Most Haunted Series 9 | Most Haunted Series Nine

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Southstack Lighthouse

Situated near the north west tip of Wales, the tiny islet known as South Stack Rock lies separated from Holyhead Island by 30 metres of turbulent sea, surging to and fro in continuous motion. The coastline from the breakwater and around the south western shore is made of large granite cliffs rising sheer from the sea to 60 metres.

South Stack Lighthouse was first envisaged in 1665 when a petition for a patent to erect the lighthouse was presented to Charles II. The patent was not granted and it was not until 9th February 1809 that the first light appeared to mark the rock. The lighthouse, erected at a cost of £12,000, was designed by Daniel Alexander and originally fitted with Argand oil lamps and reflectors. Around 1840 a railway was installed by means of which a lantern with a subsidiary light could be lowered down the cliff to sea level, when fog obscured the main light.

On Tuesday 25th October 1859 it is said that the most severe storm of the century occurred. It became known as the 'Royal Charter' gale, and on that and the following day over 200 vessels were either driven ashore or totally wrecked with the loss of 800 lives. The steamship ROYAL CHARTER was among these, and she sunk within yards of help with the loss of almost 500 passengers and crew. On that evening Assistant Keeper Jack Jones had been making his way across the iron bridge on to South Stack so that he could join the Principal Keeper Henry Bowen, already on duty. A rock was swept from the cliff by the strong wind, fell and struck Jones on the head. Covered in blood, almost senseless with concussion, he dragged himself up the gale lashed path. Feebly he cried out for help, then, head in hands, he lay unable to move any further. Henry Bowen found him in the same place on the Wednesday morning, groaning and unable to move, his hair matted with blood. Jack Jones died three weeks later of a compound fracture of the skull.

In the mid 1870's the lantern and lighting apparatus was replaced by a new lantern. No records are available of the light source at this time but it was probably a pressurised multiwick oil lamp. In 1909 an early form of incandescent light was installed and in 1927 this was replaced by a more modern form of incandescent mantle burner. The station was electrified in 1938.

On 12th September, 1984, the lighthouse was automated and the keepers withdrawn. The light and fog signal are now remotely controlled and monitored from the Trinity House Operational Control Centre in Harwich, Essex.

Investigation

A flurry of poltergeist activity and the loud footsteps of angry spirits can be heard echoing around the tower. New cameraman Geoff Adams became very unnerved with noises and stones falling and being thrown.

Alton Towers

Earls of Shrewsbury occupied the castle from 1412 when the Lady Ankarat de Verdun married Sir John Talbot – the title remained in the same family until the 1920’s.
It was the 15th Earl, Charles Talbot, born in 1753, who tamed the landscape surrounding the Towers. With the help of hundreds of artisans, mechanics and labourers, “He made the desert smile” and the Alton Towers dream was born.
Charles ensured that every details and plan was original, and only consulted other artists in order to avoid imitation. The two principal garden architects were Thomas Allason (1790-1852) and Robert Abrahams (1774-1850), and it was this combination of financial resources, architectural talent and an eye for beauty, which made the gardens the grandiose yet stunning sight they are today.
Under the direction of the 15th Earl, Abrahams designed and built the Chinese Pagoda Fountain as an exact copy of the To Ho Pagoda in Canton. To supply this fountain, Talbot had to skilfully dig out lakes, pools and terraces encouraging the flow of water from a spring at Ramshorn into the lower extremity of the valley gardens. This particular fountain had the capacity to throw a volume of water 90 feet above the tree tops, where it now seemingly teases the Skyride cable car which crosses the valley gardens.

