The Civil War Ghosts of Forty Hall

Forty Hall, completed in 1632, is a grand Jacobean manor house in Enfield. Built on the cusp of the English Civil War, the house and its grounds witnessed the conflict between Royalists and Parliamentarians that tore England apart. The war has long since ended, but some soldiers, it seems, never left the battlefield.

The house was built by Sir Nicholas Rainton, a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London who supported Parliament. During the Civil War years, the area around Enfield saw skirmishes and troop movements as forces maneuvered around London. While Forty Hall itself was not the site of a major battle, soldiers were garrisoned in the area, and local tradition holds that wounded men were brought to the estate. Several died in the house or its grounds and were buried hastily in unmarked graves.

The paranormal activity centers on phantom soldiers. Visitors and staff have reported seeing men in Civil War-era military dress—both the armor and colors of Royalist cavaliers and the simpler uniforms of Parliamentarian roundheads. These figures appear solid and realistic, walking across the grounds or through the house, often seeming unaware of modern observers. Some witnesses have seen groups of soldiers marching in formation across the estate’s parkland, complete with the sounds of boots, drums, and barked commands. The apparitions usually last only moments before fading away. Inside the house, staff report hearing the sounds of men in pain—groaning and cries for help—particularly in areas that may have been used to treat the wounded. The sounds of clashing metal, as if swords were striking, have been heard in the gardens at dusk. These Civil War ghosts appear to be residual hauntings, endlessly replaying moments from England’s most traumatic conflict.