Athelhampton Hall

History of Athelhampton House

Athelhampton House, often referred to as Athelhampton Hall, is a quintessential Tudor manor house in Dorset, England. This magnificent structure is a testament to English architecture, dating back to the 15th century.

The manor was built in 1485 by Sir William Martyn, the Lord Mayor of London. This historic house passed through several generations of the Martyn family until it was sold to Alfred Cart de Lafontaine in the 19th century, who carried out considerable restoration work.

In 1957, Athelhampton was acquired by the Cooke family and passed through three generations before the most recent sale to Giles Keating in 2019.

Ghosts of Athelhampton Hall

Like many ancient English manors, Athelhampton Hall has a reputation for being haunted. Numerous ghost stories are associated with this historic house, most of which revolve around a few famous spectral residents.

One of the most well-known ghost stories associated with Athelhampton Hall involves the Grey Lady, believed to be the ghost of a female member of the Martyn family. She’s often seen in the great hall or wandering through the garden.

Previous occupiers, Patrick & Andrea Cooke, experienced paranormal activity within the property. Andrea experienced the presence of the grey lady while tending to her son in his cot.

The spectre of a duelist is also said to haunt the great hall, believed to be a man who was killed in a duel that took place within the house.

Another famous tale revolves around the ghost of an ape, believed to have been a pet of the Martyn family. The creature, trapped in a secret passageway, allegedly starved to death, and its ghost is now said to haunt the hallways. The monkey is often heard scratching to try and escape.

Other ghosts include a hooded, priest-like figure, seen walking down the driveway and in the Great Hall. Poltergeist activity was also a regular occurence in the 1990s in the Northwing of the property.

Most Haunted: Athelhampton Hall Review

Once on the property, Derek connects with the spirit of the dead monkey, which the Cooke’s dog, Alfie, appears to see.

Derek becomes aware of the spirits of four ladies, one he identifies as the grey lady on a staircase to the bedrooms.

While walking around upstairs, the crew hears a cot rocking, but nobody is in the bedroom! In the chapel, Derek picks up the presence of Ralph Banks & George Wood. History shows Sir Ralph Banks was the property owner in the 1600s, while George Wood was the owner in the 1800s.

When entering the cellar, the spirit of a wine cooler appears to Derek, who he identifies as ‘Jack.’ The crew split into two groups. When the boys venture into the passageway where the monkey died, producer Karl feels something breathing on his ear.

Meanwhile, Yvette, director Bev, and Jason keep a vigil next to the cot and catch orbs on camera.

A point of particular interest during the investigation is when Derek gives the opinion that the monkey did not die of starvation or suffer in any way in the house.

First broadcast: 25th May 2002

Matt Barlow

A self confessed super fan of Most Haunted and editor of GhostMag.com. Matt’s passion for ghost hunting began when he moved into a haunted house in his second year of university in Leicester! His favourite location is the Niddry Street Vaults in Edinburgh.