East
Sussex
BATTLE ABBEY
Battle
East Sussex
Bordering the site of Britain's most famous battle and founded by
William the Conqueror, Battle Abbey is now in the hands of the Department
of the Environment but one might well imagine that such an old building
would contain a host of ghosts. Certainly it, and the associated
Abbot's House, is haunted by at least three visible apparitions
and at least two unseen walkers. In the huge Common House constructed
as a vast dining room for visiting dignitaries as well as the inmates,
a Norman knight was seen in 1972 by a young boy , standing in the
corner nearest the Chapter House. Two years later an elderly man
in a brown leather jerkin and apron, symbols of a farrier, was witnessed
by another visitor in the same area. When the tourist asked one
of the guides who the man was and was assured that she seemed to
be the only person who could see the figure, the lady had to be
given treatment for mild shock. More recent reports are that the
figure is that of a monk in a brown habit which would seem more
likely than that of a farrier. It might also be the same figure
as was seen by Joyce Pain of Starrs Green.
'I was walking along the pavement beside the churchyard at St. Mary's
Parish Church one evening', she tells me, 'when nearing the solicitor's
office I became aware of a figure moving along the pavement and
gliding towards the gateway of the abbey. It was a monk in a dark
habit but his face was hidden by the cowl. He continued for approximately
10 yards before suddenly disappearing. I was so utterly surprised
that I could hardly believe I had seen a ghost. I certainly experienced
no fear, only complete astonishment'. Some time later Joyce became
a secretary to the headmistress of the School housed in the Abbot's
House and had another more mystifying experience. 'On one occasion
I had to go up to the staff room', she said, 'and because a class
was in session I chose to go through the Great Hall and up the main
staircase. Halfway up the stairs I suddenly heard a loud rustling
sound exactly like that of a silk skirt. But there was absolutely
no explanation for it. I even walked into the alcove at the bend
of the stairs, but it was empty, as was the staff room at the end
of the corridor'.
Only a few feet away is where a small chapel was discovered following
a disastrous fire in 1931. This room, of only 12 by 16 feet, still
retains some of the original early plaster and signs of a wall mural.
Shortly after the war the room was divided into two, one of which
is now a bathroom. Joyce Pain had no knowledge of the incident of
the footsteps, associated with 'a lady in red'which have been heard
previously on the stairs. There is no knowledge of the identity
of the phantom but the suggestion is that she is intending to visit
the chapel to complete her meditations.
Another ghost seen in 1977 by Marcus Granger, a well known psychometrician,
was of a woman in a long red gown of the Elizabethan period. She
appeared whilst he was among a group of visitors being conducted
round the ruins by one of the Webster family.
The figure just, 'suddenly appeared in one corner of the room in
which we were standing and after a few seconds faded away'. Yet
another ghostly female who has been seen within the last few years
is that of a lady in a grey dress who walks along the corridor leading
from the Great Hall to the Abbot's House. Her heavy limping footsteps
were also heard by a student at 9.30 p.m. one night in September,
1974, when they were walking down the passageway to the Hall. One
thing that is certain, the ghost of King Harold with an arrow in
his eye is one phantom who does not haunt the abbey. Top
BATTLE ROAD
Robertsbridge
East Sussex
Prior to his transfer to Oxford in 1976 Sergeant John Smith, then
stationed at Battle Police Station, admitted to me that one night
at 11.00 p.m. some two years earlier he had followed a cyclist in
his panda car from the village, hoping that the man would realise
he had failed to switch on his lights, 'he was far from sober'.
Eventually John decided that he would have to pass and stop the
cyclist to point out his misdemeanour. He accomplished this a few
yards beyond the entrance of Poppinghole Lane but on getting out
of the car was astounded to find that the cyclist had vanished.
On reporting the experience to the station-sergeant he learnt that
this was not an isolated incident, for other, both civilian and
police officers had witnessed the same phenomena. The cyclist has
been categorically identified as that of a man who was killed some
ten years earlier when cycling home to a nearby cottage. Top
BEACHY HEAD
Eastbourne
East Sussex
Beachy Head, the southernmost point of the Downs and the highest
cliff on the coast, is one off the most attractive parts of Sussex.
Attractive, not just because of the beauty of the surrounding countryside,
but also it seems to suicides. In May, 1979 an 11 year old Dutch
boy was one of the scores of people who annually have a compulsive
urge to throw themselves over the 545 feet drop onto the rocks below.
One of the local police sergeants admitted to me two years earlier
that there is 'something really weird on the cliff top. It seems
to make the most intrepid person liable to become dizzy or frightened'.
There are many tales of 'a horrifying monk in black' who beckons
people to their death, but as there is no known site of a monastery,
or even a nunnery within easy reach of Beachy Head, such stories
are treated, surely, as mythical. Yet there is something on this
wind-swept moor which affects people, and I believe one of these
'somethings' is a ghost, or even two. One evening in 1976 a man
was walking across the Downs with his dog near the site of an old
farm house close to Jevington farm and suddenly noticed the figure
of a 'youngish woman' in an old fashioned grey dress coming towards
him from where the old building used to be.
The dog, a corgi, also apparently saw the apparition for he stopped
dead in his tracks growling and with his coat 'literally bristling
with fear'. When the figure reached the quivering animal it appeared
to bend down to pet the dog but the corgi howled and ran away. At
that moment the figure vanished. It was sometime before the owner
of the dog was able to persuade his pet to return. When he described
the incident to some friends later that evening he was assured the
'lady in grey' has often been seen but more frequently nearer the
Beachy Heady cliff. She was seen on the cliff edge at least three
times by local residents during the later half of 1978 (but only
engaged in walking along the path) though she is thought to be the
phantom of a suicide in the 1850's. The other ghost is of another
woman, but dressed in clothes of 'a farmer's wife' with an apron
and carrying a bundle thought to be a child. She is seen hugging
it close to her breast before taking two fatal steps over the edge.
At that moment she vanishes. Legend has it that she is the widow
of a farmer brutally murdered in Victorian times. She too has recently
been witnessed but only in the evening. Top
DEANS PLACE HOTEL
Deans Lane
Alfriston
East Sussex
In this ancient village is the fourteenth century church sitting
proudly on a prehistoric mound and overlooking a pre-Reformation
parish priest's house of 1350. Owned by the National Trust, in fact
it was the first acquisition in 1896, this building is claimed to
be haunted by one of its former occupiers, in the shape of an old
man in a tattered grey suit. One of the custodians told me in 1974
that a previous official had seen the figure 'many years earlier'but
since the renovation of the house no-one has reported seeing the
old man. It could be, of course that, as in the majority of cases,
he has been seen but mistaken for a living individual. A few yards
from the Clergy House is Deans Lane leading to Deans Place Hotel.
