I’ve always loved a ghost story. Ever since I was a girl I’ve loved sitting with my friends in a dark room sharing our scariest tales. Ghost stories have an ability to totally capture the imagination, and what can be truly unsettling is the possibility that it could be real. There are plenty of stories that are quite clearly a load of cobblers, stories that have been passed down from one generation of teenage girls to another. We all know the story of the blood dripping from the ceiling and the sound of the footsteps coming up the stairs. “Georgie, I’m on the first step. Georgie, I’m on the second step”, for instance. But it’s the ones that come from people’s actual experiences that interest me the most.
I used to live in Ireland and I’d go to visit friends of the family who lived in Wexford every so often. They used to take me to Hook Head, a wonderful part of the world with a beautiful lighthouse and sea views that would knock your socks off. On the way, however, we would have to drive past Loftus Hall. Even the name of the place gives me the shivers. I have added a picture of it here but I can’t put into words (unfortunate for a blog) how it evokes such a sense of unease as you pass it from the road. It’s the kind of place you don’t want to look at in case of what you might see lurking behind a window, but you can’t take your eyes off it.
Loftus Hall stands on the Hook Peninsula in Wexford, Ireland and was originally built in 1350. The house has since been renovated and modernised and is now a glorious 18th Century hall with large, high ceilinged rooms and a majestic staircase in the centre. Hauntings at the hall have been talked of since the 18th century and the most famous one to have stuck happened in 1775. The Tottenham family owned the hall at the time and one night during a storm, not uncommon in this part of the country, there was a knock at the door. This was not a surprising event, the private strip of shoreline owned by the family was often used as a safe landing haven for passing sailors during a storm. The stranger was let in out of the wind and rain and given a room to use for as long as he needed. The daughter of the family, Lady Anne Tottenham, took an interest in this mysterious gentleman and he became quite taken with her. One evening, they were sitting down to play cards when Lady Anne accidentally dropped one of hers on the floor. She bent down to pick it up and as she did so glanced under the table to see something that shocked her to her core.
The stranger sitting opposite her did not possess a pair of human legs, but cloven hooves. She screamed in terror as the stranger launched himself upwards and shot through the ceiling and through the roof into the storm clouds forming a hole in the roof that could never be fully repaired. As he disappeared a huge clap of thunder erupted and a cloud of smoke was left behind, along with the distinct aroma of sulphur, a tell-tale sign of the presence of the devil. Lady Anne never recovered from the incident and died shortly after. It is said that her spirit still wanders the halls. Loftus Hall has changed hands many times since it was built, it even served as a convent for over thirty years. It has now been sold to be turned into a luxury hotel. I doubt if it will ever shake the feeling felt by many who have stepped foot inside – that you never feel quite alone at Loftus Hall.
I listen to many podcasts that work on the theme of ghost stories. One of my favourites is written and presented by Danny Robbins who is a sceptic. One story that came across his desk was too long and involved for just one episode so he created a whole series and had the story dramatised to support his investigation. With interviews from witnesses and from the members of the family who experienced the happenings first hand, the series pulls you in and sends chills down your spine. It is called The Battersea Poltergeist and you may already be familiar with the story. The Hitchings family live at number 63 Wycliffe Road in London. An ordinary, quiet South London street that became famous in 1956 as the home of a poltergeist and of one of Britain’s strangest hauntings.
It is a long story – hence the whole podcast series – but the whole story began with a key. A small silver key appeared on Shirley Hitchings bed. Shirley was the 15 year old daughter of the family living at number 63 Wycliffe Road, her father Wally tried the key in every lock in the house but it didn’t fit. The same night this key appeared the spirit, who became known as “Donald” by the family, started to communicate firstly through tapping sounds that over time grew into noises that were reminiscent of the Blitz. Over the weeks that followed the family were taunted by scratching noises from inside the furniture stopping everyone inside the house from being able to sleep. Eventually the spirit’s communication manifested in hand-written notes, moving furniture and even setting objects on fire. Neighbours even witnessed Shirley being levitated above her bed. Seeing the story in the newspapers a physical researcher named Harold Chibbett introduced himself to the Hitchings family to investigate the phenomena. Over the years that followed, Donald made many claims about his true identity and even hinted he was a lost French prince who escaped captivity during the French Revolution. Whatever the true story is, it’s a really interesting podcast and well worth a listen.
The last story I want to talk about comes from Hall Place in Bexley. A beautiful sixteenth century stately home built for Sir John Champneys, Hall Place has been the backdrop for many ghostly manifestations. The house has a tower that has reportedly been sealed off and the staircase removed by a former owner to “stop the ghost from coming down”. It seems that this did not work. Hauntings include a woman wearing white who wanders the halls near the tower weeping and wringing her hands, a servant girl searches the attics for a lost child and music can be heard coming from the empty minstrel’s gallery. Lady Limerick, the last owner of Hall Place until her death in 1943, would phone the local police in the middle of the night when the “ghosts became too troublesome” to ask for an officer to stand guard. Hall Place is open to the public and is actually a wonderful day out. I have been a few times and they have exhibitions to see as well as the house and grounds.
That is all from me for now. If you hear anything going bump in the night – I’m sure it’s just the pipes….
Gilbert Tours 