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Kelham Hall Exclusive Ghost Hunts
- NEARBY LOCATIONS -
Kelham Hall
Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
OVERVIEW
Kelham Hall is a Grand Victorian House built and completed in 1863 and architected by Sir George Gilbert Scott. It was the home of the Manners-Sutton family for over 400 years, until they sold the house in 1903. However, this is actually the third Kelham Hall on this site, as the previous two mysteriously caught fire and burned down. During the 1900s an Order of Monks lived in and gave mass at Kelham Hall, and in 1647 King Charles I was captured in Southwell and imprisoned here at Kelham. From noble families and Civil War connections, to ghostly Monks and a fiery curse, what spirits will we encounter at Kelham Hall? Kelham Hall is EXCLUSIVE to Brookes Paranormal.
HISTORY
Kelham has a long and rich history dating back a thousand years. The lands here were used by Saxon farmers before the Norman Conquest. In 1066, the Foljambe family came over from France with William the Conqueror, who gifted them lands at Averham and Kelham. It's believed Kelham remained as farms with a manor on site during this transition of power.
Kelham Manor was acquired by Sir William Sutton in 1580, but it wouldn't be until c.1663 when the first 'Grand' Hall was built. Kelham would play a unique role during the English Civil War, when King Charles I surrendered in nearby Southwell on 5th May 1647. Charles was then held prisoner here at Kelham Manor for several days after, and would often be allowed to pace up and down the guarded path outside. This path is known as 'The King's Walk' and we'll be investigating it to see if Charles I is really still here at Kelham. Following the Civil War, William's son Robert Sutton, 1st Baron Lexington upgraded the Hall, but tragically during the reign of William III & Mary II (1689-1702) the first Kelham Hall caught fire and burned down.
In 1730 the second Kelham Hall was built, where it was lived in by Lady Bridget Sutton, the great-grandaughter of Sir William Sutton. Bridget was the only surviving child of Robert Sutton, 2nd Baron Lexington. On 27th August 1717, Bridget married John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland and had three children. The eldest child John Manners, Marquess of Granby, was a soldier at Culloden and in the Seven Years' War, but sadly didn't outlive his father, and so the Hall was passed on to the second eldest Robert Manners, but on one condition: he had to add Sutton to his name, which he did. Robert didn't marry and thus had no heir, so the estate passed on to his brother and last of the three children, George Manners-Sutton. George spent most of his life as a politician and Member of Parliament for Grantham, before passing away in his sleep at Kelham Hall in 1783.
John Henry Manners-Sutton (1822-1898) began renovating the Georgian Hall in 1843, commissioning Anthony Salvin to make the house more fitting for the time period. Salvin's idea was to create a Jacobean mansion, which he worked on for 3 years. John eventually disliked these changes the more he saw of it, and asked George Gilbert Scott to make additional alterations. But then came the second big fire:
On 27th November 1857, the servants had just gone to bed when fiery smoke suddenly engulfed the south rooms and hallways. Mr and Mrs Manners-Sutton were away in Italy at the time, unaware that their beautiful home back in England had just gone up in flames. They left behind their two children who were in the Hall at the time. We know one was a little girl aged 3 and a half, and the other a young boy, but it's uncertain whether they both survived or perished; same with the servants. News of the disaster reached Naples, and both Mr and Mrs Manners-Sutton returned back to England immediately to inspect the damage.
George Gilbert Scott came up with a new extravagant design for a third Kelham Hall, the same High Victorian Gothic Hall which stands today. He completed the present Hall in 1863, an architectural beauty of magnificent proportions that was by far superior to any of its predecessors. And this time it was constructed using fire-resistant materials, preventing any further infernos that seemed to have plagued this land.
In 1903, the Manners-Sutton family fell into financial difficulty with the cost of rebuilding Kelham Hall, and made the choice to move into a smaller property called Kelham House. They sold Kelham Hall to a Roman Catholic Order called 'The Society of the Sacred Mission', where a theological college was opened. The Monks and Students lived here and carried out their religious and educational practices, even holding masses inside the Great Chapel (now Great Hall), home of the second largest dome in the UK. Kelham Hall was also occupied by military personnel during World War 1 and World War 2, with the cellars below used for shelter and operations.
GHOSTS & HAUNTINGS
Kelham Hall is one of Nottinghamshire's most haunted buildings, with many hauntings and paranormal experiences reported by staff, visitors and investigators alike.
Dark hooded shadow figures have been seen inside the Hall and on the grounds, believed to be the buried Monks that once lived here. During a private daytime investigation at Kelham Hall with three of our team members, all three witnessed a shadow figure moving in the Music Hall on three separate occasions but in the exact same spot. Was this one of the Monks trying to show themselves?
