A Haunted Manor? My experience is certainly not something that I would wish to have again. It was about eight years ago, when I was taking part in a four-day residential course involving a three-night stay at Halsay Manor. There were about thirty of us, and when I arrived on the first day, most people had already chosen rooms (some deciding to share). I was told that there were only two remaining rooms vacant. These were both in the main house - there was also a 'Mews' which was already full. The first room I was shown was quite a long room, with about three beds in it. It filled me with a 'chill', and I couldn't get the thought of nuns out of my mind, for some reason. Also, there was a door with a latch in one of the walls, which made me feel uncomfortable - as if there was something lurking behind it, which would manifest itself in some manner during the night. I refused this room, but didn't say why, so was taken to the other one. This was rather foreboding as it was like a dormitory with about eight beds in it. However, I didn't feel the same uneasiness as with the first room. I asked again if they had any other rooms, but was told this was it, until the following night when they were expecting one to become vacant. I didn't sleep particularly well, probably because it wasn't a very cosy room, but nothing untoward happened. The next night, I accepted the room, which had become vacant. This was much smaller than the other two, with only two beds, and I felt quite relaxed when I settled down for the night, falling asleep quite easily. At about one thirty a.m., I suddenly woke up with what I can only describe as an immense pressure on top of me, as if there was something or someone pressing down on my body. I tried to sit up, but I couldn't. I started to feel frightened. Then, very quickly, the top of my bed (where the headboard is) rose up the wall for a few seconds, and the bed then went crashing down onto the floor. It made me scream, (something I do very rarely) and I managed to get out of my bed and turn the light on, to check there was no-one else in there. I found my dressing gown and left. My scream had woken up a friend in the room next to me, and she kindly offered me half of her double bed to sleep in for the rest of the morning. When I related my experience at breakfast the next morning, the person running the course said that strange things had happened on previous occasions (he ran a residential course once a year). I spoke to a member of staff from the hotel that admitted that the place was haunted, and that the room I was first shown had been exorcised a while ago. However, there seemed some reluctance to go into any detail. I said that in the circumstances, I was not staying a third night. So I travelled back to Dorset that afternoon, and returned to the Manor the next morning. The experience frightened me, because it seemed violent, and had quite a lasting impact on me. Halsay Manor was used for quite a few years for residential training courses. I have spoken to colleagues who went on the course either earlier or later than I did, and they all know that the place had a reputation for being haunted. One of them told me that she was sharing a room with another woman, but they felt uncomfortable, as it had an uncanny "chill" to it, so they had to change rooms. A trainer on my course, who had been there for a few consecutive years, said that some women had been very spooked whilst taking a shower, as they heard "voices" on the other side of the curtain, but no-one was there. Judy. Dorset. [Home][Top][Back] If page is loaded out of frames click Here This material may not be copied, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Ghost Watch UK are not held responsible for any actions taken after reading any of our pages!