I took the youngest of the children I look after for a few walks around there, lavishing in the beautiful scenery. Such a brilliant place to just take a walk. It was then that I saw a poster advertising Hampton Court Ghost Tours that run for a few months from Halloween up until February. Well it's safe to say I just had to go.
I visited again, this time to wander around the Maze, which I had done many times before. Hampton Court is one of these places I've been many times since I was a kid, however never fully appreciated it. I loved History at school and the subject of The Tudors and Henry was one I enjoyed.
But now I felt absorbed. I started watching the Tudors and reading all about Hampton Court and the people who have occupied it over the years.
So my Dad, being the amazing father and friend that he is, brought us tickets for the ghost tour, February 8th on Sunday night. I was thrilled.
Before you read ahead be warned that this may contain spoilers if you plan to go.
So the day arrived. I was actually feeling a little nervous, not sure what to expect I guess, and me and Dad were wondering what type of people would arrive. We got out the car, already so dark and eerie we walked to Tiltyard Cafe and was greeted by two of the lovely palace workers, we had a hot chocolate and got to see the others in the group who all looked normal - yay! No strange ghost crazy hunters here.
Then it was time we walked over to the palace and we stood at the gates to enter and meet our tour guide.
The doors flung open and we met our tour guide a lovely lady who enraptured us from the start. We went through grand gates and as we all huddled in clock court the gates were locked behind us.
It was already so atmospheric and fortunately as we were on the Thames there was some mist and fog too.
We learnt about Cardinal Wolsey the creator of Hampton Court Palace, his unfortunate times here and how he's been seen roaming across clock court. As we headed over to go through to the next area down a corridor from clock court we heard a massive bang from behind a shut door in a dark unused room.
We then moved on to the Kitchen area, the main kitchen where they produced masses of food was eerie, freezing cold, chills in the air and full of bats that have roamed in the massive arches in the roofs for hundreds of years. Staff have been said to see visions of past events, cooking in the kitchen and games of frisbee with the silver plates. A very strange feeling in this room.
We then ventured on to the serving place, many people have stayed here after it was no longer a serving place but apartments for staff and guests. Monks are said to be buried under the area and frequently seen or felt by staff and the guests that stayed there.
Then came the cellar, stories of seeing the figure that could be Cardinal Wolsey himself and about the lodgers that lurk in the cellars.. Cardinal spiders which in adult size can be the size of a mans hand.
Through the corridors in darkness, through one of the entrances that is speculated to be home to one of the few ghost photos taken at Hampton Court, photography is prohibited but this photo circulated a while back:
Look closer..
Perhaps a young girl and man, in a room which the photographer waited till it was empty to take this shot?
At fountain court we could hear the splashing of water, again dark with only a few lights to lead the way. We heard about the two bodies of men that were buried here and the escape of King Charles and then we heard footsteps running but nobody there to cater for them, the group turned spooked and felt uneasy after this.
After this we saw the steps in which led up to Henry's room and his wife's which would be above his. Jane Seymour is said to haunt this area, she died due to septicaemia from childbirth after giving birth to Henry's son Edward. It's said she lay dead for a few days before people even realised. Henry had vacated Kingston due to an outbreak of Plague in the area. It's said Jane's heart lies in the chapel buried, her body in Windsor Castle with Henrys. She has been seen by staff floating through clock court, a candle in hand that never falters or moves even in the wind. It's said she is looking for Edward.
We headed out to the Gardens by the great vine. So many stars and constellations lit up the darkness, beautiful, stunning. We walked around to East Front. We heard how even police officers refused to work here, one man was from the early 1900's - he was standing guard patrolling when he saw a group of about seven people come from where the Thames was, nearing towards him - reenacting a scene they once most likely took, he got ready to unlock the gates to let them into the palace when he realised that it was strange as people didn't access from Thames ditton into the palace anymore eventually as they got nearer they evaporated. As we stood huddled round we heard a loud bang from over by the gates back into the palace. Sybil Penn is also said to haunt these areas and has been seen.
We headed back inside. Into a room and watched the video CCTV of skeletor the sighting in 2003 that shuts the fire doors with no explanation. The first CCTV footage of such a thing. View it here:
We then of course visited those exact doors, which were pushed open to give us a fright but also to show how hard it is to do so and how there is CCTV on the other side which showed nobody from the other side.
We looked around the Georgian apartments. These are the rooms that housed George II and Queen Caroline in 1737. In these rooms we saw the Cumberland Suite, the Communication gallery and the cartoon gallery. In the queens private apartments we heard how many workers have witnessed and felt the presence of Queen Caroline who is said to have pulled one lady's fringe behind her hair and made her presence known by the smell of her perfume - so unique and strong. We smelt her, and as the tour lady explained Hampton Court wanted to dismiss any type of ghost theories, so a long time back they sent in paranormal investigators to disclaim the theories, to give reason for the chills in the room and the smells. The paranormal investigators and further investigations could not disclaim the theories there is no reason why there is such a smell in the queens apartments or why you will get chills when you least expect it. Queen Caroline made her self known.
Whilst stood in the Cartoon gallery we stood in the spot that directly above us once stood apartment 39 - a cursed room no longer there. In 1987 Lady Gale was an occupant of this room, when a candle started a fire that killed her and a whole lot of rooms in that area, so much was destroyed that standing in that cartoon gallery the roof had all caved in and you would be looking up at the sky.
Other such events in this room was that of a man falling from a window and a murder of a man who had took interest in the wrong ladies.
After this it was time to head to The Haunted Gallery. Famous for the ghost and haunting a of Henrys fifth wife. The beautiful young and promiscuous Catherine Howard, after adultery was committed by her she was shut away in her rooms, one evening she escaped and ran down The Gallery and ran to the chapel pew looking for Henry begging for his forgiveness however Henry was not there and Catherine was dragged back to her room through the gallery screaming and yelling. Guests and staff have said to hear the screams, 80% of people who faint in the Palace faint in the gallery. In 1999 on a tour two female visitors fainted in the exact same spot in two separate tours exactly where the screams have been heard. Catherine went on to be executed of course at the Tower of London.
Now it was Mine and dads time to be spooked. We went sent in pairs into the haunted gallery alone, with the doors shut behind us, taking be exact route Catherine took. As the doors shut we were in darkness except a few candle lights on the floor. It was instantly eerie, weird and unsettling. We heard creaking so we stopped and it still happened as if we were being followed. There was a white space on our far left like an orb that we could make out as we turned to our right there was the staircase with antlers on. It was as if we were being chased such a heavy presence. We made it out the other doors to the great hall. We sat waiting for everyone to have their turn even hearing a deafening scream at one point. After leaving the castle we returned to the gates at the west front again.
One last account - back to Sybil Penn also known as the Grey Lady of Hampton Court. We learnt more about her and how she nursed Edward and later Queen Elizabeth the first. She died of small pox in the end after catching it herself after Elizabeth. In 1829 a storm with lightning hit her tomb disturbing it. After strange noises were heard - a spinning noise - a search ended up revealing an old spinning wheel that Sybil used to use. Another sighting was at a door, when a warden went up to it a face of an old woman appeared right in front of them and passed through. We looked at the door as we stood there by where the moats used to be, fog around us, our tour was over and it ended just as spooky and brilliant as it had started.
Hampton court reaches its 500th birthday this year in a few months. So happy birthday to one of my favourite historical places. The ghost tours end February 22nd but I'm certain they will run again after the summer, through Halloween and over Winter again. You could always book a sleepover and celebrate 500 years with the Palace just check out their website
Www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/
Let me know your favourite historical places and spooky sightings.
