Sawston Hall

Sawston Hall, a Grade I listed Tudor manor house, is intrinsically linked to one of England’s most dramatic royal escapes. In July 1553, the Catholic Princess Mary (later Queen Mary I) took refuge at Sawston Hall while fleeing Protestant forces loyal to Lady Jane Grey. Her host, Sir John Huddleston, helped her escape disguised as a milkmaid. As Mary looked back from a nearby hill, she saw the hall burning—set ablaze by her pursuers. She vowed that if she became queen, she would rebuild it. True to her word, after her accession, she ensured the Huddlestons could construct the magnificent manor that stands today.

The ghost of Queen Mary Tudor is said to walk the corridors of Sawston Hall, particularly in the Long Gallery and near the room where she hid during that fateful night. Witnesses describe seeing a regal female figure in Tudor dress, often appearing solemn and watchful. Some reports include the smell of burning wood with no identifiable source, possibly a residual haunting from the original fire that destroyed the earlier house.

Staff and visitors have also reported other paranormal phenomena at Sawston Hall, including unexplained footsteps, doors opening and closing on their own, and the sensation of being watched in certain rooms. The Tapestry Room is considered particularly active, with reports of cold spots and shadowy figures. The hall’s long Catholic recusant history—it contains several priest holes used to hide Catholic clergy during the Reformation—adds layers to its haunted reputation, with some claiming to have seen phantom priests moving through the building’s secret passages.