Set on the edge of the West Pennine Moors is an imposing 14th century hall thought to be inhabited by at leat five different ghosts. From persecuted protestants to equine spectres, Smithills Hall is the epitome of the haunted house on the northern moors.
There cannot be a better place to spend halloween than a haunted house on the edge of Northern England’s West Pennine moors. Dating back to the 14th century, Smithills Hall, outside Bolton, is the North West’s largest historic property, with a storied history woven into the very fabric of the house. The original medieval hall and chapel survives, while extensions added in the Tudor era and the Victorian era contribute to a sizeable country house spanning some of the most seismic moments in British history.
Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that multiple ghosts have been reported at the estate. The Barton family owned the 120-acre estate for two hundred years and it is believed that John Barton, who fought and died in the Battle of St Albans during The War of The Roses, has been seen in the great hall. The Great Hall is the oldest part of the building, with cathedral-high ceilings, sloping floors and thick musty air.
Just outside the Great Hall is the impression of a footprint in the stone floor, believed to have been made by protestant preacher George Marsh who was brought to the house in 1554, during the reign of the catholic Queen Mary, after his trial for heresy. Marsh is said to have stamped his foot in anger on the spot before being taken to Chester to be burned at the stake. It is claimed the impression he left bleeds every year on the anniversary of his death.
Other ‘happenings’ have also been noted in other parts of the house including a lone staff member being pushed into a wall after removing dead flowers from the chapel, the sound of meowing cats, horses hooves and giggling children have been heard and the set of glasses on Colonel Ainsworth’s table have to be put back in place every morning after mysteriously moving each night. For these reasons and more, the house has been featured in numerous documentaries including Great British Ghosts and Most Haunted. Nathaniel Hawthorne also wrote about the house in 1855.
With at least 800 years under its belt, it’s no wonder the house has stories to tell. But it isn’t all spooks and chills, the house also features some beautiful rooms including its impressive 16th-century Withdrawing Room featuring flemish-carved wall-to-wall wood panelling with reliefs featuring portraits of the family and family emblems, there’s also the extensive library and Mrs Ainsworth’s stunning Drawing Room, originally built in the 1500s and updated in the Arts and Crafts style in the 1870s. Today the room features elegant William Morris wallpaper, a Neo-grecian mantel and beading, William De Morgan fireplace tiles and beautiful antiques.
Smithills is free to visit and forms park of a 48-hectare estate including an open farm, cafe and parkland. The estate sits just outside the city of Bolton and can be reached by the A58. Read more about the property and how you can visit at its website here. Alternatively, you can view similar historic homes in previous posts such as Hall I’ th’ Wood or Dunrobin Castle, or view more of historic England by browsing the Pretty Places tag.