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For centuries, British country houses, long considered the epitome of refinement and luxury, have also proven to be a cornerstone of Gothic fiction.
With their many empty hallways, locked rooms, and hiding corners, they make the perfect setting for a ghost story, especially when visited by an imaginative author.
Here, I’ve chosen six of the spookiest country houses and castles in the country, spooky abodes that have served as inspiration for some of the scariest books and films. Read on, if you dare!
Abbey House, Cambridge
From gray ladies, ghostly animals, poltergeists and disembodied heads, Abbey House (pictured) features apparitions straight from the pages of a classic gothic novel, writes Louise.
In 1986, Abbey House was exorcised by three clerics before being sold to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order.
Located in Abbey, Cambridge, this 17th-century house has maintained its reputation as the city’s most haunted house since the early 20th century. From gray ladies, ghostly animals, poltergeists and disembodied heads, Abbey House features apparitions straight from the pages of a classic gothic novel.
Local legends tell of a nun from nearby St Radegund’s Priory, who used an underground passage leading beneath the house to meet her lover, the canon of Barnwell Priory, and was then bricked up in the walls as punishment.
In 1986, Abbey House was exorcised by three clerics and sold in 2002 to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, who agreed to open the house to the public.
Visit opencambridge.cam.ac.uk.
Allerton Castle, Yorkshire
Allerton Castle is believed to have once been the site of an ancient monastery and dates back to the 1100s.
Ghostly footsteps are heard in the servants’ quarters, lights flicker on and off and the faces of former residents, such as the Grand Duke of York, have been seen from the ballroom window.
Gothic-style Allerton Castle is located in beautiful Yorkshire. Rebuilt in 1843, the castle is believed to have once been the site of an ancient monastery and dates back to the 12th century. Possibly explaining the strange events said to have taken place in the house.
Now open to the public, ghostly footsteps can be heard in the servants’ quarters, lights flicker on and off and the faces of former residents, such as the Grand Duke of York, have been seen from the ballroom window.
Don’t you believe it? Take a ghost tour and discover the truth for yourself.
Visit www.allertoncastle.co.uk/castle-tours.
Woodchester Manor, Gloucestershire
Woodchester Mansion is a stunning Victorian Gothic style house that is still unfinished
There is said to be a tall, spectral man in the chapel, a ghostly old woman, and a visitor reported a floating head in the women’s bathroom.
Woodchester Mansion is a stunning Victorian Gothic style house that is still unfinished, perhaps due to the spooky events that took place there.
Legend has it that one of the workers was mysteriously murdered, causing the others to put down their tools and leave, reducing the house to a deserted, half-finished building reminiscent of the ship Mary Celeste.
There is said to be a tall, spectral man in the chapel, a ghostly old woman, and a visitor reported a floating head in the women’s bathroom.
Complete with gargoyles, grotesques and carvings from English folklore, Woodchester is the perfect setting for a haunting visit.
Visit woodchestermansion.org.uk.
Cairndhu House, Northern Ireland
Cairndhu House, County Antrim, is considered one of the most haunted places in Northern Ireland
The house (above) is now privately owned, although it is uninhabited, at least by anyone living
Louise Davidson’s debut novel, The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond (£8.99, Moonflower Books), is out now
Cairndhu House, in County Antrim, is considered one of the most haunted places in Northern Ireland.
Built in 1880, the house was later purchased by Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon in 1918 before being donated to the government as a convalescent hospital.
The house is now privately owned, although uninhabited, at least by anyone living. The paranormal, long considered haunted by locals, the house’s investigators reported hearing running footsteps, seeing figures in the windows, and the ghost of a servant who died in the house.
The authorities emphasize that the structure of the house makes it unsuitable for visitors.
Visit irelandbeforeyoudie.com.
Samlesbury Hall, Lancashire
As it is a fine example of a medieval house, it is no surprise that Samlesbury Hall (pictured) is said to be haunted, says Louise.
Legend has it that the ghost of Lady Dorothy Southworth, known as the White Lady of Samlesbury, haunts the various rooms. Upstairs is the living room
Gothic novelist Louise Davidson
As a fine example of a medieval house, it is no surprise that Samlesbury Hall is said to be haunted.
Legend has it that the ghost of Lady Dorothy Southworth, known as the White Lady of Samlesbury, haunts the various rooms after being sent abroad when her brother murdered her fiancé to prevent their elopement.
It is said that her ghost awaits a lover who will never return.
Visit samlesburyhall.co.uk/guided-tours.
Skaill House, Sandwick, Orkney Mainland
Skaill House is believed to have been built on an ancient Pictish cemetery.
While Skaill House was being renovated, visitors reported sightings of spectral figures, noises coming from empty rooms, and the appearance of a strange man, who seemed to disappear moments later. Image courtesy of Creative commons license
Originally built in 1620, Skaill House is located near the Neolithic village of Skara Brae, which was unearthed in 1850.
Now open to the public, the house is believed to have been built on an ancient Pictish cemetery. And while it was being renovated, visitors reported sightings of spectral figures, noises coming from empty rooms and, when there were no male staff working that day, the appearance of a strange man, who seemed to disappear moments later.
Visit skaillhouse.co.uk/your-visit.
Louise Davidson’s first novel, The fortunes of Olivia Richmond (£8.99, Moonflower Books), is now available.
LOUISE DAVIDSON’S INSPIRATION FOR HER GOTHIC NOVEL
The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond was inspired by National Trust Property Sunnycroft House in Shropshire (above).
The two-storey red brick Victorian villa was the inspiration for Mistcoate House, which Louise sits deep in the Norfolk wilderness. Surrounded by thick forests, it’s the setting for a story about tarot, divination and speaking with the dead: “the perfect Halloween read,” says publisher Moonflower Books.
