming location, and even worked alongside one of its main actors, Tony Sands.
First encounters with the unseen
Charlie’s own experiences started young. Objects moved in her bedroom with no explanation, and at just four years old she was found laughing uncontrollably, claiming an invisible man was tickling her.
In her teens, encounters grew more intense. “I kept seeing an old woman and man in my room at night,” Charlie recalls.
One afternoon, while lying on the floor listening to music, she felt her head forced down by an unseen hand and couldn’t move until she bolted downstairs in fright.
Far from turning away, these unsettling moments only fuelled Charlie’s curiosity. She joined a spiritual circle to learn more, eventually embracing her role as a “sensitive” — someone able to see, hear and feel what she describes as spirit energies.
Searching for answers in spirit energy
Today, Charlie doesn’t claim to have all the answers. “I know that there is something else around us but I feel it’s in a different way to what we may think,” she says.
Instead of traditional ideas of ghosts, Charlie leans towards theories of energy, time and consciousness.
“I have no doubt there is an unexplainable something there,” she explains. “But I am believing more in quantum theory about it being a form of energy – that all of time and everything just is, imprinted everywhere, no matter past, present or future.”
Favourite hauntings: The Black Nun of Ballycastle
Among the many places Charlie has visited, one stands above the rest: Bonamargy Friary in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland.
While exploring with her father, musician and druid Clive Culbertson, Charlie discovered the grave of the legendary prophetess Julia McQuillan — known locally as the Black Nun.
According to folklore, circling her grave seven times clockwise and seven anticlockwise before placing your hand on the stone will summon her spirit. Charlie followed the ritual and felt a chilling presence behind her. Even stranger, the footage filmed that day vanished from the camera.
“It was weird or what!” Charlie laughs. “My dad even saw a ripple across the screen as if someone had walked past. It’s a place I’m desperate to return to with proper equipment.”
Frightening encounters at Crumlin Road Gaol
Not all experiences have been thrilling. At Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast, Charlie endured one of her most unsettling investigations.
“In the lobby I saw a group of spirit men, and all I could hear was a constant chattering, like loads of voices at once,” she says. Inside the padded cell, the atmosphere turned oppressive. She saw the image of a figure in a straitjacket crouched in the corner.
The worst moment came when an angry male spirit seemed to lock eyes with her. “Suddenly it was as though all of the frustration, hurt and anger he felt shot down into my chest,” Charlie recalls. “My heart raced and I had to get out of there.”
Inspiration, media and advice
Charlie’s paranormal journey has been shaped by both family and popular culture. Her mum is a medium, her dad a mystic, and her stepdad brought her to haunted workplaces.
On screen, she was captivated by Ghostwatch, Most Haunted, Haunted Collector, and especially Ghost Adventures with Zak Bagans, whose bold investigations inspired her.
For those starting out, Charlie has simple advice: “Be open to anything, think outside the box and don’t fake anything. Don’t get obsessed with views or hits — do it for the genuine reason of research and experience.”
Haunted Charlie Hall today
Charlie doesn’t run an official team — instead, she collaborates with family and like-minded friends. She’s also a contributor to Haunted Magazine and the Independent Horror Society, with a growing online presence. (She also contributes to Spooky Belfast and Spooky Isles!)
You can find her on Facebook (Haunted Charlie Hall) and Twitter/X (@HauntedCharlieH), with Instagram and YouTube channels launching soon.
As for what comes next? Charlie plans to keep exploring, keep questioning, and keep sharing her journey into the unknown.
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