Amazon Prime begins filming at Chester's most haunted hotel
By Dherran Titherington 28th Jan 2025
Filming has begun on a new Amazon Prime 'docuseries' inspired by one of Chester's most haunted buildings.
For Harry Achilleos, landlord of Ye Olde King's Head, the project has been more than a decade in the making. The 400-year-old building, long associated with reports of paranormal activity, has recorded over two thousand eyewitness accounts across the years
Now, the historic Lower Bridge Street site is at the centre of My Haunted Hotel, a new series set to arrive on the streaming platform this summer.
Speaking to Chester Nub News, project manager Sarah Gibbs explained how the idea evolved.
After the hotel closed to the public in 2019, the building was fitted with an extensive network of cameras, including night vision and thermal imaging, to capture potential paranormal activity.
The team then introduced overnight investigations, allowing guests to take part in immersive ghost-hunting experiences while being recorded throughout their stay.
Two years later, the concept expanded into a YouTube series documenting unexplained events within the former inn - many of them emerging during these investigations.
"The whole thing for us is research - it's seeing the psychological effects of these things on people, it's seeing if there are potential hauntings attached to objects," Sarah said.
While she describes herself as a sceptic, Sarah admits some experiences have been difficult to explain.
"We've had guests sitting at a table where a lit candle moved several inches in front of them," she said. "In the pub, glasses have shifted or fallen from shelves.
"A blackboard even flung itself off the wall recently. Sometimes there are explanations - and we do look for them - but not always."
She believes this balance between belief and scepticism is key to the project's appeal.
"It's not just a case of us all screaming and running around, going 'oh my god, everything is paranormal'," she said.
"I think that's why people like it; they can have their experience validated, which is a big deal and it has not been done before, not for the general public."
The Amazon series will introduce the team behind the project, combining first-hand accounts with documented footage and dramatised reconstructions.
Several former guests - and even previous landlords - have returned to share their experiences, some dating back decades.
"One of the ladies that has been interviewed, her experience goes back to 1974," Sarah added. "She's an old lady that came in and told us all about the things she experienced when it was a normal hotel."
The building is also home to a "haunted museum", where objects linked to alleged paranormal activity are stored under constant surveillance.
Beyond its paranormal reputation, the King's Head is steeped in history.
During renovations in 1924, a sword and a pair of slippers dating back to 1645 were discovered hidden beneath the floorboards of one of the rooms. Both remain on display in the building today.
Transitioning from online content to a major streaming platform has also brought new challenges.
"Filming is very different because we're not used to behaving ourselves," Sarah said. "There's a certain criteria with filming for Amazon Prime that you have to follow, like no swearing, which isn't easy for us.
"It is a lot of work but we're really excited for it."
With their YouTube channel already attracting more than one million views, the team - including Harry Achilleos, Danny Moss and Brett Jones - continue to document eyewitness accounts while maintaining what they describe as a "healthy scepticism"
Unlike their existing content, the new series will also feature historical reconstructions set in the 1600s, offering insight into the building's early years.
You can follow their social media or visit the website to keep up to date with all things 'My Haunted Project'.
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