This
beautiful house situated just outside Guildford in Surrey has been the home of
the More-Molyneaux family since the sixteenth century. In the past its guests
have included Queen Elizabeth I, King James I, Queen Anne and Queen Mary. It
is also home to several ghosts.
The
ghost of a smiling lady dressed in Victorian clothes has been seen outside one
of the bathrooms in the house. The present owner who saw the woman later found
a portrait of the ghost in the attic. She is thought to have once lived there
herself.
Another
ghost of a lady has been seen but this time she is dressed in brown and does
not appear to be nearly as friendly. She has been seen standing at the bottom
of the stairs, and when she appears, witnesses usually feel a coldness
surround them.
As
the story goes, about 400 years ago the 'Brown Lady' murdered her step-son by
chopping off one his legs so that her own son could inherit her husband's
fortune. When her husband found out what she had done he locked her into a
room and kept her there for the rest of her life. Every year, on a particular
night, horrific screams are reputedly heard coming from the room where she was
kept prisoner.
Another
ghostly lady has been seen by one of the owner's daughters. This time the
ghost was that of a little old lady dressed in gray. She appeared only to the
young girls in their playroom, where she would sit and smile at them, as if
she was taking care of them. As the girls grew up, they realized there was
something 'odd' about their friend and told their parents. The family
eventually became very nervous about the ghost and left the house.
The
house is also thought to be haunted by the ghost of a man who can be seen in
fancy dress walking through the Long Gallery.
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