Haunted Wiltshire E-Book

Keith Wills

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 178

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

The dark side of Wiltshire's ancient history has left its mark on the county's inns, hotels, stately homes and burial barrows. A hideous dwarf is said to haunt Lacock Abbey; a spooky white cat stalks walkers on the ancient Ridgeway; the Lady in White grabs the shoulders of unwary male visitors in the gardens at Avebury Manor, seeking her lover lost to the Civil Wars, and the Blue Lady pops up in the ladies toilets at the Cross Guns Inn Avoncliff, thought to be the most haunted pub in Wiltshire. These real-life stories have been collected and researched over the years, using a variety of sources and interviews with the people at the heart of the ghostly activity. These tales of unexplained noises, mysterious shadows and ghostly encounters are sure to send a chill down your spine.

Leseprobe

For Mum and Dad

CONTENTS

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Map of Wiltshire’s Most Haunted

one Manors and Houses

two Churches and Abbeys

three Barrows and Hills

four Inns and Pubs

five Hotels

six Other

Bibliography

About the Author

Copyright

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my warmest thanks to all those who have helped make this compilation possible: the publicans, the hoteliers, the custodians, the staff and volunteers at English Heritage and National Trust properties. I must also extend my heartfelt thanks to the folk of Wiltshire who were only too happy to spend time regaling me with their chilling encounters.

I would also like to thank Naomi Reynolds, Nicola Guy, Declan Flynn and the editorial team at The History Press for their help and guidance in getting this thing off the ground.

And finally, a very special thanks must go to local artist Christine Bozier for the book’s illustrations, and for her support, her unfailing patience and her moments of inspiration when I needed them most. Hope the journey wasn’t too crazy.

All photographs are my own except the Cross Guns inn ‘ghost’ photograph, used with kind permission of Roger Jones of Ex Libris Press, Hosts of Ghosts.

Contact the author at:

[email protected]

Contact the illustrator at:

petportraits1.blogspot.com

INTRODUCTION

WILTSHIRE has a unique beauty, many poets have waxed lyrical describing it as wild, romantic and enigmatic. Artists apply their craft in the hope of capturing the mood of its ancient chalk landscape. It is a magical place which has won the hearts and imagination of thousands, inspired I’m sure by 6,000 years of untamed prehistory. One only has to marvel at the mysterious trilithons of Stonehenge and the megaliths of Avebury to be reminded of prehistoric man’s enduring legacy and his extraordinary achievements. Wiltshire is a county steeped in folklore, legend and hauntings. Indeed, its plethora of ghosts has gained it a reputation as being one of the most, if not the most haunted county in Britain.

In this book I have catalogued a few of my visits to reputedly haunted locations, the majority of which I have selected for their public access. I have included first-hand accounts from eyewitnesses where possible, plus anecdotal tales passed down over the centuries. They include: the ghostly apparition of the Lady in White, said to haunt the grounds of Avebury Manor where she has a habit of seeking out male visitors as targets for her inappropriate shoulder grabbing; the Blue Lady at the Cross Guns inn Avoncliff, who pops up all too often in the ladies’ toilets; Lacock Abbey, where a hideous dwarf is said to scamper about the upper floors; Littlecote House, the scene of a brutal infanticide perpetrated by the pernicious Wild Will Darrell in 1575 and where his ghost still haunts the corridors. There is also the fearsome white cat said to stalk walkers along the 5,000-year-old Ridgeway passage and the Ash Lady of St John the Baptist church, Wroughton, said to have been the victim of a premature burial during Victorian times.

MAP OF WILTSHIRE’S MOST HAUNTED

(© Christine Bozier)

1

MANORS AND HOUSES

Avebury Manor

Avebury Manor dates from around the mid-sixteenth century, but the area the house occupies is considerably older and in all probability may have had monastic connections. There have been few excavations of note but those permitted by the National Trust have revealed finds which would indicate the area to have been occupied for at least 1,000 years.

Avebury Manor is haunted by four ghosts.

The earliest records of a building in the immediate vicinity date from 1114, when King Henry I granted the estate to his chamberlain William de Tancarville, who in that same year gifted it to the Benedictine French abbey of St Georges de Boscherville, Rouen. A priory house probably made of timber was established soon afterwards and may have stood close to where the current house is now situated. The priory was a small unit, just a few monks eking out a simple existence raising sheep and farming the land.