The Bath Fountain was constructed under the directions of John Talbot. The small yet beautiful pond with a figure of Triton, blowing water through a conch shell, would have been the immediate view from Le Refuge. It was totally renovated in summer 1994 when a new base was installed using stone excavated from the hotel site.
The Grand Conservatories were designed and built by Abrahams and are a breath taking architectural structure stretching 300 feet in length and made of galvanised iron and plate glass. The elegant domes are richly gilt. They have already been restored and are now filled with various geraniums and fuchsia.
Le Refuge was originally built as a recess for repose and refreshments, and the fireplace ensured that Her Ladyship could retire in comfort on even the most wintry of nights.
Although Charles Talbot was a man with little concern for spending money on shows and entertainment, he housed a blind Welsh harpist in a quaint thatched cottage, known then as Swiss Cottage. The harpist was employed to fill the garden with music for the delight of the Earl, his family and their guests.
Scattered around the gardens are numerous examples of statuary, which would have instantly added to the overall artistic mood of the surroundings.
The Grand Conservatories and the surrounding terrace house several intricate and charming statues including Hercules and the Maneon Lion, the Warwick Vase, the Infant Bacchus and Goat and the Italian Antique Torso. On the second terrace, adjacent to the distinctive Yew Tree Walk, stood the statues of the Four Seasons.
The Dutch Gardens, which stand to the left of the conservatories, are formed from a raised circular garden designed by John Talbot in the late 1800’s. The two lions which stood proudly at the entrance have now been replaced by secure sturdy plinths, and there are hopes to ensure that the water from the lion fountain at the rear of the Dutch Gardens flows naturally again from the River Churnet.
On entering the lavish gardens, visitors will notice a grand monument, which stands proudly opposite the white bridge. This was built as a cenotaph to Charles Talbot. Modelled on the celebrated Choragic Temple of Lysiscrates (Athens 344 BC) this distinguished feature houses a marble bust of the 15th Earl. An appropriate inscription was made on the base of the pedestal reading “He Made the Desert Smile”.

When the 15th Earl died in 1827, he had achieved a great proportion of his aspirations; the gardens of Alton Towers were vastly different in character and style to almost any other in England.
The curious designs of elegant bedding plants and the rich masses of foliage enhanced the general ambience of the landscape. The wild ferns and numerous rhododendrons similarly added to the romantic air of semi-wilderness. Nevertheless, gardeners continued to further improve this beauty when Charles Talbot was succeeded by his nephew John. The 16th Earl was a flamboyant character, full of enthusiasm to continue his uncle’s great works and he succeeded in completing both the formal gardens near the Towers and the valley gardens.
The Shrewsbury family remained in residence until 1923, after a sometimes turbulent 700 year history.
Since then the development of both the parkland and grounds has been astonishing, housing as it does the UK’s number one paid for tourist attraction

 

The Boys Hall Kent

Boys Hall is a 17th century Jacobean Manor House set in beautifully landscaped gardens. It retains an historical feeling with its low beams and huge fireplaces. Added to this as one of England’s most haunted houses it has a wealth of stories and local legends attached to it. The owners of Boys Hall have spent the last few years lovingly restoring it to its former glory after many years of neglect.

Boy's Hall in Kent was offered for sale in 1993 by London estate agency John D. Wood, who made a point of informing prospective buyers of its history of hauntings. The Jacobean hall in Willesborough had been the scene of many gruesome events in its 360 year history; a young Irish dandy was supposedly killed in a secret duel in the grounds after seducing an English officer's wife. Years later a woman's skeleton, dressed in the Irishman's clothes, was found buried under the floor by the lovelorn woman. A woman's ghost has since been seen drifting around the house on "certain nights".

 

Beaumaris Gaol, Anglesey

The Gaol was built in 1829 by Joseph Aloysius hansom. A new wing was added in 1865, which helped with the introduction of the seperate system. It was the only working tread wheel in Britain, which was installed in 1867.

Prisoners who were given hard labour, were put to work on the tread wheel, pumping the water supply to a tank on the prison roof. The Gaol was closed in 1878, when it then became a police station until the 1950's. In 1974 the old Beaumaris Gaol was opened as a museum to the public.

