minster lovell ruins

Minster Lovell Hall was built by William Lovell around 1440.

It sits on the picturesque banks of the River Windrush. Minster Lovell Hall remained the main residence of the Lovell family. Richard III visited it as a guest of Francis Lovell, 1st Viscount Lovell, grandson of William Lovell.

Francis Lovell's estates were declared forfeit after the Battle of Bosworth and Minster Lovell was granted to Jasper Tudor, uncle of Henry VII. The property changed hands several times over the next two centuries. Among the owners were Henry VIII's gentlemen of the stool, William Compton and Henry Norris.

The property was bought in 1603 by Sir Edward Coke. The manor remained in the Coke family for several generations, and Thomas Coke, created Baron Lovell in 1728, abandoned Minster Lovell Hall in 1747.

After the defeat of the Yorkists at the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487, Francis Lovell is said to have gone into hiding in a secret room at Minster Lovell Hall.

The only person who knew of his presence was a faithful servant who locked him into the secret room and brought him his food. According to legend, the servant died unexpectedly, leaving Lovell to die an unpleasant death by starvation. When the building was renovated in 1718 a vault was said to have been uncovered, containing the skeleton of a man sitting at a table with a skeleton dog at his feet.

This gruesome sight was apparently witnessed for only a moment. According to the story, as soon as the skeletons were exposed to fresh air they immediately crumbled to dust! Ghostly wailings are said to be heard around the now-ruined grounds of the hall, and footsteps are heard to pace around the ruins. Some have reported seeing the ghostly figure of a tall man in a cloak pacing around the ruins. Is this the ghost of Lord Lovell? Concentrate on the Hall section of the film we believe we captured this exactly as its reported!!

Minster Lovell Hall is also one of the places in the UK said to have been the location of the folk story known as 'The Mistletoe Bough'. The story concerns a wedding day on which the happy young bride decides to celebrate by playing a game of hide-and-seek about the hall.

The bride chooses to hide in a chest in a remote attic and the lid falls closed, locking her in. Her friends and family are unable to find the girl, and eventually, give up the search. Eventually, many years later, the attic is being cleared out and a skeleton wearing a wedding dress is found locked in the chest.

According to local folklore the figure of a woman in a white dress haunts the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, the unhappy ghost of the bride who died on what was supposed to be her happiest day.

Join Mark and Rich as they investigate this amazing site, steeped in fascinating history that spans across centuries. Many intense and some sad tales were investigated through the night.

There is some fantastic evidence caught on film here, it was definitely one of the most chilling recent investigations. Mark was also affected by an unknown entity making this film...............