Smells of smoke and burning wood have been picked up on in the Library and Drawing Room; a residual reminder of the fires that destroyed Kelham Hall twice in its past.
On the upper floor balcony in the Music Hall, a Blue Lady has been sensed looking over the railing and falling to her death. While we're yet to understand who this female spirit is, she's believed to have been either pushed over to her death or she tragically jumped to her death. Coincidentally, after we learned this information on our first visit to the location from one of our team mediums, a member of staff then informed us that a couple of weeks beforehand she had a dream about a Lady in a Pale Blue Dress, standing in the exact same spot on the balcony, and going over the railing. Will we learn her story?
The strong presence of a gentleman walks across the state rooms on the ground floor, with residual energies of servants, butlers and maids felt watching over people. Spirit children are often heard too, with quick light tapping of footsteps and giggling reported on the first floor corridor. Further paranormal activity such as disembodied voices, cries and the ghastly sounds of dragging are heard within the walls of this sinister building, as well as sudden cold spots being felt.
And lastly on the grounds, the ghost sighting of a Cavalier has sometimes been seen, with many speculating if this is the spirit of King Charles I himself.
YOUR GHOST HUNT EXPERIENCE
Your night of ghost hunting with Brookes Paranormal is guaranteed a fun, safe and spooky one. Experience this historic location with exclusive access after dark, as you explore the eerie rooms and areas in search for the ghostly spirits that haunt here. Here at Kelham Hall, you will get to investigate the State Rooms of this magnificent house, which include the Library, the Drawing Room, the Music Hall, the Billiard Room, the Lady Chapel, the Cedar Room, the Dining Room, the Morning Room and the Estate Office, as well as the impressive Staircase and eerie Corridor and Balcony on the upper floor. You will also get to investigate the Kelham Grounds and haunted King's Walk too, dry weather provided.
Our team are friendly, professional, approachable and knowledgeable with paranormal investigating, and we will guide and support you to make sure you get the most out of your investigation. We welcome everyone from all walks of life, as our events are a safe space for all who love and enjoy the thrill of ghost hunting. Whether you're a paranormal novice or an experienced investigator, you'll be well-looked after and treated like family.
This is an honest ghost hunting experience, so there won't be any fakery or trickery during the night. We believe that if activity happens, it happens for real.
On your ghost hunt, you will be split into smaller groups to give you the best, personal experience possible. You will also get hands on with various pieces of ghost hunting equipment and participate in interesting paranormal experiments. While we encourage everyone
to get involved in the night's vigils, you don't have to partake in experiments like Ouija Boards and the Estes Method if you don't
want to, we have plenty of other equipment for you to use.
You will also have a couple of breaks throughout the night, where we provide you with unlimited refreshments and snacks.
YOUR EVENT INCLUDES
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Group photo of all guests which gets published to our page
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Small group extended vigils
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Refreshments and snacks like teas, coffees, hot chocolates,
bottles of water, biscuits, crisps and chocolate bars -
Full use of ghost hunting equipment like K2s, EMF Meters,
REM Pods, Mel Meters, Spirit Boxes, Motion Detectors,
Dowsing Rods, Laser Grid Pens, ITC Apps and SLS Cameras -
Paranormal experiments like Ouija Boards, Glass Divination,
Table Tipping, Séances, Estes Method and Human Pendulum -
An introduction to ghost hunting equipment and techniques
for guests new to the paranormal
PLEASE NOTE BEFORE BOOKING
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All attendees MUST be 18 years or older
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Heavily pregnant women are NOT allowed on these events
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This location is NOT wheelchair accessible
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This location has NO sleepover facilities
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We operate a STRICT No Alcohol/Drugs Policy on our events, and if caught or believed to be under the influence of any alcohol or drugs, you will be removed from the event immediately and banned from all future events - No refunds
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All attendees MUST bring a torch to the event, as we will be investigating in dark areas and low light conditions
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Sensible footwear is required for the location's environmental conditions
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In the colder months we advise to wear warm layered clothing, and bring a warm coat with you as the night will get cooler as the event progresses
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History tours are NOT provided at this location, but we will talk briefly on the location's past
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Ouija Boards are brought to events at this location, however we don't force you to take part in them
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Please ensure you are able to attend this event; deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable, and full payments and remaining balances are non-refundable and non-transferable
four weeks prior to the event date
ADDRESS, EVENT TIMES & PARKING
ADDRESS: Kelham Hall, Main Road, Kelham, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG23 5QX
EVENT TIMES:
Victorian Séance Nights: 9:00pm - 1:00am (Arrive at 8:45pm. Please wait patiently outside the main events entrance until a member of our team greets you at the door)
Ghost Hunts: 7:00pm - 1:00am (Arrive at 6:45pm. Please wait patiently outside the main events entrance until a member of our team greets you at the door)
PARKING:
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Car Parking On-site
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