In 1378 England was at war with France which ultimately spelled expunction for the monks of Avebury. The last prior to leave was Stephen Fosse in 1379, one of many monks expelled from England during that year. A succession of chaplains then took charge of the priory until it finally passed into the hands of Fotheringhay College in 1411.

In 1547, following the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536–1541), the college exchanged the estate for other lands. The Crown took possession and granted ownership to Sir William Sharington; owner of Lacock Abbey. At some point the priory was either demolished or remodelled, leaving a small lay house.

In 1549 Sharington was caught defrauding the Bristol Mint where he held the title of ‘under treasurer’, but managed to avoid execution by calling in a few favours in high places. He didn’t get off scot-free though for he still faced a hefty fine which forced him to sell off some of his assets. One such asset was Avebury Manor, which was purchased off him by William and Mary Dunch in 1551. Evidence now points to the Dunches being largely responsible for building a new house between 1555 and 1580.

In the years that followed, a succession of owners transformed the house through major extensions and modernisation. Sarsen and limestone were used for most of the early building projects. It is likely that the sarsen stone came directly from the world-famous stone circle at a time when standing stones were of little interest other than for building material. Otherwise, the stone would have been quarried from the Marlborough Downs where it could be found in abundance.

Over its 450-year history, Avebury Manor has commanded significant importance in the village, surrounded by high boundary walls and formal gateways. Although not the most prestigious of country houses, it still retains an air of opulence with its impressive gables, deep mullion windows, tall imposing chimneys and beautiful topiary gardens.

As you might expect for a house this old, Avebury Manor has acquired quite a haunted history. It is reputedly inhabited by four ghosts, one of which is a cat, but more about him or her later. Let’s start with the ghostly presence of what may be Sir John Stawell.

Sir John Stawell of Cothelstone

The staunch Royalist Sir John Stawell, purchased Avebury Manor from William Dunch in 1640. Stawell played a significant role in the English Civil Wars and raised five regiments at his own expense in support of Charles I. His allegiance to the Crown was to prove his undoing, for during one of his many campaigns in the West Country he fell foul of the Parliamentarians at the Siege of Exeter and was captured in 1646. Later that year he went to London with a copy of his terms of surrender issued by Sir Thomas Fairfax and was instructed to swear on oath ‘not to bear arms against Parliament’. He refused, and in so doing was immediately committed to Ely House in Holborn on the advice that his possessions and estates were to be sequestered, which included his beloved Avebury Manor.

On 13 August 1646 he was summoned to the Bar of the House of Commons, where he declined to kneel and take the oath when ordered to do so by the Speaker. He was immediately committed to Newgate Prison on a charge of high treason. His trial took place at Somerset Assizes and was repeated several times, but on each occasion no proceedings followed. In July 1650 he was moved from Newgate to the Tower of London and on 17 December of that year he was brought to trial once more, but the judges neither acquitted nor condemned him. He remained in the Tower of London for the next eleven years. In 1652 Avebury Manor was sold to George Long who in turn leased it to Sir Edward Baynton.

Stawell was to remain in the Tower until his release in 1660 on the Restoration of Charles II. His estates and possessions were reinstated in full and he returned to Avebury where he lived a short time until his death on 21 February 1662. He was buried with great pomp at Cothelstone on 23 April of that year. Some say he died a broken man, suffering from ill health and depression. It was rumoured that he took his own life in a moment of utter despair, although there is no evidence surviving to support this claim. I suppose it is not surprising that such rumours grew as to his state of mind; heaven knows what conditions he must have had to endured during his imprisonment.

It would seem that Sir John is reluctant to leave Avebury Manor, for it is the aptly named ‘Cavalier Bedroom’, now the ‘Withdrawing Room’ (renamed for the BBC makeover in 2011) where his ghost has been seen gazing out of the south window which overlooks the gardens. He has also been spotted standing quite motionless to the left of the fireplace. He is described as being as solid as you or I in appearance, and suited in the finery of a Cavalier of the time. A melancholy figure by all accounts who, when encountered, appears to be weeping. Some say his arrival is often preceded by a sharp drop in temperature or the fragrant smell of roses, or both. The common use of rosewater as an eau de toilette could explain this; personal hygiene was yet to establish itself. Sir John is said to have adored his garden and spent a great deal of time strolling there, which may also account for reports of his ghost being seen thereabouts.

