The old manor is fabled to be frequented by the phantoms of the Lovell lineage, who are believed to still visit long after their passing. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Comments
A spine-chilling discovery occurred at a 15th-century manor in the Cotswolds when workmen unearthed a concealed room containing the skeletons of a man seated at a table accompanied by a dog at his feet.
The bony relics of Francis Lovell were unearthed in a disconcertingly erect position at a table, hemmed in by books, paper, and writing implements, as if petrified in time, leaving the cause of his demise a mystery.
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Spooky stories continue to be whispered hundreds of years later that Francis and his devoted canine still haunt the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, nestled along the banks of the River Windrush in Oxfordshire.
Cotswolds.com depicts Minster Lovell as ‘the region’s most spectral village’, predominantly due to the shadowy figures of the Lovell clan, who are rumoured to haunt the locality well after their expiration.
The hall was built in the 1430s on the foundation of a prior structure by William, 7th Baron Lovell, a veteran of the famed Battle of Agincourt alongside Henry V. He also modernized the village church, thought to be his ultimate resting place, although there is no engraving or documented proof to affirm this assertion, according to <a href=”https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/history/chilling-history-haunted-coldwold-manor-10590036″ rel=”Follow” target=”_self”>Gloucestershire Live</a>.
Minster Lovell Hall functioned as the primary abode of the Lovell family for a significant portion of the 15th century, even accommodating Richard III as a guest of Francis, William’s grandson. Nonetheless, their intimate link with Richard proved detrimental when the family’s possessions were confiscated after the Battle of Bosworth, and the village was given to Jasper Tudor, the uncle of Henry VII.
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However, it appears Francis wasn’t inclined to yield, and in 1487 he sealed himself and his hound within a hidden vault, with only a faithful servant aware of his actions and holding the only key.
As per History UK, he dwelled there until a group of labourers discovered the below-ground vault and his skeletal remains during renovation efforts on the estate in 1708.
Still, Francis wasn’t the only person to breathe their last within the hall’s confines.
Cotswolds Journeys recounts that William’s new bride disappeared during a game of hide-and-seek on her wedding night, never to resurface.
Subsequently, years later, a servant located the cadaver of a young woman adorned in wedding garb, perfectly preserved within a lead-lined cold storage container utilized for maintaining provisions.
One individual who insists he has witnessed supernatural events at Minster Lovell personally is Jonathan, who noted on Darkling Room that he felt an “unusual atmosphere” upon entering the hall’s dovecote.
Jonathan stated: “Upon going in, we were both instantly cognizant of the peculiar air surrounding us. The radiant daytime was absent, and a spooky ambiance was amplified by the somber tones within. All was silent.”
He additionally asserted that he had captured photographic validation of some sort of apparition: “I took a photo of the roof beams… I was more than a little taken aback to observe a sizeable white form emerging on the right-hand side of the picture.
“It took me a second to react, and regrettably I panicked almost at once. There was something highly strange about the picture, and my gut feeling was to exit the confined area, and return to the daylight beyond the small door.”
Sir Thomas Coke, the Earl of Leicester, procured the manor in 1602, with his family supervising its demolition for construction materials during the mid-18th Century.
The medieval dovecote situated in the adjacent field can now solely be viewed from the exterior, although the rest of the hall remains accessible to guests.
Minster Lovell Hall is situated three miles west of Witney off the A40, and can be spotted by adhering to the English Heritage signage from the village.
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