Peter Underwood - This Haunted Isle: The Ghosts and Legends of Britains Historic Buildings

This Haunted Isle

Peter Underwood

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Dedication

For

Cathy Turner

friend and kindred spirit

with love

GEOGRAPHICAL INDEX

ENGLAND

Avon

, Bath

, Chipping Sodbury

, Bristol

Bedfordshire

, Woburn

Berkshire

, Windsor

Buckinghamshire

, Middle Claydon

High Wycombe

Cambridgeshire

, Cambridge

Cheshire

, Gawsworth, Macclesfield

, near Knutsford

Cornwall

, Torpoint

, Calstock

, Bodmin

, Praa Sands

, Newquay

Cumbria

, Eskdale

, Cartmel

, Kendal

Derbyshire

, near Mansfield

, Castleton

Devonshire

, near Tavistock

, near Axminster

Dorset

, near Bovington

, Purbeck

Essex

, Rainham

Gloucestershire

, Berkeley

, Wotton-under-Edge

near Broadway

Hampshire

, near Hartley Wintney

Hereford and Worcester

, Leominster

, near Leominster

, near Kidderminster

Hertfordshire

, Ayot St Lawrence

Kent

, near Westerham

, Ightham, Sevenoaks

, near Maidstone

, near Borough Green

, Lamberhurst

, Sissinghurst

Lancashire

, Goosnargh, Preston

Hoghton, Preston

near Ormskirk

Lincolnshire

, Burgh-le-Marsh

Greater London

, Petersham

, Hampton Court

, Osterley

Merseyside

, Liverpool

Norfolk

, Aylsham

, Felbrigg, Norwich

Northumberland

, Haltwhistle

, Alnwick

, Holy Island

, Cambo

Somerset

, Axbridge

, Muchelney

Suffolk

, Dunwich

, Stoke-by-Nayland

Surrey

, West Clandon

, near Godalming, Guildford

, Bookham

Sussex, East

Sussex, West

, Steyning

, South Harting

Tyne and Wear

, Washington

Warwickshire

, Knowle, Solihull

, Stratford-upon-Avon

, Alcester

Wiltshire

, Warminster

, near Chippenham

, Stourton, Mere

, Bradford-upon-Avon

Yorkshire, North

, York

Yorkshire, West

, Keighley

NORTHERN IRELAND

Co. Londonderry

, Moneymore

SCOTLAND

Grampian

, Forres, Morayshire

, Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire

, Crathes, Kincardine

, by Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire

Highland

, The Cairngorms

, east of Inverness

Castle, Sligachan, Isle of Skye

Lothian

, Linlithgow

Strathclyde

, Isle of Arran

, Maybole, Ayrshire

, Inveraray, Argyllshire

Tayside

, Glamis, Angus

, Pitlochry, Perthshire

WALES

Dyfed

, off St Davids Head

Powys

, Welshpool

PREFACE

The subject of this book is ghosts: ghosts that have been seen, heard, felt or sensed in historic properties and places in Britain. Ghosts? They are no longer creatures of the darkness that strike terror into the hearts of those who see them; rather they are gentle shades who return for a variety of reasons, to a variety of places, at a variety of times, and are seen by a variety of people and affect those who see them in a variety of ways. Ghosts have become respectable.

My intention is not to add a sensational element to any of the houses or places included in this book but simply to present in a sober manner some of the legends, ghostly experiences and little-known facts concerning some of the most beautiful and interesting houses in the land. I have collected the facts carefully and then attempted to sort the wheat from the chaff. It should be emphasized that the accounts included are stories that are or have been associated with these properties; it is not suggested that all these places are still haunted, although some of them certainly are and perhaps most of them to people who are sensitive to such things.

It is an interesting fact that some people can live for years in a haunted house without seeing or hearing or sensing anything unusual; my own grandmother lived for years in a house well known to be haunted, where many people had reportedly seen the ghost of a man in one bedroom and where it became so troublesome at one period that attempts were made to exorcise it; yet my grandmother always said she had never seen anything there worse than herself! It may be that just as some people seem to promote the presence of ghosts, others may actually prevent their activities; the personality and interest and sympathy of the occupants of the haunted houses may well play a considerable part in the appearance or non-appearance of ghosts.

In a few instances I have been unable to include names and dates for particular incidents. This is due to respect for personal wishes, but all the names, dates and details that are included are factual and I have attempted to specify precisely where the ghosts have reportedly walked. Of necessity the evidential value varies; occasionally a first-hand account is available, at other times it is second- or third-hand; sometimes it is only hearsay or legend but I have found all the people, the places and the stories interesting. I hope these accounts may even prove to be important, for subsequent discoveries and experiences have sometimes had a definite effect or bearing on the history and appearance of a ghost as you will see.

If you are interested in other aspects of the historic properties of Britain the furniture, the gardens, the pictures, the architecture there are books dealing with all of them. This volume deals with the reported ghosts and I hope it will bring a new and absorbing interest to visitors to these places that are our national heritage, as are our ghosts. We have not yet discovered a way to prove the existence of ghosts; therefore it is not a subject that one can be erudite about, such as architecture or history, for so much depends upon human testimony.

Nevertheless the wealth of varied testimony for ghosts in Britain's historic properties cannot but be impressive to any impartial reader. Needless to say I am always glad to hear of any ghost that may be encountered as visitors wander through these wonderful, lovingly cared for houses, castles and mansions where the atmosphere and environment of these unique properties can sometimes take us back in time.

Peter Underwood

The Savage Club

London

May, 1984

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author gratefully acknowledges the encouragement and help that he has received from Andrew Hewson of John Johnson: Authors Agents and also the generous co-operation of the directors, administrators, custodians, tenants and occupants of the properties included. He is also deeply grateful for all the help he has received from many other people and would like to especially mention: Geoffrey Abbott, Mrs Margaret Bagueley, Dennis Bardens, the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, Major R.J.G. Berkeley, Michael Bingham, Sir Reginald Blacker, Hector Bolitho, Michael Brett, Ninian Brodie of Brodie, Tony Broughall, E.W. 'Teddy Butler, Lord Croft, Tom Corbett, James Wentworth Day, Philomena, Lady de Hoghton, Mrs A.H. Evans, Lady Jean Fforde, Leslie Finch, Michael Garside, Godfrey Goolden, Affleck Gray, G. Howard Heaton, Dr Peter Hilton-Rowe, John Howden, Air Commodore R.C. Jonas, Freda and Steuart Kiernander, Fred Knowles, Laurie Lee, Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod, Angus Macnaghten, Eric Maple, Harry Martindale, Denis Mead, John Mitchell, Major and Mrs James More-Molyneux, Major W.D. Morris-Barker, Patricia Moxey, David F. Musson, Carey Newson, Bob Parsons, Grace and Arthur Peters, Donald Ross, Brian Rowland, Margaret Royal and Abson Books, Adrian Sansom, Cecilia, Lady Sempill, Mrs Ann Strickland, Lord St Leven, Lord Strathmore, Denys Sutton, John and Pauline Thompson, Mrs Diana Uhlman, Andrew Usher, Dr David Walker, Michael Williams and Alistair J. Wilson.