Oxburgh Hall

This magnificent moated manor house, home to the Catholic Bedingfeld family for over 560 years, harbors ghosts connected to its dangerous history during the Protestant Reformation, when harboring priests was a capital crime.

The Priest Hole Ghosts

Oxburgh Hall contains one of England’s finest surviving priest holes, built by the master builder Nicholas Owen:

The Hidden Priests:

• Phantom figures in black cassocks
• Seen emerging from walls where priest holes are located
• The sound of whispering prayers in Latin
• Most active in areas near the secret hiding places
• A sense of fear and desperation
• Cold spots near concealed entrances

During Elizabeth I’s reign and later, Catholic priests were hunted. Many hid at Oxburgh, and some may have died in the cramped, airless holes.

The Spectral Nun

A ghostly nun walks the corridors:

• Dressed in a grey or black habit
• Seen on staircases and in corridors
• Silent and purposeful
• May be connected to the family’s Catholic faith
• Most active near the chapel
• Brings a sense of peace rather than fear

Her identity is unknown, but the Bedingfeld family’s strong Catholic tradition suggests she may be a family member who took religious vows or a nun who sheltered here during persecution.

Sir Edmund Bedingfeld

One of the early Bedingfelds who built the hall:

• A knight in medieval armor
• Seen in the Great Hall
• Walking the battlements
• Most active on moonlit nights
• Checking the defenses as if on watch
• Connected to the 1480s construction period

The Moat Ghost

In and around the surrounding moat:

• A figure walking beside the water
• Dressed in Tudor-era clothing
• Sometimes appears to be fleeing
• May be a priest who drowned escaping pursuers
• Most seen at dusk and dawn
• Reflection seen in the moat water

The Tower Room

The magnificent Gatehouse Tower has strong phenomena:

• Footsteps ascending and descending
• Doors opening without cause
• Cold spots on the spiral stairs
• A sense of many people having hidden here
• The feeling of being watched
• Particularly active during storms

Mary, Queen of Scots Connection

The Bedingfelds served as Mary’s gaolers:

• Sir Henry Bedingfeld held her at Woodstock
• Some believe her presence visits Oxburgh
• Embroidery she worked is displayed here
• A regal presence felt near her needlework
• The items seem to carry an energy

The Chapel

The Catholic chapel experiences particular activity:

• Chanting in Latin
• The scent of incense
• Candles flickering with no draft
• A solemn, peaceful atmosphere
• Figures kneeling in prayer
• Most active during traditional Mass times

The Bedchamber Haunting

The state bedchamber has its own ghost:

• A woman in Tudor dress
• Sitting by the window
• Looking out over the moat
• Appears to be waiting
• Sad and patient
• Identity unknown

Additional Phenomena

National Trust staff and visitors report:

• Footsteps in empty rooms
• Doors that won’t stay latched
• Objects moved overnight
• The sound of distant prayers
• Cold drafts in sealed rooms
• A heavy sense of history

Historical Context

The Bedingfeld family’s fierce Catholicism in Protestant England created centuries of danger:

• Priest holes built for concealment
• Fines and persecution for recusancy
• Constant threat of discovery
• Executions of priests found hidden
• Family members imprisoned

This atmosphere of fear, faith, and resistance seems to have imprinted itself on the building, creating ghosts that reflect both persecution and steadfast belief.

Oxburgh Hall stands as a monument to Catholic resistance in England, and its ghosts serve as eternal witnesses to the courage and danger of that era.