Visitors have occasionally been overcome by feelings of sadness in this room, especially standing near the south window, or ‘sorrow window’ as it is often called. Some have even been unable to cross its threshold, because of an intense emotional drain. Whilst I was working in the house for the National Trust, a young man in his early 20s briskly descended the exit stairs ashen-faced and visibly shaken with tears in his eyes. He asked if there was somewhere outside where he might sit. I showed him into the garden, indicated a bench seat and left him alone with his thoughts, not wishing to pry.

On returning to the exit I bumped into his parents who had followed him down. I enquired as to what the problem was and they told me that in one of the rooms upstairs he had suddenly been overcome by a deep sadness and needed to leave. I asked which room they had been in and was not surprised by the answer. I explained that there have been, and still are, many stories associated with that room and on occasion some people have felt a great sadness there. I reassured them that their son was not the first and no doubt would not be the last to experience such feelings of utter misery and dread in that room.

The Tudor Bedchamber

‘The Tudor Bedchamber’ is another room renamed for the BBC project. This room would undoubtedly have served as a bedchamber at some point and forms part of the east extension, built between 1580–1601. One of the house guides told me of a frightening experience he had several years ago whilst working in this room. A group of visitors had just entered, when all of a sudden one of the party, a woman, was overcome by something only she could sense:

Her eyes rolled up till just the whites were showin’ then she started to shake but worse was her voice which was all sort of deep and guttural, I couldn’t understand what she was sayin’. It only lasted for a few seconds then she came out of this ‘trance’ I suppose you’d call it. She was led out of the room by her friends. I was told that she was a medium and she had obviously had a reaction to something in the room.

Another of the house guides will not work in this room; she too claims to be sensitive to whatever may be present here and firmly believes that this particular entity is malevolent. As for me, I love this room and it is always my first choice when I help out as a house guide. It has three large mullion windows which face east, south and west, so the room is bathed in sunlight all day long. Surely this is not an environment conducive of such a malevolent presence, but then what is?

The White Lady

The house and gardens are reputedly haunted by a beautiful young woman dressed in white. ‘The White Lady’ is arguably the most active of the house’s ghosts and her story is one of tragedy, as are many ghost stories. Although her identity is uncertain, it is believed she may well have been a ward of Sir John Stawell.

Stawell ran a strict house, especially with regard to protecting the young lady’s integrity and virtues. In defiance of these house rules, she met and fell in love with a young man who worked on the estate. Stawell got wind of her deceitfulness and immediately put a stop to their secret rendezvous. She was to have none of it and continued to meet covertly with her young suitor.

Their brief romance was to be cut short, for the young man received orders to join ranks and participate in the Civil Wars. As each day passed she would pray for his safe homecoming for they had decided to elope as soon as he returned. Then came the news that she had been dreading; her lover had been killed in active duty. With a broken heart and little to live for, she took her life by jumping from a second-floor window.

Her ghost is said to follow visitors around the gardens where she will randomly select a gentleman (preferably with a beard it would seem) and tap him sharply on the shoulder. It is believed that this ‘tap on the shoulder’ signifies her attempt to identify whether the recipient of her advances is that of her lover. She is most often encountered at the south gate close to the pet cemetery.

One of the National Trust guides told me of an experience he had during a film shoot whilst in the gardens. He described his encounter as suddenly being ‘gripped from behind by the shoulders and pulled back’. He spun around to see who was there but to his surprise discovered nobody near him.

The White Lady has also been seen by guides and visitors descending the eighteenth-century staircase inside the house. She is dressed in a floor-length white gown and described by those who have seen her as ‘stunningly beautiful’. Having said that, one of the house guides claimed to have witnessed her on the staircase, but where a head and hands should have been there was nothing. All she saw was an empty white gown gliding down the staircase.

Another story concerned a little boy of 7 who had been visiting with his parents. They had just climbed the stairs and were en route to one of the show bedrooms when they realised their son was not behind them. Just as they were about to go looking for him, he caught up with them none the worse for wear. Apparently he had been chatting happily to the ‘lady in the wedding dress on the stairs.’

The White Lady haunts the grounds of Avebury Manor where her inappropriate shoulder tapping has startled many a visitor. (© Christine Bozier)

The Monk

With the house’s monastic roots, it is not surprising to learn that there have been numerous sightings of a phantom hooded monk. The identity of the monk is unknown but there may be a clue as to why he haunts the house. It is well documented that in 1249 several of Avebury’s monks were held at Marlborough Assizes on suspicion of murder. Could the unfortunate victim of that heinous crime be said monk?