There were two public executions at Beaumaris. The first being William Griffiths, who was hanged in September 1830, for attempted murder. Richard Rowlands was the second and last man to be hanged on Friday 4th April 1862, for murder. Both bodies were interred at the Gaol. The gibblet can still be seen on the outer walls of the Gaol

Barougham Hall

Brougham Hall stands on a site which has been a fortified home since at least 1307.

It reached it’s zenith in Victorian Times, when it became known as the Windsor of the North, and the home of the Lord Chancellor of England.

As a halfway house between Windsor and Balmoral, Brougham played host to King Edward V11 and the future King George V on numerous occasions.

In 1934 however, the hall fell on hard times but was rescued from dereliction in 1985. In the last decade, and for many years to come, Brougham has been and will be the subject of the largest country house restoration project in England.

The site is now a ‘home’ for small crafts and there is also a museum on the history of Brougham and it’s environs. A visit to the lovely Cromwellian chapel alongside the Hall is highly recommended.

Dartford Library

Dartford Library and the adjacent museum, was constructed in 1916. Originally this was a Carnegie library, built using money donated by Scottish-American businessman Andrew Carnegie, who was responsible for over 2,500 other libraries globally. It was designed by Thomas E. Tiffin AMICE and built in Bath of Portland and York stone, by Messrs H. Friday and Sons and Ling. It was opened in 1916 by A. W. Smale, the Chairman of the Dartford Urban District Council, and W. A. Ward, Chairman of the Library Committee. After successes of local exhibitions displaying Dartford artefacts gathered by collectors such as Dr John Latham, John Dunkin and E. C. Youens, it was decided to incorporate a museum into the library building. The museum room was officially opened in 1921 and the whole building was extended in 1937, to create the structure we see today.

Tatton Old Hall, Knutsford

At first glance Tatton Old Hall is an undistinguished red brick farm house with a stone slab roof set within plain grounds except for a reconstructed crook-timber hay barn and a small visitor centre.

There has come to light, however, sufficient architectural and structural evidence to show that it was once probably completely a timber framed manor house of some significant substance.

This almost certainly represents the manorial seat of Richard De Massey who was Lord of the Manor of Tatton in the late thirteenth century (about 1250 AD to 1300 AD) and owner of the huge game hunting park which surrounded it. He also had a knight stationed at Dunham Castle at this time on his behalf.

Probably the most significant surviving feature is the ornate roof structure over what is now a reconstructed late Medieval Lord's Hall complete with central hearth, tapestries, top table, straw beds and straw floor covering.

A date of the 15th century (1400 Ad to 1500 AD) has been ascribed to this roof structure and much of the rest of the hall survives in original 16th and 17th century style (1500 AD to 1700 AD).

Tatton Old Hall Medieval Roof


The estate passed to the Egerton family

The estate passed to the Egerton family in 1598 AD (and remained in their care until it was given to the National Trust in 1958 AD). The main hall, ornate roof and other features located and perceived by archaeologists suggest that the building was once a house of considerable importance, having an 'E' shape with two wings and an entrance porch (similar to Lymm Hall) or a 'U' shape, and facing the green of 'Tatton Green' village.

An inventory of 1614 AD held at Cheshire County Records Office lists Tatton Old Hall as follows: "Parlour, Greate Parlour, Greate Chamber, Brewhouse (for pickles and preserves), Buttery and House" with a "Work House (workshop ?), Pottery Kiln and Mill". There would also have been barns, out-buildings, possibly a yard and stables.

Strangely, it is not known when the Lords of Tatton (the Breretons or Egertons) moved to the site of the new Tatton Hall but it was probably in the late seventeenth century (1650 AD to 1700 AD). Right: inside Tatton Old Hall

The cellar under the library has a date stone of 1718 AD and the dining room is in a style of about 1750 AD. The new house was finally begun in about 1788 AD to 1791 AD.


