20 Most Haunted Manor Houses & Mansion In The UK

Britain is known for its grand country houses, stately homes and ornate mansions, but with big houses, old houses, comes plenty of ghost stories.

With tales of the spirits of monks returning in buildings that were once priories, to the ghosts of servants and the past wealthy owners of the properties, there's said to be plenty of paranormal activity at many of these stunning manor houses.

Below are the 20 manor houses in the country that are most famous for their paranormal activity.

The Ancient High House was built in around 1595, for the wealthy Dorrington family, the ornate timber-framed exterior of the building, is said to be the largest surviving timber frame Tudor townhouse in England.

Footsteps have been heard walking along empty corridors, doors open and close of their own accord, disembodied voices are heard in the dead of night and ghostly figures are seen wandering the building, including a terrifying ghost of a woman who passes through a wall where a door used to be.

The Victorian Room is one of the building's paranormal hotspots. A writing desk in the room has become infamous with the museum staff, because it apparently locks and unlocks itself at will. The ghost of a young child has also been seen here, but when approached, she disappears and the ghost of an old woman has been seen in a rocking chair.

One paranormal incident led to the police being called to the building, the officer arrived and was told their was an intruder inside, but when people described the person to him, he couldn't believe what he was hearing as they were describing a gentleman known to the police man who passed away a few years before.

A historic house in Cambridgeshire with its routes in the 11th century, that was ravaged by a serious fire in 1830. The house has played host to British kings, queens and nobles for hundreds of years. The earliest known building on the site was the Norman church in the 12th century, by the 13th century it was a priory for benedictines nuns.

The home was converted into a school in the 1970s. During renovations, a worked awoke to an apparition of a monk standing over him. Students and staff claim to have seen phantom apparitions in the library and heard disembodied footsteps throughout the building.

By the early 20th century, reports of paranormal activity began to surface at the house. Shortly after the first war, a woman reported seeing apparitions of nuns on the grand staircase. In the 1940s a younger soldier encountered a ghostly lady in white on the grounds.

There's even two skeletons under the floor in part of the building, still visible today via a trapdoor. The skeletons are those of a nun and her illicit lover, who were murdered for their affair.

Stood overlooking Stoke Park is Dower House, one of Bristol's more prominent landmarks, set on a hill above the M32, one of the main approaches into the city. Within Stoke Park there are two small lakes, the largest of which is Duchess Pond. The bright yellow house was built in 1553 and was once part of Stoke Park Hospital until 1985, it’s since been converted into residential dwellings.

The house and the rest of the Stoke Park estate is believed to be haunted by a 17-year-old by the name of Elizabeth Somerset, who died in 1760. Walkers in the grounds of the house often report hearing the sound of her horse's hooves in the park and surrounding woodland, even though no horses have been allowed on to the land for decades.

An Elizabethan mansion built in 1588 that had the honour of doubling as the home of Bruce Wayne in the 2012 Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight Rises'. The mansion is now the home of Nottingham's Natural History Museum. It's also famously haunted by the ghost of Lady Jane Middleton, known as the White Lady. It's said that she was paralysed in an accident and confined to her room where she eventually died. She's been seen roaming the mansion and in the former of an unexplained glowing light coming from her form bedroom. Witnesses have also reported hearing ghostly laughs, feeling as if they're being watched, and even been touched by unseen hands.

One of the royal palace in Richmond-upon-Thames' most famous spooks is the Grey Lady of Hampton Court, it's said she was once a servant at the house, Prince Edward's nurse and the carer of Queen Elizabeth I.

She was first sighted at the palace in 1829 after the tomb where she was laid to rest was disturbed. The tourist attraction even released CCTV footage in 2003 which apparently showed the Grey Lady open a fire exit door, leaving security staff baffled.

A very famous Tudor timbered-framed mansion right in the middle of Nantwich on Hospital Street. It was originally owned by a family of wealthy merchants, the Churches, who lived there from 1577. Since then it has had many uses, including being used as a cow-keeper's store, and more recently a restaurant, and now antiques shop.

The property was investigated by Yvette Fielding and the 'Most Haunted' team in their 2007 spin-off series, 'Midsummer Murders'.

The paranormal activity in the mansion is said to be caused by three resident ghosts. The spirit of a Civil War cavalier, a girl since wearing 19th century style clothing, and the ghost of William Churche, the father property's original owner. The ghostly goings on includes reports of objects moving around on their own, items like cutlery and plates falling off of tables, lights switching themselves on and off, and even full ghostly apparitions.

