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Woodchester mansion is an unfinished revival gothic house which was commissioned by wealthy merchant William Leigh but was abandoned in 1873. It has been empty since that date. The building is located in the "Lost Valley" of Woodchester Park which is shrouded in superstition. According to the legend Sir Robert de Lansigny inherited the mansion after killing his cousin who once owned the estate. Several locals have reported seeing a headless horseman believed to be Sir Rupert which manifests near one of the park lakes.
The Institute of Paranormal Research have
studied the mansion and have written a comprehensive study of the
apparitions found. The most regular seen apparitions are that of a small
man standing in doors, an unknown tall man in the main corridor and
chapel area, a maid singing in the scullery, bodies of dead servicemen.
You can also smell candles in the disused chapel, stones hurtled across
rooms, a self starting clock plus with the many stories of personal
tragedy, murder, ghostly apparitions, out of the ordinary nocturnal
activities and secret war time experiments. The bodies that have been
seen of the dead servicemen could be linked to the fact that U.S.
soldiers were posted at the mansion in the Spring of 1944. As a convey
of armoured vehicles were manoeuvring across a bridge, the bridge
collapsed under the weight of the vehicles and more than 20 soldiers
were killed. This is the reason that these spirits have been seen around
the mansion. The mansion has been recorded to be used for satanic
worship, freemasons and cults. In 1902 an apparition was seen by the
main gates of the mansion and a couple of years later a horseman was
also seen on the drive. There is an evil elemental spirit in the
cellar.
The building is built with golden limestone
from the gargoyles to the bats on the belfry, from the stone bath to the
intricate detail of the rose window in the chapel. The original scaffold
still holds up many uncompleted walls, the plastering stages with lime
can be seen and a vaulted ceiling which was built. Gargoyles are seen
everywhere on the building, sinister owls guard the courtyard and the
mansion holds a colony of rare bats.
It is known that Woodchester Mansion stands
on three previous building sites so it is said that it is haunted by
these. Many sighting records go back over 200 years. The mansion has
been noted for unusual symbology and hauntings. Many locals said there
have been several murders committed at the mansion such as a servant
girl that was strangled and a builder in 1840. A bell has been heard
ringing in the empty tower. A small scruffy man with a limp visits the
chapel to the servant area, a young servant girl in the scullery and
kitchen area, World War II soldiers in the bathroom and upper north
range. You are able to hear the sounds of voices throughout the mansion,
two men talking in a decisive tone, children playing, a wailing,
shouting women. There have been several EVP's recorded in the cellar one
of a man laughing and another man saying "Bless You". Also your
equipment does not work in various places in the mansion.
There are a few spirits known to be in the
park, a roman centurion guarding the gates, a nightshirted man who was
savaged by his own dogs. These apparitions have been seen by the
largest lake which is the 5th lake.
A strange thing happened in the mansion in
2001, that a ghost train was heard by the sound of its familiar train
chugging sounds, banging sounds and the distinctive whistle, a film crew
recorded this when they spent a night at the mansion.
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