A man by the name of Reverend Harry Bull built Borley Rectory about 140 years ago. When he built the house it was not known as Borley Rectory but as the Ravenscroft Mansion. It is in the town of Borley near Essex, England and across the street from the Borley Church. A fire destroyed Borley Rectory in 1939. The house stood for 76 years, and during those 76 years only five people owned the house. They were Henry Bull 1863 to 1892, Henry Foyster Bull 1892 to 1927, guy Smith 1928 to 1929, Lionel Foyster 1930 to 1935, and finally Captain William Gregson December 1938 to February 1939. The house was destroyed by fire at midnight on February 27th, 1939. The land the house was built on was supposedly always haunted. The house was built on the site of an ancient monastery.
There were supposedly twenty ghosts that haunted Borley. Here are some of the amazing details. The first two are a Nun who fell in love with monk form the monastery. They eloped. The monk was hung or beheaded while the nun was thrown in the monastery cellar and they bricked up the door and left her there to die. Then Simon of Sudbury was beheaded. Sir Edward Waldgrave died in the Tower of London. Then John Deeks died. Next a Catholic priest was crucified in the churchyard and dumped down a well. Charles Waldgrave strangled Marrie Lairre. Arabella Waldgrave, a spy was murdered by her mother. Then her mother Henrietta was murdered by her husband. A screaming girl dropped out of the Blue Room window. Two coachmen got executed for murder. Next Katie Boreham was strangled. Harry Bull was poisoned by his wife. Then Lionel Foyster was also poisoned. The ghosts of all these people are just some of the ghosts that haunt Borley Rectory.
Some things that have been heard in the house are “Don’t Carlos don’t”, “Don’t Charlie don’t”, “Any letters today?”, “Let us pray”, and “Carry on man”. Charlie was said to be the gardener and chauffeur for past owners of Borley.
The most famous ghost is definitely the nun that fell in love with the monk. There was a path that lead up to the monastery the nun often used when she went to visit the monk. Even after she died she could still be seen doing the Nun’s Walk” on the path. Harry Bull had a summerhouse built on a hill so it would over look the “Nun’s Walk” so he could watch the manifestations. The nun soon became a nuisance and often startled guest by peering at them through the windows of the house. Because of this guests and servants never stayed long.
There have been thousands of paranormal episodes witnessed at Borley Rectory. These include: poltergeist manifestations, the appearances and disappearances of objects within the house, mysterious wall writings, paranormal bell ringing, singing as if by a choir, strange lights, the galloping of horses when no horses are near, strange foot steps in the snow, thuds or knocks intelligently directed in response to questions, and much, much more. While Lionel Foyster and his family lived in the house there was over 2000 recorded paranormal episodes. Many specialists were brought in to try to rid the house of its haunters, but nothing worked. In June 1929 C. V. Wall wrote the first report of paranormal activity at Borley Rectory.
Harry Price, a psychic investigator, visited Borley in 1943. While he was digging in the cellar he discovered a jawbone of a young woman. He was convinced it was part of the body of the famous Nun. He attempted to end the hauntings by giving the bone a Christian burial. It did not work! Supernatural happenings are still reported from the house. And Borley has an eerie air about the place that visitors cannot help but remark upon!