The History of Sulgrave Manor

Sulgrave was originally a priory which surrendered to the Crown during the dissolution of the monastery. In 1540 three manors were sold together which included Sulgrave and was purchased by Laurence Washington a Wool Merchant and former Mayor of Northamptonshire.

In time he would be referred to as 5th times great grandfather of George Washington, the first president of the United Sates in 1789

The manor remained in the family for 3 generations before being sold to a Reverent Moss Hodges in 1673 and later purchased by the trust in 1914

In the 18th century The Culworth Gang were very active in the area, notably William Abbot the Parish Clerk of Sulgrave and a member of the Culworth Gang allegedly hid ill gotten gains in the church collection box and never performed a service without two loaded pistols. He was eventually caught and transported overseas for highway robbery

Highbury Hall History

History. Yew Tree (Highbury Hall) was built in 1878-9 for the MP Joseph Chamberlain. From 1888, Highbury was the setting for large social and political gatherings. The greater part of Highbury’s grounds was made a public park soon after 1932.

Highbury ceased to be a family home after Joseph Chamberlain’s death in 1914 and in May 1915 it became an Auxiliary Hospital for treating wounded soldiers, particularly orthopaedic cases.

During World War I, Highbury Hall was used as a hospital annex and home for disabled soldiers. It was given to trustees in 1919 by his elder son, Austen Chamberlain, and it then passed to the Corporation of Birmingham in 1932, when it was used as a home for elderly women.

The History of Guys Cliffe House

What a great location for history lovers?!

Guy’s Cliffe has been occupied since Saxon times and derives its name from the legendary Guy of Warwick. Guy is supposed to have retired to a hermitage on this site, this legend led to the founding of a chantry in 1423 and the rock-carved stables and storehouses still remain.

The house has had many uses and notably a hospital during World War I and in the World War II became a school for evacuated children. Guy’s Cliffe estate was broken up and sold in 1947. The new owner of the house intended to convert it into a hotel, but these plans came to nothing and the house fell into disrepair. The steady and sad decline of this historic site is now the romantic partial ruin we see today.

If you love varied history, architectural beauty and the paranormal this is the perfect venue for you to visit.

The History of Oxford Castle

Oxford Castle is steeped in history.  A large, partly ruined Norman medieval castle in central Oxford.

It would once have been a motte and bailey with a moat but this was replaced with stone in the 13th Century.  Oxford Castle played a crucial role in the conflict of the Anarchy.

In the 14th century, the castle was no longer valuable to the military and the site became used as a prison as well as for county administration.

Sadly, most of the existing 12th Century Castle was destroyed during the English Civil War, but by the 18th century the remaining buildings had become Oxford’s local prison.  In 1785 a new prison complex was built and expanded in 1876. It then became HM Prison Oxford.

It was King Henry III who turned part of the castle into a prison, specifically for holding troublesome University clerks, and also improved the castle chapel, replacing the older barred windows with stained glass in 1243 and 1246.  Due to the presence of Beaumont Palace to the north of Oxford, however, the castle never became a royal residence.

Today, the medieval remains of the castle, including the motte, St George’s Tower and the crypt are Grade I listed buildings and a scheduled monument.

There is so much history and most well documented that this is the perfect location for a paranormal investigation.  So, if you like history and are intrigued by the paranormal, this is a great place for you to visit.  Come along and join us for an unforgettable experience.

The History of Donington Le Heath Manor House

It is believed that Robert De Herle bought the land and had the house built between 1258 & 1295.

For nearly 700 years the house remained a family dwelling.

In the early part of the 16th century, the house was modernised and it was around this period the house may have been owned by the Digby family, who were caught up in the War of the Roses and the Battle at Bosworth.

And as history tells us, Sir Everard Digby achieved notoriety as one of the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot in 1605; as an associate of Guy Fawkes.  His crimes would see him meet a ghastly demise.

The house was let to several families over the years and as there was no money to renovate, many of the original features from the past remain.

With so much history and so many families who once lived here, there is no question that Donington Le Heath 1620’s Manor House is haunted!