Iron, Romano-British & Celtic Dark Ages

Tatton Green' was demolished during the landscaping of the park in 1791 AD under William Egerton and the hall was completed in 1807 AD under Wilbraham Egerton.

The Old Hall was then used to house the Game Keeper who tended the deer in Tatton Park which are said to be descended from the original forest stock of the area and an interesting tale persists of 18th century deer stealing (1700 AD to 1800 AD).

It is said that the foresters of Tatton once chased a poacher to his cottage near Swanbrook Hollow but, though they searched the house throughout from top to bottom, they could not find a trace of the dead deer.

Left: Tatton Old Hall's Medieval Roof

Much disgruntled they rode off and, when they were well and truly out of sight, the poacher removed the dead deer from the cradle which his wife had been gently rocking as though to lull their child to sleep!

 

Stockport Workhouse

 

Stockport Workhouse was officially opened on Christmas day 1841, although some inmates were actually admitted a few months bpreviously due to overcrowding at other workhouses. Records also show a parish workhouse somewhere in Stockport as far back as 1731.

It was designed by Henry Bowman. The only other workhouse that he designed was in Congleton, Cheshire but that has now been demolished.

The workhouse had a capacity of around 650, although this may have been exceeded at times. It’s estimated that between 25,000-30,000 people passed through its doors while it was open.

Within a year of it’s opening, there was a riot outside as around 20,000 people protested at the gates. This was a familiar site in many of the Northern industrial towns that were hit by a slump in manufacturing. The workhouse was known locally as ‘The Grubber’.

Cammell Laird

The history of the present site can be traced back to at least the Norman period with the founding around 1150 of the Birkenhead Priory. In those days Birkenhead was little more than a collection of farms around the monastic settlement. The Monks operated a ferry service to an even less populated site across the River Mersey today called Liverpool - this ferry service still runs today by Royal Charter of Edward 1st - The Mersey River Ferry.

The Monks owned most of the land surrounding their Priory church and buried their dead in the burial ground adjacent to the church. later this churchyard became enlarged and was the final resting place for the mortal remains of the monks, sailors washed up on the shores of the river, knights and men at arms from many nearby battles and skirmishes. The Priory was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1534 but the church and its graveyard remained in use.

In the 1820's the industrial revolution came to Birkenhead and Scots entrepreneur William Laird arrived to commence shipbuilding on the bank of the Mersey. The site he eventually selected was right next door to the priory church and its well occupied graveyard.

Laird needed land to construct a large dry dock - the No.1 Graving Dock and this meant that the graveyard had to be removed. Many of the ancient bones were dug up and moved to the new Flaybrick cemetery on the edge of the expanding town. However, many were left behind and for many years workers at the shipyard told lurid tales of bones and skulls being washed from walls above the graving dock by heavy rains.

Cammell Laird shipbuilders became a famous name the World over and were responsible for many great ships and many maritime firsts - the 1st iron ship owned by the British government, the 1st ship with a screw propellor and the 1st all welded ship for example.

The Ma Robert, built for Dr Livingstone, the great Liner Mauritania, the Confederate raider CSS Alabama, the battleship HMS Rodney, the ill-fated submarine HMS Thetis and two aircraft carriers bearing the name of HMS Ark Royal all were built and launched from this site along with over 1400 other ships and vessels.

The most prominent feature of the entire site is the truly massive former shipbuilding hall, this was once one of the largest buildings in Europe and dominates the site as well as most of the surrounding area of Birkenhead. Built in the 1970's this great grey building is scheduled to remain as part of the new development plans for the shipyard site. Surrounding it was once the many workshops and buildings of this historic shipyard - constructed mostly of sheet iron and painted a dull black they housed all of the ancillary departments - the boilermakers, welders and fitters being only a few examples. Within the past year many of these buildings have been demolished to make way for the future developments scheduled to take place on the site, although a part of the site is still in use by a busy ship repair facility which is scheduled to remain for several years at least.

