Hellens Manor

Hellens Manor, also known as Hellens House, is one of the oldest dwellings in England, with parts dating back over 900 years. But it is the Tudor period that left the darkest mark on this Herefordshire manor, particularly the notorious “Bloody Mary” room—though this Mary has nothing to do with the Tudor queen. According to legend, a young woman named Mary Walwyn fell in love with someone deemed unsuitable by her family in the 16th century. Her father, in a rage, locked her in an attic room where she remained imprisoned for decades, eventually dying alone and forgotten in her cell.

The Bloody Mary room, named for the unfortunate Mary Walwyn, is considered one of the most haunted locations in the house. Visitors report seeing the apparition of a young woman in Tudor dress, looking mournful and lost, sometimes reaching toward the door as if pleading to be released. The room is pervaded by an atmosphere of profound sadness and despair. Witnesses describe hearing scratching sounds on the wooden door, as if someone is trying to escape, and soft weeping that seems to come from the walls themselves. Some have reported feeling invisible hands touching them or pulling at their clothing, desperate for attention or help.

Beyond the Bloody Mary room, Hellens Manor reports extensive paranormal activity throughout its ancient structure. The Great Hall and corridor areas are frequented by shadow figures, and the sound of phantom footsteps echoes through empty rooms. Objects move on their own, particularly in the room where Mary died. A black monk has been seen in the grounds, along with the ghost of a former owner, “Wicked Hettie,” known for her cruel temperament. The manor’s octagonal brick dovecote is also reportedly haunted. The combination of Mary Walwyn’s tragic imprisonment and centuries of tumultuous history has made Hellens Manor one of England’s most genuinely unsettling haunted houses.