The Haunting of Ightham Mote

Ightham Mote is a medieval moated manor house in Kent, virtually unchanged since the 14th century. Its remarkable preservation extends to its ghosts, which include a skeleton found sealed in a wall and a spectral lady who haunts its ancient rooms.

The House

Ightham Mote dates from around 1320 and has been lived in ever since. Surrounded by its moat, the house is an almost complete medieval survival. The National Trust acquired it in 1985 and undertook extensive restoration.

The Woman in the Wall

During restoration work, a skeleton was discovered sealed within a wall. The remains were female, and their position suggested deliberate entombment. The discovery gave credence to long-standing stories of a ghost connected to someone walled up alive.

The Tower Ghost

A woman in Tudor dress has been seen in the tower rooms. She appears at the window and in the corridors, a melancholy figure who seems unaware of observers. Some believe she is the woman whose skeleton was found; others that she is a separate spirit.

The Dog

A spectral dog has been seen and heard in the house, particularly in the Great Hall. The ghostly hound appears to be guarding the house, a duty it has apparently performed for centuries. Its presence is generally considered protective rather than threatening.

The Cavalier

A man in Civil War-era clothing has been seen in the grounds. Ightham Mote sheltered Royalists during the Civil War, and this may be one of them, still walking the property he defended.

Assessment

Ightham Mote’s remarkable preservation seems to extend to its supernatural inhabitants. The discovery of the skeleton confirms that the house holds dark secrets, and its ghosts suggest not all of those secrets have been revealed.