This is at least two hundred years old though a massive renovation
and modernising scheme has recently been completed, which was considerably
altered the general atmosphere of the building. Whether it will
affect the haunting is yet to be seen. The ghost has been witnessed
on several occasions during the last few years, one of the most
recent incidents being when Mrs. Saddler of Hastings and her five
year old daughter were staying at the hotel for the first time.
One evening the, little girl, on returning from the bathroom, commented
on 'the lady in the blue dress'who passed her on the landing. Her
mother, having seen no-one assumed the girl was imagining something
and dismissed the matter. However, the following morning the youngster
asked one of the staff about the figure she had seen and both were
surprised to learn that there had been numerous reports of 'the
lady'. She wears a long blue robe, like a dressing gown and the
story goes that she is the ghost of a woman who was murdered and
'cut up and put into a settle. Unfortunately, no-one has been able
to substantiate this idea or provide any further details, as to
the identity or date involved. Nevertheless, the description of
the phantom has remained the same for at least a decade, and has
been witnessed by many guests. The face of the woman is 'calm and
pleasant' but there is 'something about her which is peculiar'.
Perhaps it is that she just glides along the corridor without making
a sound, and there is always a sensation of coldness surrounding
her. Top
EASTBOURNE COLLEGE
Carlise Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
This well known boys' school near Compton Park is claimed to be
haunted by the ghost of a former student who, disturbed by family
problems, forthcoming examination and the associated street, hung
himself in one of the dormitories. Staff deny the stories offered
by some of the youngsters of 'feeling icy cold at a particular place
in one of the corridors', and claim, perhaps rightly, that, 'Young
boys are prone to invent stories of this nature'. Nevertheless,
some adults admit to 'feeling uncomfortable'at the same site, and
a former member of the staff assured me that they saw the misty
figure of a young boy one evening standing near a doorway to a bedroom.
Top
GEORGE INN
Battle Road
Robertsbridge
East Sussex
For over twelve years the Mannerings, the licencees of this charming
old inn, have been mystified by peculiar bumps and sounds of footsteps
coming from an empty room. The noises are more frequently heard
after a wedding reception and the belief has grown that the ghost,
affectionately termed as 'Georgina' just doesn't like weddings.
Although it is not even known whether the unseen phantom is that
of a female, 'Georgina is still quite active. The most recent incident
was shortly after the roof repairs were carried out in 1978, when
the weird bumpings increased in frequency and intensity without
any apparent cause or reason. Shirley Mannering also told me that
'Simon, their golden labrador refuses to pass a particular bedroom
door at night on certain occasions, usually when the banging has
been heard at lunch time. One day in August, 1978 when Olga Hayter,
a member of the staff, was working in the kitchen the door slowly
opened of its own accord and, despite the very hot day, the temperature
in the room suddenly dropped dramatically. 'I've often heard the
bangings upstairs', she said, 'but this really made me shiver'.
The licencees and staff of the 'George'are not the only people to
have heard the unusual sounds. Many of the regulars and a few tourists
have commented on the loud and regular bumps and thumps. It sounds
rather as if someone was moving a large piece of furniture over
the floor by 'walking it', Shirley told me, 'One day perhaps we'll
find an explanation'. Top
HASTING CASTLE
Castle Hill
Hastings
East Sussex
Perhaps because this castle was seldom actually involved in conflict,
few genuine ghost exist in the ruins. One of the some recent incidents
reported by some local residents was the re-appearance of a nun
in brown, see digging a few feet from the entrance to a dungeon.
This is the sort of tale normally created by smugglers to frighten
the curious away from caches, but as the woman has been seen several
times since the Victorian period this idea can be dismissed. Another
more romantic thought is that the figure is of a sister hiding some
of the church plate from the attention of the Cromellians. The figure
of a nun, believed to be the same woman, has also been seen near
the outer wall at the eastern end of the castle. A more frequent
ghostly manifestation is that of a middle-aged woman wearing a brown
dress of the Victorian era. Witnesses claim that she appears to
be holding a baby in her arms and after a few moments of apparent
indecision she moves suddenly towards the cliff edge and vanishes,
It could well be that the apparition of the nun has on occasions
been mistaken for this suicide victim. The belief is that she is
the mother of an illegitimate child fathered by a local fisherman
was callously refused to be associated with her after the birth
of the baby girl. Sometime in the summer of 1976, two visitors to
the castle took photographs of each other and then asked another
tourist to take one of them together. When the third photo was printed,
what appears to be an additional figure is seen standing behind
the couple. It is claimed to be that of a woman in a nun's habit
so perhaps at least one of the ghosts has been recorded for posterity.
Top
HAYES HOTEL
Main Street
Northiam
East Sussex
Jean Anderson, former owner of the sixteenth century hotel, is one
of many witnesses of ghosts who, until she experienced a haunting,
refused to even accept the possibility of phantoms. 'I always thought
such things were imagination', she assured me. After a full-time
professional career with a tourist agency, she and her husband purchased
the hotel in 1977 and were delighted with its potential and attractive
design. The main building is a sixteenth century house but later
additions and a Georgian facade had increased the size and scope
of it. Because of various problems, however, after only ten months
they decided to sell the property and move nearer the coast.
Shortly after they arrived in their home at Northiam, they learnt
from some of the locals that the hotel was haunted by a little old
lady who would sit in an alcove beside the main bar, and occupy
her infrequent visits by spinning on the wheel which stool in one
of the corners. The Andersons were somewhat amused by the story
and dismissed at as gossip. However, during their ownership 'quite
a few of the visitors'commented on seeing the spinning wheel actually
move of its own accord. On one occasion a visitor left in a hurry
after saying that he had actually seen the figure of a wizened old
woman bending over the machine. A few days later, at about one o'clock
one morning in September 1978, shortly after Jean had gone into
bed to read a book before settling down to sleep, she began to sense
she was not alone. She glanced up and was astonished to see the
figure of a young woman, 'a bonny type of about 30'wearing a white
hat and grey gown standing in the middle of the floor. 'I was astonished',
she told me, 'and turned to adjust the light at the side of the
bed so I could see her more clearly, but unfortunately I knocked
it over. When I retrieved it the woman had gone. She had been holding
something in her right hand but the whole incident had been so unexpected
I have no idea as to what it was'. The appearance in no way frightened
Jean for the woman seemed to be such a friendly person. The incident
was never repeated whilst she was there, and she had never related
the incident to anyone except members of the family. However, shortly
before leaving the hotel a visitor asked if she had ever seen the
'good-looking ghost in the bedroom'. On asking for further information
she was told that, 'There was a story which concerned an old woman
and her daughter, but details of the reason for the haunting were
unknown'. The spinning wheel now resides in the Anderson's new home
of the 'William the Conqueror'pub at Iden near Rye. But we await
to hear of the return of the 'bonny young woman'to the Hayes Hotel.
