Opportunity to explore the historic site of Tapton Hall in Sheffield, home to Florence Nightingale’s grandmother and steel magnate Edward Vickers, in an exclusive ghost hunting event.
Simply Ghost Nights, created by Rosie and Stuart Dawson, have been given exclusive access to the masonic hall on November 14th 2025, to explore and investigate to create a unique and shocking experience for their guests.
The site, built in 1770, is now used for weddings and conferences; however, it is also known for its paranormal activity. People have reported seeing multiple apparitions, including a young girl in Victorian clothing, a man in formal attire and even more unnervingly, shadow figures running across the lawn and disembodied voices.
Rosie Dawson, co-creator of Simply Ghost Nights, described many occurrences that they have seen within the building in the past 6 years: “I have seen a big card tab
le move without anyone touching it, whistles being repeated, chairs move unaided, full-blown apparitions at some locations.” The apparition appeared to match a photo from the bedroom of the owner of Tapton Hall.
The home was first owned by Florence Nightingale’s grandmother, Mary Shoor and the Shoor family. Florence Nightingale was a former statistician and has been credited with creating modern nursing. She is known to have visited the property regularly while the Shoor family lived there.
After the Shoor family died, the house was passed onto many different owners, one of them being Edward Vickers, former Mayor of Sheffield and the first president of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, who demolished and rebuilt the home, making it what it is today. The Hall was bought by the Sheffield Freemasons in 1965.
Simply Ghost Nights was created in 2009 after the Dawsons found their love for the paranormal while at a Most Haunted event. They decided to join a paranormal events team to learn more about investigations and made the decision to create their own company.
Jane Porter, a member of the Simply Ghost Nights team for over 10 years, said: “I have witnessed so much over the years but never fail to get scared still.”
The team has access to K2 metres, cat balls, REM pods, EMF readers, spirit boxes, night vision goggles and much more. They offer seances and individual vigils where guests have experienced touching, footsteps and cold chills. The basement of Tapton Hall is known to host a malevolent presence, with reports of people being pushed while investigating the area.
Mrs Dawson has said, “We all know how to get the best out of a night and have a good idea of how to interact with spirits.” After over 15 years of hosting these events, she said they still have “unique experiences that shock us.”
At each event, the company has a gift stall, and they hold a charity raffle where all proceeds go to Cash for Kids Hallam, which has previously donated up to £500.
Image credits: Simply Ghost Nights
