Ghosts

Ghost Sighting

"A friend was with you recently and made a small video on her phone. When she looked back at the film she saw an unusual occurrence after approx 29 seconds. Something went in front of the lens. She was sure it was not a reflection. With a lot of pausing of the film we have been able to make out an adult face with some form of head dressing (wimple?). We thought the adult was dragging something but after more attention we were able to make out what looks like a child behind the adult"

See the Video Clip

An exciting and chilling exploration into spirit contact and hauntings!! In association with ‘UK Haunted Heritage Tours’ we provide you with a chance to do a Most Haunted event with us. Do Ghosts really exist? See the evidence for yourself!!

Samlesbury Hall was built in 1325 and as you can imagine has quite a tale or two to tell! Here are some of the stories and theories that surround our sometimes spooky hall.

The White Lady is the ghost of Lady Dorothy Southworth who lived in the hall. She came from a strict Catholic family but fell in love with a Protestant soldier, a member of the De Houghton family. They decided to elope and the Protestant soldier and his two friends came to the hall to collect Dorothy. They were met by Lady Dorothy’s brothers and the three men were murdered. The bodies were buried near the outer poles of the house drawbridge. Dorothy witnessed the murder of her lover and was sent away to a French Nunnery where she died of a broken heart.

She is often seen in the grounds of the hall, here are some of the experiences and tales:

A group who were visiting the hall saw a woman dressed in white on the driveway, two approached her and she turned and stepped towards them, at this point they ran away! She appeared to be looking for something.

She has flagged down buses and taxis on the road, and when they stop she disappears!

A police car has been said to have hit a figure of white but when they got out there was no body in sight and no damage to the car!

A famous regiment was stationed around Samlesbury hall in the 20s. Lady Dorothy was seen by two soldiers and she followed them. One of the soldiers was so frightened he suffered a seizure and never recovered. During the war, there were frequent sightings of the White Lady by soldiers; it is thought this is because De Houghton was a soldier.

Gary who hosts our very popular Ghost Investigation Evenings has seen a lady materialise by the fire and walk up the stairs, but then disappear when she enters the Chapel Gallery. Also, there is sometimes a strong smell of pipe smoke in the old entrance.

A small boy, who was the son of a servant, is often seen standing outside the old entrance. The boy was never allowed to enter the hall and use to fish in the moat. He has been spotted many times looking into the hall, but never inside.

Our very own Henry VIII has seen a man dressed in a ¾ length black coat. Henry waved to him and asked him to open the door. He was shocked when the man ignored him. He later learned that there was nobody in the hall at the time and the building was still alarmed!

Joseph Harrison owned the hall in the 1930s and committed suicide on the Minstrel Gallery due to various financial problems. Joseph can be heard walking along the gallery at night. He is often heard whistling along the Long Gallery. He is said to love women with long hair, and women have often experience something stroking or pulling their hair!

The Priest Room in the hall is allegedly where a priest was decapitated during the reformation. It is famous as you can still see the stains on the floor from the trail of blood where he was murdered. Joseph Harrison had ripped up the floor and replaced it but the stain kept coming through no matter what they did. You can still see it today and on photos it often shows up as a red colour. Priests are often seen wandering the hall.

Every night the cupboard in the Priest Room is locked and thoroughly checked, however, every morning the doors have been pushed open!

An ex employee was in the hall by himself at night. He was near the kitchen and heard shouting and fighting on the bridge. This was followed by someone saying ‘I’ll get you’ and the smashing of plates with very loud footsteps. When he went up to see what had happened everything there was in place, and nothing was broken!

On a regular basis the phone in the kitchen rings at 3am, and when it is answered, there is no one on the other end.

Many people have personally witnessed historical figures on photographs and films. More recently, a person on the ghost investigation evening took a photo and on it was a Tudor gentleman. There was no one of that description there at that time; full beard and moustache. The photo has been taken to a professional photographer and it has been confirmed that the figure is definitely there and real.

We have had many complaints that camera equipment has not worked in the hall. The host of our Ghost Investigation evening once went through 16 new batteries and all drained within seconds.