Some of the former workers have tales of ghostly figures seen around the site, others who have spent their entire working lives in the shipyard are more dismissive.

Sutton House

Sutton House is a Grade II* listed Tudor manor house in Homerton High Street, Hackney, London, England. It is owned by the National Trust.

Originally known as 'Bryck Place', Sutton House was built in 1535 by Sir Ralph Sadleir and is the oldest residential building in Hackney. It is a rare example of a red brick building from the Tudor period. Sutton House became home to successive merchants, sea captains, Huguenot silk-weavers, Victorian schoolmistresses and Edwardian clergy. The frontage was modified in the Georgian period, but the heart and core remain an essentially Tudor building. Oak panelled rooms, including a rare 'linen fold' room, Tudor windows and carved fireplaces survive intact and an exhibition tells the history of the house and its former occupants.

The name is a misattribution to Thomas Sutton, founder of Charterhouse School, who was another famous Hackney resident in the adjacent Tan House. This residence was demolished in 1806 to allow for the extension of Sutton Place, a terrace of 16 Georgian Houses (Grade II listed).

Sutton House was bought by the National Trust in the 1930s with the proceeds of a bequest. During World War II it was used as a Fire Warden Centre, and wardens watched from the roof for fires. From the 1960s it was tenanted by the ASTMS Union, led by its charismatic general secretary Clive Jenkins. When the union left in the early 1980s, the house fell into disrepair.

In the mid 1980s the building was squatted and used as a music venue and social centre, known as the 'Blue House'. A decorated wall from this time is preserved within the current museum. After the squatters were evicted the building's condition continued to decline. An active local campaign was mounted by the Sutton House Society to rescue and open the building to the public. Renovations were completed in 1991. The building remains in use as a museum, as well as a cafe, an art gallery and gift shop.

 

Tatton Mansion

The Mansion is the jewel in Tatton's crown. It offers a truly fascinating glimpse of the style, taste and history of the Egerton family with lavish state rooms, family memorabilia, fine collections and the domestic realities of the extensive servants' quarters. It is a house offering contrasting moods and experiences.

The state rooms and most of the family rooms still contain the paintings, furnishings and contents purchased by the Egerton family over a period of some two hundred years, including the original furniture designed for them by the renowned cabinet makers, Gillows of Lancaster and London. With over 200 pieces specially commissioned for Tatton, many still in the mansion, it remains one of the largest and most important collections of furniture by this firm in the country.

Samuel Wyatt (1737-1807) completed the first stage of his 'Grand Design' for William Egerton in 1791. After his death and following a gap of 17 years his nephew, Lewis Wyatt (1777-1853) scaled down the original plans to complete the present mansion.

A tour of the mansion takes you through the state rooms first. Each of these has its own attributes, from the neo- classical appearance of the Entrance, the luxurious warmth of colour in the Music and Drawing Rooms, the obvious importance of the Library and the refined splendour of the Dining Room.

Gillow furniture, paintings by Chardin, Nazari, and Van Dyck among others. The two Canalettos which are normally on display in the Drawing Room are currently on show at an Exhibition in Rome and will be returning to Tatton Park at the end of June.
The large library collection, Minton dessert service and Baccarat glass are among the collections in this part of the mansion.

Upstairs in the mansion, the bedrooms include the guest or principal suites with furnishings supplied by Gillows of Lancaster in 1811 and 1812. Many distinguished guests have stayed at Tatton Park, including their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1887, the Shah of Persia and the Crown Prince of Siam in the following decade. The south-facing rooms enjoy a magnificent view over the Italian gardens to the Park and Cheshire countryside beyond.

What were originally the Blue Bedroom and its adjacent dressing room, are now displayed as exhibition rooms. The first of these two rooms has been devoted to a history of the Egerton owners of the estate from the late 18th century to the early 20th century, highlighting their personal contributions and interests through the display of artefacts and personal memorabilia. The second room displays part of the Egerton picture collection including early Italian and Flemish works of art, hung in a way that encourages close inspection of each painting in turn.

