The Ghosts of Stansted House

Stansted House near Rowlands Castle stands on the Sussex-Hampshire border, occupying a site of human habitation for over a thousand years. The current Edwardian house, built after a fire destroyed its predecessor, is reportedly haunted by several ghosts.

The House

The present Stansted House was built in 1903 after the earlier Georgian mansion burned down. The impressive red-brick building sits in beautiful parkland. It is now used for events and can be visited by the public.

The Blue Lady

The most frequently reported ghost is a woman in blue who appears in the bedrooms and corridors. She is believed to be connected to the earlier house that burned. Some suggest she died in the fire; others that she is mourning something lost in the flames.

The Georgian Gentleman

A man in 18th-century clothing has been seen in the grounds, walking toward where the old house stood. He appears confused, as if unable to find his destination. His house no longer exists, yet he continues to seek it.

The Servant

A figure in servant’s livery has been seen in the service areas of the house. The ghost appears to be going about duties, unaware that the household he served no longer exists. His presence is often accompanied by the smell of wood smoke.

The Parkland

The park around Stansted House has its own supernatural reputation. Figures have been seen walking paths that no longer exist. The sound of horses and carriages has been heard where no roads run. The landscape remembers what human memory has forgotten.

Assessment

Stansted House demonstrates how hauntings can persist through physical changes to a site. The fire that destroyed the old house did not disperse its ghosts, who seem to wander between the lost Georgian mansion and its Edwardian replacement.