Though I called there in June 1979 all I learnt was the ghost is
accepted as genuine. There is also a belief that the phantom is
of a baker's daughter who was murdered in a bedroom. Top
HERSTMONCEUX CASTLE
Royal Greenwich Observatory
Hailsham
East Sussex
Legends of a drummer haunting the fifteenth century castle have
existed for years but without much evidence. One story is that he
was a devoted servant of the founder and was killed not even in
this country but during the battle of Agincourt. Another tale to
account for the regular bumping noises which used to be heard years
ago was that a former recluse living in the castle ordered 'his
wife and servants to treat him as dead'. However, when his 'widow'proved
to be filling her time with amorous affairs, her husband became
insanely jealous and scared off the girls lovers by beating a drum.
His frustrated spouse retaliated by locking the stupid old man in
a cell and let him die, but the 'mysterious drumming'continued.
The castle was dismantled in 1777 and was only restored in 1933.
In 1948 the Royal observatory was moved from Greenwich to the castle
and it is now only occasionally open to the public. I was therefore
delighted to be told in March 1979 by Mr. R.H. Tucker, one of the
astronomers at the Observatory that the ghost of a woman often claimed
to have been seem 'near the moat', had in fact, appeared that month
to two highly-reputable witnesses, but within yards of the East
Gate. Top
HIGH STREET
Robertsbridge
East Sussex
There have been several phenomenal incidents in this delightful
mediaeval village, many of them within living memory, but time distorts
recollections and eradicates ghosts. One that remains, however,
is that of a 12 year old girl who I will call Jane Smith. One afternoon,
over 50 years ago, the young girl decided to go fishing in the River
Rother and felt that a spot near Bugsell Mill Farm was probably
the most advantageous to explore. The previous evening there had
been a violent storm which had only partly abated by the time that
the young explorer left home. By teatime, the weather had worsened
and the river, as usual, had flooded the fields and was swirling
over the road at 'Clappers', the lower end of the High Street. Nothing
had been heard of young Jane but her mother was not really concerned
feeling quite certain that she was with her friends in another part
of the village.
On this particular day, the light failing, more people became involved
in the battle. There had been a high tide at Rye and the effects
were reaching the village. Earth banks were piled against doors,
sandbags, wood, even furniture, was used in an attempt to stop the
rising waters. As the sodden, desperate villagers worked at the
defences they began to notice the bodies of animals floating in
the raging stream. The Smiths, confident that Jane was, by now,
safely in bed with friends, worked on. It was agreed that Tom, Jane's
brother, would walk the few miles to the cottage near the farm in
the morning and collect his young sister.
The morning came - with excitement for the children seeing the village
surrounded by the flood, with fear from the farmers for their animals,
cut-off from food, or drowned; and with apprehension by the residents
in case the river rose further, but for the Smiths, horror. As they
cautiously peered through the kitchen window, standing trembling
in nearly 18 inches of water, they saw something bump against the
back door. It was the drowned body of their young daughter. Fate
in its irony had returned the girl home. Now, every time a flood
affects the village, the small figure of Jane, still in her grey
dress and carrying a long bamboo fishing rod'is seen, thankfully,
not at the door of her original home, but standing on the river
bank a few yards away, looking at the waters beneath her feet. For
the past few years, including 1980 the pitiful little wraith has
been witnessed by a number of people including five local residents,
two of whom had never seen the figure before or even heard about
young Jane. Top
LEWES PRISON
Lewes
East Sussex
A former inmate of the 'long -term establishment'assured me that
at least three of his colleagues, and names were supplied, had seen
the figure of a woman 'in Victorian-type clothing' in one of the
corridors. No-one has any ideas as to who she might be other than
a 'a relative or friend of one of the prisoners'or why she should
continue to haunt. Enquiries have produced little further information
other than the official reply. 'We have no knowledge of any phenomena
here'. Nevertheless, I received confirmation in September, 1979
that the phantom has been witnessed, 'quite recently'. Top
MILL HILL LANE
Hawkam
East Sussex
Only a very small number, less than one per cent, of ghosts are
seen within five minutes of midnight but here is one of those minority
cases which is quite impressive. Miss Sophie Glessing returning
home on the night of 9th November 1976 was slightly amused yet concerned
when, on nearing the top of Mill Hill, her car headlights illuminated
the figure of a local eccentric, Mr. Hawley, walking towards his
cottage. Despite the raging storm that was blowing at the time,
with rain beating down like a massive waterfall, the gentleman was
clothed only in his green and pink pyjamas, a brown dressing gown
and carpet slippers. There was no question of identification for
Mr. Hawley was a distinctive character, bald with a large head,
and was known to `walk abroad` in his pyjamas every since his wife
died a few years earlier. Sophie, realising that he had only a few
yards to go before reaching his cottage, felt it inappropriate to
stop and give him a lift, but waved and continued her journey. Next
day she told her family that the old man was still on his rambles
but was astounded to learn from her mother that Mr. Hawley had died
three weeks previously. `I'm still amazed, she said, `I wonder what
would have happened if I had stopped and offered him a lift.` Top
OFFHAN HILL
London Road
Lewes
East Sussex
One or two riders near the old racecourse, opposite Offham Hill
have been a little apprehensive when, at `about seven o'clock in
the morning` they have heard wild screams, shouts and, according
to a middle-aged musician exercising his dog, `a general melee of
clatter`. He was so puzzled by the sounds that he spent nearly an
hour trying to find some cause or reason for the phenomena, but
was unsuccessful. There are not many who walk over the chalk pits
so early but those who do enjoy a quite stroll in the mornings during
the last few days in May are likely to hear shrieks and moans and
the occasional whinny of a horse, without being able to specifically
locate the precise area from which they originate.
Historians will, of course, realise that 7.30 a.m. on 14 May is
the anniversary of that appalling clash between the 10, 000 men
of the Royalist army with their 3, 000 cavalry and the 5, 000 troops
including 600 horsemen of the rebel barons. Due to the calendar
changes the day is now the 25th May. Factual evidence of the slaughter
of some 3, 000 men over 700 years ago has been the discovery of
large quantities of human bones in the chalk pits, where either
men gripped in the battle fell to their deaths, or some of the corpses
were thrown. Most of the victims would be either from Prince Edward's
forces, who made a successful charge against the troops under de
Segrave or, those of the rebels themselves. Top
PEVENSEY CASTLE
Pevensey
East Sussex
This third century fort was built by the Romans to defend the British
portion of their empire against Saxon raiders, but when they withdrew
the massive structure became derelict. A report was made in one
Chronicle that there was a massacre of Britons by a group of Saxons
in 491 so it seems that the castle was, despite its setting and
design, far from impregnable. Perhaps this was why Harold ignored
it, for had William the Conqueror been forced to divert his forces
to Pevensey after landing at Norman's Bay, the result of the battle
might have been different. However, when it was attacked in 1147
by King Stephen the `most ancient walls` were able to withstand
troops. During 1399 the castle, held by Bolingbroke, later Henry
IV, was in a ruinous state and after siege by Richard II the condition
rapidly worsened.