Built in 1840, Antwerp Mansion was a private residence in a gated community created for the Victorian super-rich industrialists. It now lies empty, but has plenty of stories of paranormal occurrences to tell. Strange flashing lights have been reported in unlit rooms, footsteps have been heard when no one else is around, objects move on their own with stark regularity and a feeling of unease is felt by many who enter the building.

Many people say they don't like being on the mansion's main staircase, could this be because of the many accidents that have happened here or because of the dark shadows that have been seen? On the first floor in a grand room that later became the main room of the nightclub, deep bangs and disembodied voices have been heard. People also say they feel like they're being watched and followed in this part of the mansion.

In the eerie cellars there has been reports of deep guttural growling noises and poltergeist activity is common, but the most frightening thing to happen down here is people witnessing a dark shape that is said to lurk in the corners.

Elvaston Castle is a Gothic Revival stately home within walking distance of the city centre, which over the years has fallen into disrepair. The castle is said to be the most haunted location in Derbyshire.

Various professional investigations have been conducted in the castle, including by Yvette Fielding and the 'Most Haunted' team, with phenomena being reported including unexplained noises, unexplained apparitions, people being pushed and things being moved.

The castle's ghosts are said to include a maid and "a strong woman", as well as two spirits known as The Grey Lady and The White Lady. The White Lady is said to be the ghost of Maria, wife of the 4th Earl - she's been seen sitting in the windows of the castle, and walking the grounds with a white dog.

The Treasurer's House is a Grade I listed house, located directly to the North of York Minster, and was the location for an episode of the Discovery Channel series 'Ghosthunters'.

The house has several resident spooks, including the ghost of George Aislaby who owned the property in the 17th century, and a group of Roman soldiers who have been sighted in the cellar.

Miskin Manor was built in the outskirts of Cardiff in the 10th century, today only the external walls of the original manor remain but a hotel exists on the site. Many guests have reported seeing the spirit of a lady that haunts the bar and drawing room, usually between midnight and 1am.

The Oak Room is also said the be the location of many hauntings within the hotel, a ghostly figure believed to be the lord of the original manor is often spotted here.

From time to time previous residents of the manor make an appearance too. Staff have claimed to have seen a family of ten ghosts sat around a dinner table and the ghost of a little girl playing in the garden.

The Tudor mansion has been the residence of the Fulford family since the reign of King Richard I, making them Devon's oldest recorded family still in their original seat. The house and land was gifted to the family as a gesture of gratitude for the their sacrifice during the English Civil War.

With notable members of the family being killed at the Siege of Exeter during the war in 1643, and so many years as a place of birth, life and death, it's no surprise the grand building boasts so many ghosts stories. The family hear unexplained noises, witness doors banging and have even seen apparitions and ghostly figures. The family's dog also seems to frequently react to things that no one else can see.

Nestled within a modern estate, just five miles outside of Liverpool city centre, is a 210 roomed mansion that is said to be haunted by its previous occupants. The building doesn't have the grim or negative stories that are normally associated with haunted houses, but none the less, it is said to be haunted by visions of its past.

In the kitchens the sounds of servants can be heard busying themselves and the ghostly vision of a house maid has been seen. In the billiard room, dark figures have been seen sitting in non-existent chairs and the smell of tobacco has been smelt. Motion detectors continuously go off for know apparent reason in the breakfast room. The former servants quarters in the building's attic is also said to be a very active paranormal hotspot.

When you imagine a haunted house, the image you conjure up in your head won't be far off Guy's Cliffe, it's the typical haunted house. It has dungeons, winding stir cases, creepy portraits, dark corners, creaking doors, an imposing clock tower, gothic windows and lots and lots of history, and in World War II the building was used as a school for evacuated children.

This property is made up of the ruins of a grade II listed manor house which dates back to 1751 but fell in to disrepair in the 1950s and was destroyed by fire. Behind the ruins was an adjoining building, St Mary's Chapel. The basement of this chapel used to include the house's servants' quarters.

In the 1970s, the chapel was restored by the Freemason. Today the two Freemason temples contained in the chapel are decorated with eerie Masonic symbols and objects and are used for their ceremonies.

Recent visitors have reported making contact with the spirits of Freemasons, children, and servants from the house. Most of the spirits are said to be male as historically the site is quite male dominated.