His ghost has been seen in the kitchen, the small parlour, the east garden and the churchyard of St James, which stands adjacent to the house. One of the earliest encounters was by previous owner William Dunch. The story goes that one evening in 1557, whilst the maid was busy organising the dining room for the evening meal, she was briefly interrupted by Dunch who called to her from the kitchen. They spoke briefly in the kitchen regarding some matter or another, after which the maid returned to the dining room, stopping just short of the threshold, for, standing at the dining room table, was a ‘tall imposing hooded figure’. The maid looked over her shoulder towards the kitchen where she enquired of Dunch, ‘Pardon me sir! Do we have guests for dinner?’ ‘No!’ came the reply. At that the maid looked back into the dining room to find the intruder had disappeared.

Several times a shadowy, hooded figure has been seen crossing the passage that connects the kitchen to the west garden door; a door long since bricked up.

One of the latest sightings of the monk occurred one evening as the previous curator of the Stables Museum (a building at the edge of the east garden) was locking up for the night. As he turned from the door he noticed a hooded figure standing motionless amongst the gravestones in the adjacent church of St James. The figure seemed to be looking directly at him. Thinking it to be a young local lad who had been up to mischief on several occasions near the house gates and in the churchyard, the curator decided to confront him. As he drew closer to the churchyard gate, the figure started towards him. Surprised and fearful at this sudden advance, the curator backed away from the gate, at which point the figure began to fade until nothing was left except a fine amorphous mist which slowly dissipated.

Ghostly Cat

And finally, should you venture into the Stables Museum, you will find amongst its exhibits (many of which were discovered at Avebury henge) a rather grisly desiccated cat. Said cat was apparently unearthed some years back whilst work was being carried out on one of the house’s external garden walls. During medieval times it was thought that the walling up of dead cats would deter rodent infestation and keep evil spirits at bay. How times have changed – thankfully. On occasion, when staff have been locking up for the evening, they have heard the unmistakable sound of a cat crying as if locked in somewhere upstairs. When they go to investigate, nothing is ever found.

HM Prison, Erlestoke

Erlestoke House (or what is left of it, following a devastating fire in 1951 which claimed most of the house and left just two wings intact) used to stand proudly on top of a hillside at the north-western edge of Salisbury Plain. By all accounts it was a grand affair of some 365ft in length, with three storeys and a basement, the latter also surviving the great fire. Erlestoke House and Park used to dominate the little village of Erlestoke on three sides. Today it is a Category ‘C’ prison, housing up to 494 inmates serving sentences from a few months to life.

Erlestoke House was built between 1786 and 1791 from a design by the eminent architect George Stewart, for wealthy timber-merchant Joshua Smith. It was Smith’s decision to demolish an old Elizabethan house which stood close by to make way for the new build, which was to be set in beautiful parkland with ornate bridges, lakes and waterfalls fed by natural springs. The Elizabethan house was low in the valley but Smith wanted the new house to be higher up to command an uninterrupted view across the valley. Several cottages in Erlestoke village were demolished to make way for the new house and grounds and Smith rehoused those who lost their homes in new cottages which can still be seen today. Many have strange carvings built into the walls; some are of classical figures whilst others are of grotesque gargoyles. All are thought to have been part of the original house.

Many notable guests have visited Erlestoke’s two houses over the years. Queen Elizabeth I slept here in 1574. The Duchess of Kent and her 12-year-old daughter, Princess Victoria, later to be crowned queen, spent a weekend at Erlestoke in late 1830 in the company of poet Thomas More who wrote in his diary of an ‘evening of music and song’. Erlestoke has also been home to several dignitaries and four distinguished members of parliament.

In 1819 Joshua Smith died and the Erlestoke estate and other lands were sold to George Watson-Taylor, a wealthy Jamaican plantation owner, for a whopping £250,000. The Watson-Taylors were greatly respected for their benevolence toward the villagers of Erlestoke; food, clothes and blankets were generously distributed by the family to the needy.

The Watson-Taylor’s fortunes were to falter when in 1832 George Watson-Taylor suffered a financial setback, coinciding with the emancipation of the slave trade. He was forced to auction many of the house’s treasured possessions and moved away. The house was closed for four years until it was leased to John Cam Hobhouse, later Baron Broughton (1786–1869), politician and best friend of Lord Byron.

In 1844, to the delight of the population of Erlestoke village, Simon Watson-Taylor, son of George, returned to his family home at Erlestoke. Simon was married to Charlotte Hay, and it is Charlotte Hay who is said to haunt what is now the prison, the grounds and occasionally the village.

The Ghost of Lady Charlotte Hay