It is the ghost of Lady Pelham, a supporter of Bolingbroke, who
was supposed to walk the crumbling parapets at dust. Certainly a
female figure gliding on the top of the walls has been seen by a
number of visitors. In 1976 a group of four lads who had been `larking
about` were so scared at seeing the ghostly apparition that, still
visibly frightened they dared the wrath of the custodian an reported
the matter to him. Just a few yards from his kiosk one finds a steep
stone spiral staircase leading to a minute dungeon. Claustrophobic
it most certainly is, but there is also a very unpleasant atmosphere
about the cell which affects dogs that they refuse to stand anywhere
near the flights of stairs, let alone venture below. There must
have been many distressing incidents within the slime-covered walls
to cause such a strong feeling of nausea. One can, however, only
use imagination for I gather nothing untoward has ever been seen
in the dungeon. Top
THE PLANTATION
The Warren
Ratton Village
Eastbourne
East Sussex
Situated in `The Plantation`, a small acreage of trees slightly
to the north-west of Ratton Village, is the site of an old manor
house of Lord Willingdon, the former Viceroy of India. Some years
ago, prior to the war, when decorators were hard at work renovating
the building, two of the group were appalled one morning to find
a small blood stain on the floor of one of the bedrooms. What the
cause was no-one ever knew or at least admitted to knowing.
Whether this mystery had anything to do with the experience reported
by the Canadian Troops who were later billeted there during the
war, is not known, but certainly the soldiers reported hearing `weird
noises` and peculiar scraping sounds issuing, from the room. They
also complained of the `frightening atmosphere` which existed in
the house. It was during their occupation that the building caught
fire and was completely ruined.
When the manor was eventually demolished stories of `a haunting`
became better-known and several locals admitted to seeing the figure
of a man wearing monk's habit in the area. How a monk can be associated
with either the building or the locale is a mystery in itself, but,
nevertheless, Cecile Woodford, a local writer, told me that during
a spring evening in 1967 when she lived near the site she too witnessed
the phantom. She was looking out of her bedroom window one evening
when she saw what she thought was her neighbour walking across his
gardens, wearing his dressing gown and sandals. It was only when
he disappeared through a wall at the bottom of the garden, facing
the Plantation, that she realised it was no ordinary figure but
that of 'the monk'. He is supposed to have no head and Cecile had
to admit that there was nothing' above a cowl collar on his gown'.
Top
PRESTON MANOR
London Road
Brighton
East Sussex
Although no ghosts of people have been seen in this charming Georgian
house for some 50 years, a rather weird and unpleasant atmosphere
still exists in a corner of one bedroom. A house was built on the
site in 1250 and some of the old foundations are known to have been
incorporated into the later construction of 1738. From notes of
the first curator of the manor, which is owned by the Brighton Borough,
one learns that a Mrs. Magniac, half sister of a former owner, called
in 1934 to discuss the haunting with him. She told Mr. Henry Roberts,
the curator, that Lady Thomas-Stanford's son was inaccurate when
he claimed that the only witness to the apparition was Mrs. Studd.
The `lady in white` had been seen by many people including Mrs.
Magniac, who on one occasion went upstairs to change her shoes after
a game of tennis and saw the figure of a woman standing on the stairway.
Because she did not recognise her as one of the players but assumed
that she was another guest, she greeted the stranger, but received
no reply. As she offered her hand and wished the woman `Good Afternoon`
the figure vanished. Captain W.W. Sandeman was another witness to
the haunting. He also saw the 'woman in white'on the stairs. One
visitor in 1975 claimed that he has seen the ghost of a dog run
through 'a couple of rooms and then disappear'. The description
he gave was that of Lady Thomas-Stanford's pet 'Kylin'shown in a
painting in the hall. The current custodian, however assured me
that the report was probably a hoax.
Furthermore, Marion Waller, Keeper of the Preston Manor, and Rottingdean
Grange, wrote to me after a television appearance saying, `the room
in which you were televised, the north-west bedroom, is often felt
to have an unpleasant atmosphere by our visitors`. Together with
a group of students from one of my evening classes I re-visited
the house in 1978 and many of us confirmed the fact that the centre
of the `mysterious sensation of unease` was a corner of the cupboard.
Several other visitors have told me that they have also seen `a
sort of white shape` on the landing, so it suggests that the lady
is still haunting. But the mystery of the cupboard still remains.
Top
PYKE HOUSE
Upper Lake
Battle
East Sussex
There are not many residential training centres owned by local councils
and even fewer, I should imagine, with a resident ghost. However,
this old property in which weekend training and educational courses
in subjects ranging from adult tutoring to ghost hunting are held,
does contain a phantom.
Mr. Hobson, the warden has assured me that `on quite a few occasions`
the figure of a young girl has been seen hurrying along an upstairs
corridor near his flat. She glides through a bedroom and disappears
on reaching the window. The ghost appears to be wearing a long white
dress, `rather like a night-gown`. The only explanation for the
incident is that she was the daughter of a former owner of the building,
when it was a pair of workers` cottages in the nineteenth century,
and after a tragic love affair committed suicide by jumping into
a lake in the field behind the house. Suggesting that there might
well be some truth in his belief is the fact that there are several
claims of her wispy shape having been seen gliding through the back
garden and hurrying towards the large pool where she vanishes. However,
the building is far more than 100 years old and it contains a mysterious
locked cupboard, near the loft entrance, which is so well covered
by paper that it appears part of the wall. Perhaps some documentary
relics will one day be revealed when that cupboard door is once
again opened. Top
ST PETERS CHURCH
Preston Drive
Preston Park
Near Brighton
East Sussex
Practically adjoining the haunted Preston Manor is the attractive
old church of St. Peters and, according to the 'Brighton and Hove
Gazette' it has one of the few graveyards to house a genuine phantom.
One Sunday evening early in the 1970`s a couple were strolling through
the churchyard and noticed a `middle aged lady` dressed in mediaeval
costume coming towards them. Thinking that she was a member of a
group participating in `some sort of festival or pageant` they smiled
and greeted her. However, the woman gave no response. The young
man, puzzled by the fact there was no sound of her walking turned
round and saw the figure approaching a large terra-cotta tomb. His
companion glanced back and both watched as the woman `simple faded
away` as she reached the stonework. `There was nothing frightening
about the incident at all, just mysterious`. This was not the first
occasion of a ghost being witnessed for there is a strong belief
that the phantom of Sir Charles Stanford, who died in the 1920`s
haunts the spot where his ashes are buried. Top
SEVEN STARS
Battle Road
Robertsbridge
East Sussex
In 1972 a young Canadian girl staying at this Inn asked the licencees
at the time, Mr. & Mrs. Parkes, about the `monk` that she had
seen walking along the upstairs corridor at 3.30 one morning. She
was assured that she was the only guest. Since then on numerous
occasions inexplicable footsteps have been heard on their way to
the bathroom and on the stairs. One of the most recent incidents
at 11.20 one morning in 1979 when the new licensee, Mr. Priddy,
asked his wife why she had come downstairs so slowly a few minutes
earlier. There was no-one else in the house at the time and Mrs.
