The hauntings of Borley Rectory and Monastery

Borley Rectory, often referred to as "The most haunted house in England", was once the site of a monastery,which was inhabited by Benedictine monks. Later, the monastery was owned by the Waldergrave family, who occupied it for three centuries. In the late 1800's the reverend Harry Bull, a descendant of the Waldegraves, built a new rectory on the site of the old monastery. It was at this point, paranormal activity began to occur.

A Nun is said to roam the grounds, having tried too elope in the 13th century because she fell in love with a monk. According to legend, the nun and monk were caught in their get-away horse and carriage. The monk was subsequently hung and the nun walled in a section of the rectory, whilst still alive.

Reports also suggest that the ghosts of the horse which would have taken them to safety can also be seen and this has caused speculation as to whether the horse was slaughtered also.

In addition to the above, the reverend Harry Bull, who died at Borley, is also believed to have haunted the rectory. He would appear dressed in the grey jacket in which he passed away.

In the late 1920s, the house fell under the ownership of reverend Lionel Foyster and his wife who both reported poltergeist-like paranormal activity. Supposedly, spirit locked the wife in the bedroom, and other times threw her out of the bed in the middle of the night. There were also pebbles thrown at the windows, and mysterious writing which would appear on walls.

Harry Price, a famous ghost hunter, investigated Borley Rectory in 1929, and again in 1937. He supposedly witnessed some of the activity, including the ghostly nun.

Unfortunately, Borley Rectory burned down in 1939, taking its secrets with it. In 1945, human remains rumoured to be those of the nun were found on the site, and were given a proper burial.

Many people still visit the site today in hope that they may too experience something paranormal.

Discuss this article

Chat about this article at our Ghost Forum