The Borley Rectory was built in 1863 and was destroyed by fire in 1939. It was located in Essex, England. The land it was built on had a history of being haunted.

The foundation was an age old Priory (of the Benedictine Monks) on land that contained a Church, Caretaker's House and other buildings. Some have dated the Priory back to 1066. This foundation contained underground tunnels and a complex of vault rooms. The Rectory had 20 rooms, was about 3 stories high and if you have seen any Vincent Price movies, you know what the place looked like!

The legend of Borley is that a young novice Nun, from a Convent down the road and a monk, fell in love. They would meet secretly in the dark underground of the Rectory. The Elders suspected their secret trysts and set a trap! On the fateful night they were to elope with the help of a Coachman? They were caught! The Coachman was beheaded or hanged, the Monk was put to death and the Nun was to be walled up in the vaults below the Priory. This was carried out! Since then? Neither the Monk's or Nun's Spirit have rested.

A series of pastors and their families have moved into Borley and all have had sightings of the Nun and the Monk! The Nun has appeared in the children's nursery on winter's nights, so often that the children would look forward to her visit. She would gaze through the window of the dining room. During dinner, guests would feel a cool chill in the room. They would be startled to see her pale, sad face looking in the window. It got so bad that the window was eventually bricked up!

She was also seen wandering the grounds around the Rectory, in and out of the bushes, dressed in gray. There are reports of the Monk and Nun passing across the grounds, but the night of the great fire that destroyed the Rectory? They were reported to have been seen, one on either side of the pastor. Several people said they observed "A lady in gray cloak" and "A gentleman with a sort of bald head, dressed in a long black gown."

After the fire, the appearances of the Monk and Nun were few and far between. Had the fire freed their Spirits? Were they now at peace, in the Afterworld? Now, the fun started!

Did new Ghosts move in? Well, here is a list of potential Ghosts that have haunted the Rectory:

• A ~ Nun Bricked-up, Alive
• B ~ Pastor "Harry Bull" poisoned by his wife
• C ~ Three Other Men Beheaded On The Grounds.
• D ~ Monk Hanged, or Beheaded
• E ~ Two Coachman Beheaded.
• F ~ Three other women strangled.
• G ~ Priest crucified in the Churchyard, dumped down a well. His lover, a Nun, murdered also.

Plus many, many more people have been killed or met a ghastly end at the Rectory.

In 1928, new tenants moved in to the Borley Rectory and encountered moans at night and the loud ringing of the doorbell. They noticed that keys disappeared, and had small pebbles thrown at them. But, the last straw was the seeing of a horse drawn Coach, with a headless Coachman riding across the lawn! "Feet? Don't fail me now!"

The famous psychic investigator, "Harry Price" was called in to assist. He was greeted by strange appearances of objects, stones were thrown at him and there was incessant bell ringing! The residents called it "quits" and moved out. Can you blame them?

In October of 1930, the "Reverend Foyster," his wife "Marianne" and their adopted daughter moved into the Borley Rectory. "Harry Price" reported that "This was the most extraordinary and best documented case of haunting in the annals of psychic research." "Mr. Price" estimated "That at least two thousand Poltergeist phenomena were experienced at the Rectory." The "Foyster's" stayed for five years. "Marianne" being slapped in the face, might have been the "last straw." However? The sighting of the Headless Coachman riding across the lawn that one night, might have been the incident that did it!

Mike, Investigative Reporter for Mystical Universe

Books to Read: "End of Borley Rectory" by Harry Price
Website: www.borleyrectory.com (Note: this site contains many pictures of the Rectory).