How I started my paranormal journey.

I would sit up late at night watching those old black and white horror shows. Then I was brave enough to move onto colour.
I was always interested in ghost stories, old legends and stories from our past.

Then my nan told me a story that would put me on my journey into the paranormal
It was about a headless man that walked a country lane next to my nan's childhood home. In fact, she had seen him herself.
I had always remembered the story and a few years ago, I found, quite by chance, a newspaper cutting about a murder in the area my nan lived. I researched my nan's story and found out the true facts.

I realised that I enjoyed researching as much as an investigation.
With this in mind, every area I visit, I research and you will be surprised what information can be found.
So thanks to my nan, I lead an exciting life as a paranormal investigater.

I would like to point out that I do take this very seiously.
I am out to prove, one way or the other, IS THERE ANOTHER LIFE WHEN WE PASS or is it just our imagination.

Tuesday 2 March 2010

MARBURY PARK


MARBURY PARK
MARBURY
NR WHITCHURCH


April 2008


GROUP ... PARANORMAL RESEARCH UK


There has been an estate and Hall here since the 13th century but some say possibly earlier.
During the reign of Henrylll, this was the residence of the Merbury family. The estate stayed in the family until the death of Richard Marbury in 1684. The estate was then run by his sisters, Katherine Marbury, Elizabeth Thacker and Mary Woods. But in 1708, they sold it to Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers of Rock Savage. His daughter married James, 4th Earl of Barrymore. Improvement work was carried out and stables were added. Further work was carried out in the 1840's. The Hall passed to The Hon Richard Barry (MP for Wigan) and after to his nephew, James Hugh Smith Barry.

In 1842, there was a fire at the hall, the remains were knocked down and work began on the new hall. By 1850, Alfred H Smith Barry was Lord of the Manor.

Robert Raymond Smith-Barry sold the estate in March 1933. After a couple os more sales, a Warrington businessman, George Smith, turned the estate into Marbury Hall Country Club.

The hall was aquired for army use during WWll. There was an army camp and prisoner of war camp on the estate.

After the war, the hal and estate was owned by ICI. The hall fell into disrepair and permission was granted in 1968 to pull it down. It was demolished in January 1969.

The estate is now jointly owned by Cheshire County Council, a property developer and ICI. All the remains of the hall is the uneven partial outline of stone and bricks on the ground.

MARBURY DUNNE

There are at least three different versions of this story:

1. Lord Barrymore of Marbury Hall was due to marry a lady from a weathly London family. As a wedding gift to her, he bought her a greyish brown thoroughbred horse called Dunne Mare. His wife to be had choosen this horse and he promished her the horse would be at Marbury Hall on their wedding day.

He gambled with his friends that the horse could not make it to the hall by sunset on the day of his wedding. The horse set off, riden by an amateur jockey at sunrise and arrived exhausted at sunset. Lady Barrymore ran out to meet her horse, only to watch it collapse and die in the courtyard. The horse was buried in the grounds. It is said that Lady Barrymore was heart broken and died soon after.

2. A bet was made between Lord Barrymore and a wealthy London merchant that this horse could not leave London at sunrise and be at Marbury Hall by sunset. If so, Lord Barrymore could marry his daughter. The horse and rider completed the journey but as the horse was lead to Marbury Mere to drink, the shock of the cold water, stopped the horse's heart and it collapsed and died.

3. During the Jacobite rebellions, James 4th Earl of Barrymore and a Jacobite at heart, was suspected of treason. A messenger was dispatched on a horse called Marbury Dunne to warn him that troops were on their way to arrest him. The horse galloped so quickly, that the Earl was able to completely cover his tracks regarding any documents and evade capture. The horse collapsed and died and was buried somewhere at the back of the hall.

Whichever version is correct or you beleive, Marbury Dunne is said to be buried under a gravestone somewhere on the hall's land. It reads:...........
HERE LIES THE MARBURY DUNNE
THE FASTEST HORSE THAT EVER RUN
CLOTHED IN A LINEN SHEET
WITH SILVER SHOES UPON HER FEET


THE MARBURY LADY

There are at least 5 different ladies associated with Marbury Hall

1. This lady is associated with Marbury Dunne.
2. This English lady was one of the Smith-Barry's. She was murdered on the 7th step on the main staircase. The blood stain would never go away. When the hall was being rebuilt, bones were found near the staircase.
3. One Lady Smith-Barry was having an affair. Her husband followed her one night and killed her when she returned back. It is said she met her lover in one of the tunnels under the hall. One tunnel is on the far left of the courtyard as you approach from the long straight driveway and another has been discovered in a woodland area behind the hall where a great tree is situated.
4. Miss Alice Knappett loved the place. She was the Head Housemaid at the turn of the 20th century. She was a matronly figure who rode her bike on the grounds.
5. James Hugh Smith-Barry (1748-1801) travelled around Egypt. While he was there, he had an affair with a stunning Egyptain woman. They fell in love but he knew he couldnt marry her, so he came home alone. She followed him shotly after but he had already married. So no one would find out about them, he employed her as a maid but there affair continued. But it didnt last long. She died on the staitcase, some say she was killed. She had told her lover that if she died before him, she wanted to be embalmed and kept in the hall. This he did but as time passed, she was moved to Great Budworth Church. But she was returned to the hall as ghostly things started to happen at the hall. There are a few theories to her final resting place, behind the hall, in the Rose Garden, behind the swimming pool or her bones were thrown into the mere.


PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

... Horse and carriage has been seen and heard down the main drive leading to the hall.
.. An old maroon and cream car (similar to an old fashioned Bently) has been seen driving by the hall.
... Marbury Dunne has been seen galloping, without a rider, along the now mostly closed road that used to link Marbury with Northwich.
... Marbury Dunne is also seen on the hall grounds but with a lady riding her.
... A lady in a long gown walks the grounds.
... Poltergeist activity was reported in the hall before it was demolished.


INVESTIGATION

Phil and I arrived about 9pm.



We spent about four hours walking around, taking photo's and asking out.






The whole area felt spooky and I felt as though we were being watched. But of course it was dark, we are in a wooded area and there are animals about.






Nothing was recorded on this night but I would love to go back.

5 comments:

  1. Yes, even Northwich has haunted pubs. We listed a lesser known one here too: http://www.ghostpubs.com/haunted_pub/north_west_england/cheshire/northwich/detail.html

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  2. We went marbury park this evening, around 9.30-11pm. We got lots of pics of orbs, my phone battery got drained three times and also had pics with mist on. Will definitely be going back soon.

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  3. Hiya, just wondering if you have any more information on the location of the tunnels? Would be really interested to know! Is the courtyard and driveway the area by the gates that are near to the road? Where there used to be the old foundations? Thanks!

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  4. Me and 2 other friends saw the lady in the long gown in 1990. My dog at the time went mad barking at the figure that appeared in the grounds where the hall once stood.
    I have even since have folks say they have seen the old hall appear.. Spooky

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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