Priddy had been working in the kitchen. A few days later a young
man heard footsteps near the bathroom whilst others have noted sounds
at 5.30 p.m. Top
SHELLEY`S HOTEL
High Street
Lewes
East Sussex
Sceptics may not realise that 'anyone' can see or experience phenomena
if one has the receptive state of mind at the time. One such individual
was a QC who during 1978, stayed in Room 26 of this hotel. The guest
who was staying in the hotel to deal with the prosecution of a criminal
at Lewes Crown Court left after his bed was levitated three inches
during the night. Typical poltergeist activity increased during
this year, with chairs being moved and clothes hangers and ashtrays
being tossed around the room by an unseen force, probably originating
from a member of the staff.
However, the phenomena in Room 26 is associated with a gentleman
who stayed one night in the 1930`s. The following morning he departed
so quickly that he left his clothes behind and gassed himself in
a room of the nearby house owned by a relative. The manager of the
hotel, Mr. David Nicholas, told John Eccles of the Sussex Express
that the ghost of a Cavalier had been seen near the staircase of
the sixteenth century position of the building. In one of the upper
corridors the phantom of an old lady in a blue and white dress has
also been witnessed by members of the staff and an occasional guest.
Top
TOWNER ART GALLERY
Gildredge Park
Old Town
Eastbourne
East Sussex
This well-known and popular art gallery, only a few yards from the
site of the `Jesus House` and the famous `Lamb Inn` with its intriguing
well and underground chapel, has houses many exhibitions of local,
national and even international art forms during its existence.
Local archaeologist have been puzzled by the mediaeval masonry marks
on the ancient stones forming the cellar of the attractive old building.
The majority, however, believe that material from older establishments
was used in the original construction and it could be that much
of the `Jesus House` now forms the walls for the underground room.
The building was originally constructed as the Manor House and occupied
by the Reverend Towner but on his death it was left to the local
council. One often hears stories of weird noises in empty buildings
buy many can be accounted for by normal sounds from adjoining properties,
or cooling floorboards. Neither can, however, answer the situation
which exists here for the building is detached and not really old
enough for floorboard trouble. There are several unusual aspects,
however, one being the sealed-off bathroom which was created when
the reconstruction into the Art Gallery took place.
Another is the strong smell of horses which has been experienced
on more than one occasion when staff have visited the cellars used
for the storage of records and museum items. The original stable
would naturally have been on the ground level but perhaps the drains
lie close to one of the walls, but it is over a hundred years since
the building saw, or smelt, real horses. One of the other repeated
incidents is described by Doreen Randall, one of the senior staff
members. I've got used to it now, but when I first came here, some
years ago, I often heard footsteps upstairs during the evening when
the house was closed to the public. I would go through the empty
room trying to find out who the visitors were, because not only
was the sound of people walking about quite clear, but the gentle
murmurings of conversation could be heard, though not loud enough
to distinguish the actual words. It is, perhaps, unfortunate that
the phenomena occurs after office hours, but where art is concerned,
time is of little consequence. Top
WISHING TREE
London Road
Hollington
East Sussex.
In 1976 John Northwood, the landlord here since 1968 told me that
several customers, `both regulars and new ones`, often hear peculiar
bumping noises which have never been satisfactorily explained. They
sound like footsteps issuing from an empty room. A few months before
my visit, Jon's wife was sitting in the kitchen preparing an evening
meal when she felt, `an unseen entity brush past and we actually
heard the swish of a woman's dress as she glided away`.
'We have no idea as to what causes this phenomena`, John said, `but
certainly on one or two occasions, visitors` dogs have suddenly
been attracted by something and obviously scared by it. Some years
ago their young son was awoken by the appearance of an `old woman
with a funny face`. Unfortunately, the boy was too young to give
any further details except to laugh. `There is still a weird atmosphere
in his bedroom at times. One can feel that someone is watching you.`
Probably related to these incidents was the recent witnessing of
a middle-aged woman wearing an early Victorian type of dress and
pushing an old pram on the road outside the pub. It seemed to observers
that she has just left the building and was about to cross the road,
completely disregarding any traffic. The witnesses, a young couple
driving past in the early hours, so narrowly missed hitting her
that the man stopped the car to remonstrate with her. But the woman
and her pram had vanished. Top
Berkshire,
Southern England
BREWHOUSE YARD
Eton College
Berkshire
Confirmed by Roger Clarke, one of the students at Eton and a member
of the editorial committee of the 'Eton College Chronicle', is the
haunting of an area of the college by Jane Shore. It was this young
lady who was instrumental in saving the college from being destroyed
by her lover, Edward 1V, and because of this, she was given accommodation
in Lupton'sv Tower until she died in 1526. A few years ago the editor
of the Chronicle, having worked late in compiling a forthcoming
issue, was returning to his dormitory but decided against walking
through the ancient cloisters and took a different route. He entered
a doorway leading onto Brewhouse Yard and saw a beam of light from
Lupton's Tower, 'A woman in long mediaeval gown'. He hurried through
the yard and, hearing footsteps following him, turned round to see
only a `weird flash of light`. Another ghost infrequently witnessed
is that of a figure, also in mediaeval clothing, that inhabits the
Provost's Lodge. Inexplicable footsteps have also been heard in
the building. Top
BROAD STREET
Reading
Berkshire
During the two wars cases of `crisis apparitions` were being reported
at the rate of between 250 and 400 a month. There are cases where
an individual is seen many miles from their physical self at time
of sudden stress or during an intense crisis. Often the figure appeared
to be wounded though factually the person was not harmed. The percipient,
the witness, assumed that they had seen the ghost of their relative
who had been killed. They would later discover that at the time
the 'victim'was in a situation which strongly suggested suffering
physical harm, though no injury in fact occurred.
A small number of instances do relate, however to the image of a
person being seen within seconds of their death, at some distance
from their physical body. Such was the case which was experienced
by Mrs. Rita Noyes who, when walking along Broad Street, Reading,
recently saw a great friend of hers, a Mrs. Barbara Morley. In a
recent letter written by Mrs. Noyes she says that her friend was
wearing a `smart navy suit and hat` which she recognised as an outfit
purchased a few months earlier. Barbara smiled and `turned her head
in her usual way`, but Rita was in a hurry and was unable to stop
for a chat. A few yards further on however, she did stop, having
suddenly realised that Barbara had been taken ill during a holiday
to Naples and this had been announced at a meeting two days earlier.
