Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire

Most Haunted 2nd Investigation (Series 6)

(First investigation held during the 2004 Live Summer Solstice Most Haunted)

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Elvaston Hall is a Grade 2 listed building, designed by James Wyatt in the1800s for the Earl of Harrington. It is located approximately 4 miles south/east of Derby and is set in over 200 acres of park land, woods and formal gardens.

The hall is now owned by Derbyshire County Council and it has been put up for sale, by the council since 1999.  There are some 4 bidders competing to take over the estate at the present time.  The London-based Highgate Sanctury, it is reported, has been shortlisted, to try to ensure that public access to the castle is maintained.

Furthermore, the future of Elvaston Castle and its estate is still very much uncertain.  There are differing ideas (between trust members, members of the public and the Council) about what parts of the castle are actually up for lease.  Apparently Hilton-based Don Amott Caravans wants to create a holiday park and apartments there and the Trevor Osbourne Property Group wants to turn the castle into a hotel.

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More current information about the castle can be found at this link

Friends of Elvaston

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Most Haunted Investigation

Yvette's introduction to Elvaston Castle tells of two people connected with the castle at one time, a James Booth who once was a gamekeeper there and Maria Foot, who was an aspiring young actress.  The last use for the Castle was as a Teacher Training College which was to help with the huge costs of maintaining the Castle and these costs are what led to the Council putting the now empty building, up for sale (see above). It was built around 1813 and small parts of the Castle are actually Elisabethan.

In the Gothic Hall footsteps and doors opening and closing by themselves have been heard.  The hall also is home to a grey lady who is seen roaming the Castle and she is also seen outside, as she walks up the pathway to the nearby grave yard.

On the top floor in the servants quarters there is a chair which moves on its own, it is said it is the ghost of James Booth the Game Keeper. A maid is said to haunt the kitchens and castle - it is reported that a maid became pregnant and committed suicide. Electricity goes off and on and a noise is heard like water dripping. Bangs, taps, raps and footsteps are heard around the Castle and there are cold spots around the place.  A dark figure has been seen in the Earls bedroom, which appears to walk through the wood panelled walls.

Derek Acorah joined Yvette and Kieran in the hallway and said he picked up at least 2 active spirits and said they were bein watched.  DA picked up on what he called a group of people like a brotherhood or a secret group, mason-like.  Most Haunted said that the Stanhope family had associations with the secrative and notorious Hellfire Club, Brotherhood of Masons.  They went on next to the First Floor Morning Room and DA picked up on jovial laughter and talking, then picked up on the energies of a lady, Mariah or Maria, he said this lady was annoyed and fed up at the amount of physics and mediums visiting the hall, mainly because it upset two spirits children, a boy and a girl.  Next to the Earls bedroom, DA picked this room up as being a bedroom (as it is not obvious) and picked up on relaxation and wanting to unwind. Again DA picked up on this lady, saying she moved about the castle alot.  He picked up on a dark spirit, who have lived there and lost his life. Said this spirit had done something horrible and now could not find peace or move on.

DA visited the first floor kitchen and felt feelings of unease and something bad happening to a maid. Said she had been either violated or raped, found herself pregnant and hung herself.  This corresponds to reports of the maid  who was said to have committed suicide and who haunts the kitchen . David Wells was brought into the kitchen separate from Derek and he picked up on a maid who had got pregnant with her masters baby.  He felt a deep personal distress and a heavy sadness to do with this maid.  David Wells then went to the first floor Earls bedroom and picked up on an astral being - male - a monk or priest, as he could only see a brown robe and could not pick up anything else about this figure. He described him as a "through the walls job".  This again seems to relate to the sightings of a dark figure who is seen walking through the panelled walls in the Earls Bedroom.

David went to the 2nd floor attic and then said he was getting a love story coming through to him. He talked about 2 women and a man.  One woman was a worker downstairs and the other was a lady of the castle, the name he got was Katy or Kathy. Then he picked up on a gardner or groundsman.  David Wells then spoke about the chair (the one which reportedly moves on its own) and said how this man would sit in it and wait for the lady to come to him and David said that he imgained that if someone came and moved that chair, this man would move it back. DW further described how he would wait for this lady to come to him and how he felt both their spirit selves met up in ghostly form and this situation would play itself out over and over again.

Next started the investigation and the team switched to night vision. Richard, Stuart, Ian and Derek held a seance in the g/floor kitchen. As Derek asked out to any spirits he asked if a William or Mariah Foot was there? They heard loud knocks. Derek said Mariah was angry and didnt want a "John Peterson" there.  More knocks were heard. Richard Felix asked for the spirit to tap out loud so they could be sure it was them and more taps were heard. Richard Felix asked out to Maria Foot and again loud taps were heard.

In the F/floor corridors two crew members, Ian and Rachel were seperately in different areas, both seemed really uneasy and scared.  Rachel heard noises and a dripping noise and also something whispering in her ear which made her scream out for Ian to come and get her. They both left that area.

Carl went to the F/floor Earls bedroom on his own and footsteps and noises were heard by him. He followed the noises to the Morning Room and then to the Ladyships bedroom.  He heard a breathing-like noise and knocking noises after he had called out if anyone was there. When he felt something touch his ear, he left!

In the F/floor boudoir, Yvette, David Wells and Kieran investigated again as earlier David had uncovered a secret room there, where he had felt the dark figure went to.  DW said he felt nervous. As DW and Yvette went to the doorway of the small room there was noises heard almost like a hissing cat which sent them running! As they ventured back noises were heard and quite a few orbs where caught floating around DW and Yvette.

All in all the team were pleased with the amount of activity experienced by all.

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Further links:-

Brilliant photographs taken at Elvaston Hall by Ghost Hunters which appear to be ghosts caught on camera.

The Ghost Club Society

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June 2006