Happy Halloween everyone! One of my readers, Katherine, just wrote in to share with me a truly scary experience she had whilst visiting Westminster Abbey.
Here is her true story:
Westminster Abbey
One of the places I make sure to visit on every trip to London is Westminster Abbey.
I just love to wander around contemplating all the history that has happened in the building and all the people who have passed though it — or stayed. I’ve never had anything even slightly eerie happen to me there — until my last trip in 2009.
I had gotten there early and had to wait about half an hour. Eventually they
opened. I paid my admission fee and was actually the first visitor in that morning.
Those who have been there know you enter through the north transept door and are
kind of channeled around up through Henry VII’s Chapel, back down again, out through
the cloisters, then back through the nave and out the west door. I usually just
follow the flow as it goes to all the places I want to go to anyway.
That morning though I wanted to see Frances Brandon Grey’s tomb. She is buried in
St. Edmund’s Chapel on the south side of the Abbey, just east of the south transept.
I had found the tomb on a previous visit, but had neglected to write down the
inscription on it. I decided to do that first, so I went directly there.
St. Edmund’s Chapel is very small and nobody famous (e.g. anybody whose name would
be known to the general public) is buried in it. Like most Abbey chapels, it has
gates that can be shut to close the chapel. The best way I can describe the gates
is that they look like the saloon doors in every western movie you’ve ever seen — two small doors that could pushed open to enter. Unlike the saloon doors though, they aren’t
on springs. Instead they could be pushed all the way back to lock on the wall so
they would stay opened. When I got there, they were already open.
I found Frances’s tomb again against the far wall of the chapel from the doors,
wrote down the inscription, and then spent some time studying the decoration and
design. I was there for maybe 10 minutes total. During that time I believe only
two people came in. Both stayed only seconds before wandering out again.
When I was ready to leave, I turned around to walk to the door and noticed that the
gate that was closest to me was closed. And even as I watched, the other gate
lifted up from the wall and very slowly started closing! I was too astounded by
this to even move. I just stood and stared at it for about fifteen seconds or so
until it was completely closed. The hair on the back of my neck and on my arms was
standing up. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so creeped out by anything in my life.
Finally I scooted over to the gates and pulled them both open. Fortunately they
weren’t locked — I’m sure I would have screamed bloody murder if they had been! I
wasn’t about to stay around long enough to try to lock the doors back in place. I
just rushed out and made sure I didn’t go near there again during that visit.
I can’t say I really believe in ghosts. I’m pretty much an open-minded skeptic on
the subject. But I did make sure before I left the Abbey to stop and light a candle
for poor Frances. I doubt she gets many visitors.
Do you have a story to share? I would love to hear it and don’t forget to enter our Tudor Ghost Story Contest!
Thanks for sharing Katherine, what a great experience, even though it frightened you. Did you see the other two people come into the chapel or did you sense them? Seems like Frances wanted to keep you in there a bit longer, still a forecful woman in the afterlife!
I did see the other two people come in. I just happened to be in a position to see them. As I said, there’s nothing of particular interest to the general public there, so they didn’t stay any length of time at all, just came in maybe 10 feet then walked out.
I can think of about a hundred more Tudors I’d rather be trapped in a room with than Frances Brandon Grey, but, hey, any Tudor is a Tudor. I probably should have stayed to see what happened. But it just completely creeped me out.
I always enjoy the articles written by your readers!!! Having never been to England myself, I find your reader’s articles have much more history in them then in some of the books that I have read about English history! Thanks again!
I am so glad Bonnie! 🙂
When my daughter and I lived in Suffolk, in a 15th C. house, she noted her window opening and closing of its own accord. She felt a pressure at the foot of her bed. Perhaps this was the impressionable imagination of a 15 year old, but she believed they really happened.
How interesting! So many people experience things that they cannot explain. I wonder if we will ever know the truth.
Possible that the doors were on automatic hinges, that close during fire alarms, etc? And maybe they were malfunctioning? You get a good look at the hinges?
Any one watching the programme thats in 3 part on BBC2 on a Saturday? It’s very interesting.
Elizabeth I became very involved in the preservation of it and installed the 1st Surveyor of the Abbey, they have just installed the 19th, and they have to go through a proper ceromony. It must be a very daunting task to take on being responsible for the structure of such a hugh historic building.
Elizabeth also passed a charter which made The Colleigated Church & Royal Peculiar (the Abbey’s full title), which made the Dean of the Abbey under the jurisdiction of the Sovereign only, not answerable to any Bishop/Arch Bishop etc. Thank goodness her dad left it be…
Hello, i was in Londonfor the First time with my wife in February. We visited the Abby and we had no idea so many people where buried there. We paid extra for the hearing aids, it’s quite worth the extra pounds they changed. They don’t allowe taking pictures but me being from LA didn’t care. I told my wife to take a pick of me over someone tomb I didn’t know, some King that superseded all but one of his 6 or 7 kids. My wife was trying to hide so that she didn’t make the picture to obvious, I was wearing my Nike windbreaker that makes noise every time I walk. When I stand still, it makes no noise unless the material is touched. Well I’m posing for the photo and I hear something touch me but don’t feel it, Humm my wife gives me a look and says, take a step forward, so I did and pose again, again we both hear someone touch me. This happened 3 times, no pic was taken we just moved on to the next exhibit. Later we spoke about it and we both heard and thought the same thing. We freaked out.
It was very enjoyable reading about your experience!