Rita decided to ask her friend how she was progressing and turned
back in the direction she had been walking, but 'she had gone'.
Two weeks later, Mrs. Noyes learnt that her friend had died, having
failed to recover from the illness in Italy. She had been flown
back to Reading whilst still in a coma and died in Reading hospital
on the day Rita had seen her walking along Broad Street. Top
THREE TUNS INN
High Street
Eton,
Berkshire
Mixed with a little poltergeist activity during which time pint
pots of beer have, of their own accord tipped over customers, a
door handle moved and the landlord, Bert Matthews, and his wife
have felt as if someone pushed them, has been the witnessing of
a ghost. The figure of a man 'in quite modern clothes', was seen
at the small central bar by Mrs. Metcalfe, early one morning, when
cleaning the pub. As she looked towards the phantom it ` suddenly
faded away`. Up to that time the landlord, a former detective, had
refused to believe stories that the pub was haunted, although the
previous licencees too, had experienced some phenomena in the house.
Top
Buckinghamshire,
Southern England
CLAYDON HOUSE
Middle Claydon, Nr Winslow
Buckinghamshire
Although there is some talk of Florence Nightingale being seen in
the ruins of a property in the West Country, there is, it seems,
a strong possibility of her frequenting Claydon House as well. There
is more likelihood of her haunting this building for she was the
sister of the owner's wife, Lady Verney and frequently stayed there.
There is certainly the figure of a woman in a long, grey gown which
was reported in the Rose Room and also within a few feet of the
room where the 'lady with the lamp'used to sleep. Top
GEORGE AND DRAGON
High Street, West Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
So many people have seen and heard about the ghost of Susie (or
Sukie) it is, perhaps, surprising that the hotel doesn't change
its name to the 'George and Susie'though she in no dragon. The girl
is thought to be the young and attractive victim of three jealous
admires who had met her in the nearby Hell Fire Caves over 200 years
ago. In a struggle with the half - drunken louts Susie accidentally
struck her head on the cave wall and her unconscious body was brought
back to the hotel. She died whilst still in a coma. In January,
1972, one of the guests saw the apparition of the young woman 'in
a glorious white dress'gliding along an upstairs corridor and disappear
at the particular bedroom doorway. It is her that, at certain times,
dogs refuse to enter the room. Inexplicable footsteps have also
been heard but are associated with a traveller who was robbed and
then murdered in another room in the latter half of the eighteenth
century. Top
HUGHENDEN MANOR
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
Purchased by Disraeli in 1874, who re-built and lived in it until
his death in 1881, this house is a typical example of a wealthy
country seat of the Victorian period, and forms a comprehensive
museum of the controversial Earl of Beaconsfield. The premier's
study can been seen exactly as he left it and, perhaps because of
this and the wealth of other relics associated with him, the apparition
seen on a number of occasions is assumed to be that of Benjamin
himself. Several visitors have certainly witnessed the figure of
a gentleman, whose appearance is very similar to that of the former
owner, near the main stairway within a few feet of a portrait of
Disraeli. Another site of his haunting is the doorway of the study
and, rather mystifyingly, at the bottom of the cellar stairs. Mrs.
Ellen Cartwright of Cobham told me that he saw the apparition standing
near the portrait. `He appeared quite normal and, at first, I thought
it was someone dressed up as Disraeli, I smiled and he vanished`.
Top
LITTLE ABBEY HOTEL
Great Missenden
Buckinghamshire
Early one morning during the week of 18th September, 1972, Mr. Allison,
the hotel handyman, who was repairing a window on a mezzanine floor,
saw the figure of, ` a gentleman in a brown hooded cloak coming
up the stairs. He had his hands together as if in prayer and as
he passed me I wished him a 2 'Good Morning, ' and turned back to
my work.` When a few minutes later, the guest failed to return Mr.
Allison became puzzled for other than a toilet, the stairs led only
to the staff rooms, all of which were locked. On checking it was
realised that the stranger had vanished and the incident was reported
to Mrs. Potten, the assistant manageress. Mrs. Potten remains convinced
that the figure was that of a monk who, some 50 years earlier, had,
according to a previous owner, 'scared servants away from what is
know the lounge`. The hotel was once a school linked by an underground
passage to the nearby Missenden Abbey. Top
MISSENDEN ABBEY
Great Missenden
Buckinghamshire
There are many historical buildings being put to good use in varying
ways. This twelfth century abbey is now an Adult Education College
offering training courses in a number of subjects but, so far, not
ghost hunting. There is no real need for there to be a resident
ghost who makes an occasional appearance. Mr. M. Lloyd, the warden
here in 1972, admitted that there have been numerous stories about
the hauntings but the only one that appears to have survived relates
to the figure of a woman. She has been seen on the main staircase.
Some witnesses describe her as being in `a grey Victorian dress`,
other that the gown is a black crinoline. One of the students reported
that whilst taking a course in 1972 she saw a female figure `in
light grey` near the ladies` cloakroom and a similar incident had
been experienced about 10 years earlier. Perhaps there are even
two phantom ladies in the college. Top
Dorset,
Southern England
ANGEL INN
Coombe Street
Lyme Regis
Dorset
Despite the belief of one or two actual witnesses to the ghost here,
the phantom is not that of Queen Victoria, but of Mrs. Langton the
proprietess in 1926. She always insisted on dressing exactly as
Her Majesty had done, perhaps in the hope of being mistaken for
her ghost, not realising that she was to become one herself after
she died in the 1930`s. The young son of the proprietor who succeeded
her, was one of the first to see the phantom. The figure came out
of a cupboard, the same cupboard from which ` something glided out`
in the 1970`s and scared a potential purchaser. Is not likely that
the cupboard was formed from an original doorway through which Mrs.
Langton used to pass into her daughters bedroom?. Another who saw
the ghost was a man suffering from an incurable disease. One afternoon
whilst staying at the inn during the 1960's he was lying on his
bed dozing but was suddenly woken to find the figure 'of the old
Queen bending over him'. He was assured that the ghost was only
that of Mrs. Langton. He had been sleeping in her daughters bed.
Top
ATHELHAMPTON
Puddletown
Athelhampton
Dorset
One of the finest mediaeval houses in England and site of Hardy's
'Athel Hall', this magnificent property is owned by Robert Cooke,
MP, for Bristol West. He assured me that in 1957 he personally experienced
one of the incidents of phenomena which occurs here. Whilst working
in his study he had heard sounds of his cat padding down the stairway
and, 'wondering where the animal was off to ', spent half an hour
looking for it. The following morning he told that the family pet
had died whilst he was away, the previous week, and had been buried
in the garden. He dismissed stories of the `Black Monk' but admitted
that he and his housekeeper, Mrs. Chinchen, had heard the hammering
of the cooper in the wine cellar adjoining the Great Hall. Mrs.