After passing through part of the family wing of the house you come to the contrast of the servants' quarters and domestic offices. Their completeness gives a striking picture of the world of the servants 'below stairs' and the scale of household management which was required to run such a large establishment with efficiency and precision.

http://www.tattonpark.org.uk

 

Matlock Bath Pavillion

The second pavillion in Matlock, also known as the Royal Pavillion. It was built in 1910 at a cost of £10,000 opposite the Fishpond Hotel.

Clearly designed to impress, it was built of brick with a large central dome and two smaller domes. It contained a theatre, a large ground floor room and a Pump Room.

The building has had many uses including a roller skating rink and a billet for soldiers during the war. The building was also the pump room for the town and spring waters would be pumped up into the area that is now the mining museum.

http://www.peakmines.co.uk/

Hever Castle

There have been three main periods in the construction of this historic castle. The oldest part of the castle dates to 1270 and consisted of the gatehouse and a walled bailey. In the early 1500’s, the Bullen family bought the castle and added a Tudor dwelling within the walls and so it became the childhood home of its most famous inhabitant, Anne Boleyn. It later passed into the ownership of Henry’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. From 1557 onwards the Castle was owned by a number of families including the Waldegrave’s, the Humfreys’ and the Meade Waldo’s. Finally, in 1903, William Waldorf Astor invested time, money and imagination in restoring the Castle, building the ’Tudor Village’ and creating the gardens and lake.

Since 1983, the castle has been owned by Broadland Porperties Limited and open to the public. The castle has a homely atmosphere and houses historic 16th century portraits, furniture and tapestries. Other artefacts include two magnificent Books of Hours (prayer books), both signed and inscribed by Anne Boleyn. A costumed figure exhibition in the Long Gallery adds to the atmosphere and is popular with the children The newly presented Council Chamber in the thirteenth century gatehouse contains recently acquired swords and armour which have been added to the existing collections of historic instruments of execution, torture and discipline.

Romania

âşnov (IPA: ['rɨʃ.nov]; German: Rosenau; Hungarian: Barcarozsnyó) is a town in Braşov County, Romania with a population of under 16,000.

It is located at about 15 km from the city of Braşov and about the same distance from Bran, on the road that links Wallachia and Transylvania.

Its name is derived from Slavic "žrŭnovy", meaning (village or valley) "of the mill". In 14th century, German documents used the name Rasnov, but the modern German name, Rosenau, is based on a popular etymology, being influenced by the German word "Rose".

In Râşnov a citadel was built around the year 1215 by the Teutonic Knights and it was mentioned for the first time in 1331. The citadel was conquered only once in its history, around the year 1600 by Gabriel Báthory.

Myth
There is a myth attached to Râşnov Fortress. During a particularly long siege of the fortress, the citizens of Râşnov were concerned about the lack of available fresh drinking water. Luckily, two Turkish soldiers, having been captured earlier, were put to the task of digging a well in the centre of the fortress. These two men were assured that they would be given their freedom once the well was completed. According to local legend, it took them 32 years to finish the well, but they were still killed afterwards. This famous well still sits in the centre of Râşnov Fortress, and is 143 metres deep.

Part One

The team travel to Romania to explore the ancient ruins of a fortress in Râsnov, Transylvania which dates back to the 1300s. On Night One the team focus on the Viewing Gallery, the Museum, the streets of the fortress and the Skeleton Room.

Part Two

On the second night of their investigation at Râşnov the team venture 200ft into a well, fabled for being built by two Turkish soldiers who were captured and spared death to build it. It took them 32 years to complete it, yet they were still killed for their efforts. Will the team uncover any ghostly truths behind the myth and, more importantly, will they manage to get out of the well again?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org