Wymering Manor

A multitude of ghosts (as many as 20 according to one report!) are said to haunt this building; one website says that, "Somewhere in the darkest corner of this ancient house, a child's whisper can be heard. A ghostly nun stares from the shadows, her hands dripping with blood. Apparitions silently climb the staircases and phantom horses gallop away in the night." One of the phantoms is named Reckless Roddy; the legend says that he tried to seduce the homeowner's wife after he went away. "Sir Roderick of Portchester" (to give him his full name) was murdered when the husband returned home and found him, trying to mount his horse. His footsteps are said to have been heard in the house.

Update: 27/1/20: I am grateful to Richard Collyer, who has said that Sir Francis William Austen (brother of Jane) who is buried at St Peter and St Paul Church, slightly along the road, has been identified in the manor.

Update 10/6/22: Jonathan Frost, who runs the Paranormal Company "Dark Encounters" and who looks after the building, informed me, "I have conducted over 150 investigations at the Manor and locked up many times more after events. And yet, the two significant occurrences I have never been able to explain both occurred late afternoon - when the building was supposedly empty. I know that the team have all had odd occurrences." According to a newspaper interview, one of the two occurrences was hearing someone whistling behind him - but there were only two people in the house and a search revealed no-one else. A face has also apparently been seen in the top window on a regular basis, and another figure was seen walking across a doorway.

Link: The News

Link: Hampshire Live

Link: Daily Echo

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