Chinchen was also one of the many witnesses to the ghost of the
grey lady in one of our bedrooms. There are still sounds of scratching
behind some wall panelling which, legend has it, is the ghost of
'the Martyn's ape'. Mr. Cooke`s comment was, 'pay a quarterly sum
to Rentokill so it can't be rates, mice or birds'. Top
CLOUDS HILL
Near Dorchester
Dorset
A few yards from this former home of T.E. Lawrence, better known
as 'Lawrence of Arabia', the sound of a motor-cycle has been heard
very occasionally by early morning travellers. Assumed by the romantic
to be the machine used by Lawrence, it could well be the ghost of
another cyclist who crashed and was killed there some years ago.
One reliable witness who told me that she had heard the noise of
the engine in 1973 was Mrs. Little, now of Eastbourne, but then
of Warmwell, when going to work at another haunted property, Athelhampton,
five miles to the north. Top
CORFE CASTLE
Corfe
Dorset
It seems that the unknown headless woman who frequents the pathway
to this crumbling edifice and the bridge on Corfe Hill is still
haunting, though less frequently. She was seen in 1967 by John Seager,
in 1971 by a tourist and by three visitors in 1976. Locals are convinced
that she is connected with the nearby manor house and its tunnel
which leads to the castle ruins. Historians feel that she is the
woman who, through her treachery, caused the downfall of the Royalist
supporters when the fort was under siege by Cromwellian forces.
Top
CROWN HOTEL
Market Street
Poole
Dorset
In 1975 some ten years ago after a spat of weird poltergeist activity
had been experienced here and, as usual faded away, a milkman told
the licensee that he would be placing a delivery in future on the
front door step, not in the stable yard. In explaining his reason,
he pointed out that he was a little upset by the sounds of children
running around the stables. He knew them to be empty and yet screams
were, he said appauling. Mrs. Eeles, wife of the landlord, recalled
that some years before, she too has heard the noises and assumed
them to be caused by her own children, though admittedly, on investigation
she found the youngsters in bed and the stables locked. A local
nineteenth century legend tells of a former landlord murdering two
deformed children whom he had imprisoned in the stables but in the
1960`s Mr. Eles discovered a small room directly under the roof
of the hotel. It contained a window, a fireplace but no door. Top
ROYAL LION HOTEL
Broad Street
Lyme Regis
Dorset
Practically opposite this hotel is the old court house and museum
equipped with ancient dungeons which lead under the road and beneath
the `Royal Lion`. Up to the mid seventeenth century public hangings
were carried out here and no doubt guests at the hotel paid extra
to witness the `exciting spectacle` of a criminal kicking at the
end of the rope and finally swaying gently in the wind.
On one of the upper floors of the hotel several people have heard
pitiful moaning and a number of staff have seen a peculiar shape
`like drifting mist` in the dinning room. It is here that the sounds
of footsteps have been heard when the room is empty. On one occasion
the manager heard the sound of the invisible phantom approaching
him when only a few feet from the room, and felt `a cold chilly
sensation` as the noise passed him.
Top
SHAFTESBURY ABBEY
Park Walk
Shaftesbury
Dorset
The ghost of a monk has frequently been seen here among the ruins
moving quickly along the outer wall and vanishing at a spot in the
wall. From the appearance of the stonework there was obviously a
doorway there at one time. An unusual and slightly amusing aspect
about the phantom is that he appears to be walking on his knees,
but it assumed that the ground level has been raised since his demise.
The figure wears a brown habit and is supposed to be that of a priest
who, literally holds the key to the burial site of the abbey's treasures.
Before he was able to tell the last abbess where he had hidden the
hoard he suffered a hear-attack and died, still clutching the key!
Top
Hampshire,
Southern England
THE ANGEL
108 High Street
Lymington
Hampshire
Seen by several visitors and at least two members of the staff in
recent years, is the phantom of a grey-haired man clothed in a coat
similar to that of an old naval uniform, with brass buttons to the
collar and fastened at the neck. Many guests in olden days, for
the hotel is well over 200 years old, were sailors stopping overnight
on their way to or from Southampton but from the description the
ghost may be that of an officer. It is believed that one such executive
was to undergo a court enquiry the day after his arrival, but fearing
the result, killed himself in his bedroom Top
BEAULIEU ABBEY
Beaulieu
Hampshire
In 1204 a large Cistercian abbey was formed here with a magnificent
gate house, now known as `Palace House` which was converted into
a private house in the 1500`s. The estate also houses a renown historic
car and cycle museum and a couple of former residents in the shape
of monks, accompanied by the sound of chanting. One of those who
has experienced the singing is Mrs. Elizabeth Varley, sister of
the owner, Lord Montague. The sound occurs usually at dusk or in
the early hours of the morning when the monks would have been holding
their services. The actual melody has been confirmed as that of
a Gregorian chant, but some experts feel that this would be the
wrong period, though the order continues until 1880.
It is interesting to learn that the visitors who have actually seen
figures of `two or three monks near the Palace House` have consistently
described them as being in `white robes with stripes of black cloth
hanging down across the shoulders`. Few witnesses surely would know
that this describes the clothing of the Cistercian monks? The black
cloth, known as scapulary was an adaptation of vestment worn as
a badge of affiliation. One of the most recent witnesses to the
haunting was in 1977 when Mrs. Christine Little of Bournemouth,
who had been enamoured with the Beaulieu donkeys, heard what she
thought was a radio. She glanced around and saw two monks, with
heads bowed, walking along the path. Unperturbed, she watched them
for ` a few seconds but suddenly they vanished. They were near a
hedge and I wondered if they had somehow forced themselves through
it. But I realised that there is metal fencing there as well`. Top
BURITON MANOR
Near East Meon
Hampshire
In 1957 Colonel Bonham-Carter successfully applied for a reduction
in the rateable value of this manor because of its ghosts. Nevertheless,
the president of the tribunal rightly pointed out that a genuine
haunting could be considered of value. One of the phantoms is that
of an elderly `nanny` clothed in eighteenth century uniform who,
it seems, is often witnessed by children. Another apparition is
that of a maid who runs silently across the court yard and vanishes
on reaching the brick wall. The assumption is that the young girl
was making for the nearby church and hurried through the gateway
which existed there up to a hundred years ago. Yet a third ghost
is the friar in brown robes with a white cord round his waist, seen
on a number of occasions, both by residents and visitors. He has
been observed standing in the stable yard in the beech-lined avenue
known, because of his numerous visitations, as the `Monks Walk`.
