Littlecote House

This Tudor mansion conceals one of the darkest tales in English folklore - the story of “Wild” William Darrell and a horrific infanticide that has left an indelible supernatural mark on the estate.

The Crime of Wild Darrell

In 1575, William Darrell, known as “Wild Darrell” for his dissolute lifestyle, committed a heinous act that would damn him for eternity:

The Terrible Night:

• A midwife was blindfolded and taken to a grand house
• She delivered a baby boy to an unknown mother
• A masked man seized the infant
• He threw the child into the fireplace, burning it alive
• The midwife later identified the house as Littlecote
• Wild Darrell was accused but never convicted

The Eternal Ride

Darrell’s guilt manifests in a spectral hunting scene:

• He rides a phantom horse across the estate
• Pursued by hellhounds
• The ride occurs on the anniversary of the murder
• His face twisted in terror and anguish
• Hoofbeats heard thundering through the grounds
• A sense of desperate, eternal flight

Locals claim he re-enacts his own death - Darrell died in 1589 when his horse threw him, breaking his neck, which many saw as divine justice.

Other Manifestations

The house itself bears witness to the crime:

• The Haunted Bedchamber: Where the murder took place
  • Cold spots near the fireplace
  • Baby’s cries heard at night
  • A feeling of overwhelming sadness
• The Mother’s Ghost: A weeping woman in Elizabethan dress
• Phantom midwife: Seen wandering corridors as if lost

Historical Evidence

The story is corroborated by period documents, including court records and the midwife’s testimony. The haunted chamber is still identified in the house, now a hotel, where guests report disturbing experiences.