Looking for things that go bump in the night or want to make contact with the other side? 

Dorset and the surrounding areas have their fair share of dark and ghostly tales, from First World War nurses to maids and men in bowler hats.

These are (supposedly) some of the most haunted places in and around the area, visit if you scare:

Bournemouth Town Hall

Bournemouth Echo:

The town hall is home to a huge abundance of ghostly tales, with numerous paranormal sightings being reported over the years.

Amongst the stories is the ghost of a nurse from the First World War who is said to enter the building and then vanish whilst mostly being seen in autumn. 

There is also a young girl who is around 10-years-old that has reportedly been seen on the staircase and a Scotsman playing the bagpipes has also been witnessed.

Next time you enter the town hall be sure to look out for the headless moaning Maharaja who sits in a chair on the fourth floor. 

Canford Cliffs Village Hall

The village hall at Canford Cliffs was built in 1923 to be used as a place of recreation for the servants from the surrounding houses.

During World War II the building was manned 24 hours a day and it was used as a meeting place for troops. 

The community building has been said to be filled with sounds including laughing, talking and "scratchy old gramophone music". 

Poole Museum

The fifteenth century Grade I listed house, Scaplen's Court is home to Poole Museum.

It is believed that a maid named Agnes Beard was murdered at the house in 1598, and there are suggestions that her ghost haunts the house.

In 2008 staff at the museum caught a glimpse of paranormal activity on their CCTV machine.

The ghost they are believed to have seen is that of a man in a bowler hat, standing in the first-floor Solar Room. 

Knowlton Church

Bournemouth Echo:

Comet Neowise streaking across the skies above Knowlton Church captured by Andrew Wells of the Echo Camera Club.

Said to be the most haunted place in Dorset, Knowlton Church can be found on the outskirts of Wimborne. 

Known for its ruined Norman Church, Neolithic rings and pagan relics, paranormal investigators have recorded sightings of unexplained phenomena and even the most sceptical of people have had strange experiences.

Paranormal groups investigating the site have found themselves enveloped in swirling white mists and have heard ethereal voices chattering around them, although no source of voices can ever be traced.

The Quay

Bournemouth Echo:

The Grade II listed, five-storey building was used as a warehouse in the mid nineteenth century before becoming a pub in 1996. 

Tales of poltergeist-like activity have been reported at The Quay including items going missing, breathing sounds and the feeling of being prodded - to name a few.

The pub sits on the Quayside which was once known at the Great Quay in Tudor times.

Would you dare to go on a ghost tour in search of these ghouls? Let us know in the comments.