At one point in its life, part of chapel was used as a brewery and some mischievous ghosts known as the "Brewery Boys" are said to haunt this area. While out in the grounds a mischievous stable boy called Jacob has been witnessed in the coachhouse which is carved into the rock of Guy's Cliffe.

Skaill House is a manor house in Sandwick parish on Mainland, the largest of the Orkney Islands. It was built in the 1620s, it was last occupied in 1991, and was opened to the public in 1997 restored to the style of a 1950s family home.

Visitors and staff to the house have reported plenty of ghostly activity, including knocks and bangs, doors slamming, odd smells, and even the ghostly figure of a a tall man with dark hair. Another guest said she had a question about the house answered by a male member of staff in the gun room, but no males were working that day.

Now in ruins after two devastating fires, the decaying hall was famously investigated by the 'Most Haunted' team back in 2005. Yvette Fielding and Derek Acorah believe they made contact with two of the Grade II listed country house's resident spooks named Elizabeth and William. The historic stately home on the edge of Sherwood Forest is said to be haunted by the mistress of a former owner who died during childbirth. She's been reported in the form of a White Lady in the house and grounds. The house is also said to be haunted by the ghosts of long-dead children and their bereaved parents, as well as the spirit of a young serving girl who is said to have hanged herself in the stables.

Kelham Hall was once a family home, but since then has housed monks and soldiers. It has a rich history of opulent success, catastrophic failure and now, alleged hauntings. The many empty rooms are said to bear witness to many strange paranormal events. Activity includes doors slamming on their own, disembodied footsteps and objects moving of their own accord.

Underneath the building is a large network of cellars, allegedly many people have witnessed dark, tall shadows here. Could they be the ghosts of the monks that used to reside here during the early-1900s during the First World War. One of the most commonly reported occurrences at the hall is reports of the ghost of children who have been seen and heard running and giggling as they play in the dead of night.

The first hall built on the grounds of Towneley Hall dates back to 1380 and has been added to over the years. The Baroque-style entrance seen today was built in 1726. The prominent Towneley family inhabited the hall for almost five centuries, until it was taken over by Burnley Borough Council, who opened the park to the public for the first time in 1902.

Paranormal activity at the hall, which has hosted the 'Most Haunted Live!' team, includes the disembodied sounds of children laughing and crying and an apparition seen gliding across the ancient hallways, as well as doors opening and closing on their own and loud unexplained noises heard in the dead of night.

The grounds are said to be just as haunted as the hall itself. There have been numerous sightings of the ghost of a lady in white seen stood on the turrets at night. Many people believe she jumped to her death, while others think she was looking for her lost lover.

Over the years there has been many stories of strange occurrences at this majestic building, which was once the home of Sir John de Hoderode, who was the steward at Pontefract Castle. There have been reports of dark shadows have seen wandering the empty corridors, the apparitions of a faceless man and hunched over monk have been witnessed, and the ghost of a servant girl burnt alive after being pushed into a fireplace by an unknown assailant is eager to make her presence known.

The hall's main staircase is said to be haunted by the clear sound of disembodied footsteps and the ghost of a tall man, known locally as Dr Bell, who is often seen walking up and down the stairs. The dark and gloomy attic once would have been home to the many servants that served this great house. Although those glory days are gone, their ghosts are still seen roaming throughout the floor in the dead of night.

Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham stands in 250 acres of parkland and was once the home of the first Earl of Strafford. For decades there have been reports of a ghostly monk, the figure of an unknown man who stands deadly still, as well as hearing footsteps, children laughing, doors slamming, and visitors being grabbed by unseen hands.

The house's stables were the location of an episode of the long-running ghost hunting show 'Most Haunted' in 2017 when the team caught what appeared to be a ghostly figure on camera. The show's host Yvette Fielding described it as the show's "most groundbreaking footage" to date.

Woodchester Mansion is an unfinished, Gothic revival house in Woodchester Park near Nympsfield. It was abandoned by its builders in the middle of construction, leaving behind a building that appears complete from the outside but has floors, plaster, and whole rooms missing inside.

The house has been featured in many paranormal investigation television shows, including 'Most Haunted Live', 'Hauntings', 'Scariest Places On Earth', and 'Ghost Hunters International'.

Bangs and knocking sounds have been heard in the building, and poltergeist activity such as stones being thrown has been witnessed by guests. In 2005, a local paranormal group spent the night in the mansion and captured what appeared to be a hooded apparition on CCTV.