Athelhampton House

Built in 1485 by Sir William Martyn, a landowner and wine duty collector, Athelhampton House has a long and rich history and an abundance of alleged hauntings. Prior to Athelhampton's construction, an older manor named Pidele was recorded at this location in the Domesday book of 1086. When Sir William acquired the property, he set about building the Great Hall - the oldest part of the manor which still stands today. He fortified the walls of Athelhampton with lime and stone and added crenellated towers along with a 160 acre deer park. Athelhampton House stayed within the Martyn family until the last male heir, Sir Nicholas Martyn, passed away in 1595. Four daughters from the Martyn family received equal shares of the house which were passed to their husbands. Over the subsequent years, Athelhampton passed through various families, each adding their own personal flair to the property and it's vast ornamental gardens. With a history as long as Athelhampton House holds, it's no surprise that there are may tales of ghostly encounters. Some of the most interesting hauntings include the alleged haunting of a grey lady who has been seen moving through the passages and corridors of the newer parts of the house. Theories suggest she may be the spirit of the wife of James Long Esq, who died in her bed after a traumatic encounter with debt collectors. The Martyn family were staunch Catholics. Priest holes - small spaces concealed behind wooden panelling, can still be seen throughout Athelhampton House. It was not uncommon for Catholic families to offer sanctuary to priests who were in hiding from the priest hunters during tudor times. Sadly, some priests perished in these small, cramped spaces. A dark, hooded figure has been seen moving around the Great Hall. Could this be the spirit of one such unfortunate priest? In the 1990s, potential poltergeist activity was reported to be occurring in one of the newer wings of Athelhampton House. Doors would slam, covers would be thrown from beds, lights would switch on and off, doors would unlock and people would feel deep unease in this section of the house. Audio phenomena at Athelhampton has also been repeatedly experienced. The sound of clanking weapons, much like swords crossing, has been heard in the Great Hall. In the wine cellar, a metal tapping sound has been witnessed multiple times with no explanation for its cause. A new haunting reported by staff members is that of a disembodied female voice softly saying "hello" to them. The most famous haunting at Athelhampton House, which was covered by popular paranormal television show, Most Haunted, has to be the ghost of the Martyn ape. This fateful story tells us of a pet ape which was brought to Athelhampton by Sir William Martyn, after one of his overseas trips. One day, one of the Martyn daughters hid in one of the secret priest holes behind the walls in the Great Chamber. Unbeknown to the girl, she was followed in by the curious ape. When the girl left her hiding place, she inadvertently shut the ape in who died inside the walls from starvation. Scratching can still be heard from behind the panelling at night, along with the uncomfortable feeling of being watched by unseen eyes.