Top
HULBERT ROAD
Waterlooville
Hampshire
This is another case of a `road hazard` for here some motorists
have seen, at dusk, the figure of a youngish girl standing in the
centre of the lane and have on occasions, been horrified at the
thought they had actually hit her. On investigating they find, after
pulling up, that there is no sign of the `accident victim`. Locals
believe that the phantom is that of a girl hitching a ride home
to Leigh Park who was killed a few years ago. Top
NETLEY ABBEY
Netley
Hampshire
One of the lesser-known sites under the ownership of the Department
of the Environment is Netley Abbey built in the thirteenth century
by a group of Cistercian Monks from Beaulieu. Most of the remains
were demolished in 1966 but still is surrounded by a wealth of legends
and romantic tales of buried treasure, a man dying of fright and
the supposed ghost of Florence Nightingale. The majority of such
stories can be attributed to imagination, caused by the belief that
practically any ruin is haunted, maybe smugglers and even perhaps
witches. Nevertheless in 1976, Mrs. Matthews of Adelaide, Australia,
on holiday with her daughter, decided one lovely sunny day in June
to go for a drive and visit the ancient ruins.
`We walked into the big open part facing the ticket booth`, she
tells me ` and stood looking at the walls. While facing the end
wall, to our right a portion of it seemed to be lit by artificial
light and I said, `look at that picture on the wall` It was of a
young woman with long grey hair, which could have been a wig. She
was dressed in rose pink and seated with a little white dog of her
left foot. The background, which appeared to be a tapestry with
a flower design, was of faint pastel colouring`. Mrs. Matthews assures
me that she has had `nothing to do with seances, or clairvoyants`
and was quite puzzled at the time for her daughter was, it seems,
unable to see the picture. The image only lasted ` a few seconds`
and then faded away. This incident is most unusual for seldom does
one hear of a phantom picture, but to me it is quite genuine and
may be linked in some way with the ghostly nurse, or even a former
inhabitant. The fact that the `picture` was seen on the chapel wall
is, to my mind no mystery for many original religious buildings
are now private houses and it could well have been that in earlier
times the picture was hung there by the occupiers other than the
monks. Top
POLICE COLLEGE
Bramshill House
Hartley Wintney
Basingstoke
Hampshire
It is the main administrative building of this training college
which contains the ghost of an attractive young woman. The house
was built in the seventeenth century on earlier foundations and
has been associated with the legend of ` the Mistletoe Bough` for
many years. Whether the phantom witnessed today is that of the new
bride who, when playing hide and seek was trapped and died in an
old chest, is not known but she has been witnessed by a least four
members of the staff in the last few years.
Mr. H. Clarke, a maintenance engineer, assured me that the ghost
he saw was of a ` Very Beautiful young lady walking very sadly along
through the library. She was about 18 years old with auburn hair
hanging down in ringlets and was wearing a long old fashioned gown
which swept the floor as she walked`. Also, at the end of the 147
feet, long room, a senior police officer experienced an inexplicable
drop in temperature one afternoon and another member of the teaching
staff smelt perfume `like Lily of the Valley` at the same spot,
at the same time, a few days later. He had also felt ` something
invisible` run over his foot. Another witness, Fred Cook, an engineer,
saw ` the greyish-white figure of the lady` on the stairs near the
chapel on the first floor. Top
ROYAL OAK
Langstone Village
Havant
Hampshire
Believed to be about 450 years old this attractive old pub is situated
practically on the ancient harbour wall and house the ghost of a
woman in white. She was seen standing in a corner of a bedroom before
slowly fading into the wall/ Mysterious scraping sounds have also
been heard by staff and customers alike. Who the phantom is no-one
knows but Mrs. Spring, the landlord's wife in 1972 said that she
thought the apparition may be connected with the bakery which existed
on the site a couple of hundred years ago. The Hampshire Telegraph
mentions that the figure of a man in eighteenth century clothing
has also been seen in the locality of the pub, walking across the
main Havant/Hayling Road.Top
TUDOR ROSE INN
Burgate
Near Fordingbridge
Hampshire
During 1967, the owners of this fourteenth century inn at that time
stated that for some many months inexplicable footsteps had been
heard on the stairway and in the immediate locality of the stairs.
Several members of the staff had also seen the vague shape of a
woman gliding upstairs. The haunt was investigated by a team from
the Paraphysical Laboratory of Gloucester but were unable to prove
any answers. In September, 1972 I spoke to Mr. Brian Cross, the
new owner, who admitted that he too, had heard, `weird noises near
the stairs` and had been told by a visitor that she had seen the
`mysterious figure` Top
WHITE HART HOTEL
Bridge Street
Andover
Hampshire
Seen by numerous visitors who have enquired as to the identity of
the guest, is the phantom of a `tall lady in a dark green cloak`
gliding along an upstairs corridor. The ground floor of the establishment,
where Charles I is supposed to have stayed, is also haunted by `a
couple of shadows like a man and a woman` One of the barmen told
me that the shapes were, ` terribly vague and misty yet were tangible
enough to recognise as that of two people. They are not seen quite
so often these days but were certainly active in the early 1970`s.
There is no clue as to the identity of any of the three `visitors`.
Top
Oxfordshire,
Southern England
KENTON THEATRE
New Street
Henley-on-Thames
Oxfordshire
Stated to be the fourth oldest theatre in England, this `hall of
entertainment` was originally built in 1805 but he ghost has somehow
become associated with a local girl hanged in Oxford in 1752. The
reason for this `irrational belief` is that although she had been
seen in the theatre on a few occasions over the years, she gained
notoriety in 1969 when the play 'The Hanging Tree' by Joan Morgan
was being staged. The play is based on the story of Mary Blandy
who was found guilty of poisoning her father when he refused to
give her permission to marry. Admittedly the figure of the young
phantom appears in clothing of the period but to seriously suggest
that she, the ghost, has now moved her haunt yet again - she genuinely
visits her old home and is also claimed to haunt Henley Town Hall
- is difficult to accept. The ghost was seen once or twice in 1969
by members of the cast during rehearsals at the back of the stalls
and lights over a mirror in a dressing room have often been mysteriously
moved. The more imaginative believe Mary is responsible. Top
WESTON MANOR HOTEL
Oxford Road
West on the Green
Oxfordshire
In September, 1975 a reporter from the British Tourist Authority
was called upon to stay the night here to investigate the claim
of the mysterious haunting in the `oak room`. Although he saw nothing
of the ghostly coach and horses which have on occasions been witnessed
careering silently through the courtyard, the investigator certainly
suffered from the unusual heat experienced when sleeping in `Maude`s
bedroom'. Maude was according to legend, a nun who was caught `in
flagrante delecto` in a monks cell and burnt at the stake in the
grounds of the monastery. The site of the tiny room in which she
was discovered is now `the oak room` of this fourteenth century
building. originally a monastery. The Journalists comment in her
report was , `I cannot remember even in Africa, such a close and
oppressive atmosphere. I was not only hot but unable to breathe
properly. Stangely, as daylight filled the room, the temperature
dropped.`
Top
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