Chambercombe Manor
Encyclopedia
Chambercombe Manor is a Norman
manor house
located near Ilfracombe
, Devon
, which dates back to the 11th century and was recorded in the Domesday Book
. It is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in the United Kingdom
.
. However, it did not lose its former grandeur during this period, and today the manor is open to the public. The house contains eight period rooms available to view, ranging from Elizabethan to Victorian
.
Room, who herself descended from the Champernon family. It was discovered in 1865 when the owner at the time was making some roof repairs, and noticed the outline of a window that did not have a room associated with it inside. After exploring the building in the area where the window was, he and his wife knocked through a wall and discovered a large four poster bed
, and on it was a skeleton
.
Legend has it the skeleton was the remains of Kate Oatway. In the 18th century, the house was lived in by William Oatway, whose daughter Kate had married an Irish
captain named Wallace, and they lived in Dublin. Oatway did not own the property, but it was his ambition to. However, he did not have the money to pay for it. Oatway's father, Alexander who had lived on the same site had been a notorious "ship-wrecker", by falsely guiding the ships on to the rocks and stealing any valuables that may have been carried. William had married a Spaniard whom he had saved from such an incident, and did not follow his father's activities. However, one stormy night as he was watching out to see if any ships were in distress he noticed a young woman who was badly injured, lying on the rocks. He carried her back to the house, and he and his wife tried to save her but she died soon afterwards. As they searched her for some kind of identity, Oatway noticed she carried enough money and jewels to enable him to buy the manor, so he took the money from her. It was soon revealed to him that the young woman was Kate, and Oatway was so guilt-stricken he boarded up the body in a secret room.
Other ghosts at Chambercombe include two little girls who have been seen in the upstairs children's bedroom, and a lady seen by the pond near the café. There are also cold spots throughout the house, including on an old staircase. The house made an appearance on Most Haunted
in 2006.
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
located near Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England with a small harbour, surrounded by cliffs.The parish stretches along the coast from 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and 4 miles along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, which dates back to the 11th century and was recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. It is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The Manor was owned by the Champernon family until the 15th century, when it passed through various families until 1979 when it was donated to the Chambercombe Manor Trust. The house lost its status as an estate at some point, and for a long time it was used as a farmhouseFarmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
. However, it did not lose its former grandeur during this period, and today the manor is open to the public. The house contains eight period rooms available to view, ranging from Elizabethan to Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
Ghost activity
The manor's most infamous ghost originated in a room known as the "Haunted Room". This room adjoins the Lady Jane GreyLady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
Room, who herself descended from the Champernon family. It was discovered in 1865 when the owner at the time was making some roof repairs, and noticed the outline of a window that did not have a room associated with it inside. After exploring the building in the area where the window was, he and his wife knocked through a wall and discovered a large four poster bed
Four poster bed
A four-poster bed is a bed with four vertical columns, one in each corner, that support a tester, or upper panel. There are a number of antique four-poster beds extant dating to the 16th century and earlier; many of these early beds are highly ornate and are made from oak...
, and on it was a skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
.
Legend has it the skeleton was the remains of Kate Oatway. In the 18th century, the house was lived in by William Oatway, whose daughter Kate had married an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
captain named Wallace, and they lived in Dublin. Oatway did not own the property, but it was his ambition to. However, he did not have the money to pay for it. Oatway's father, Alexander who had lived on the same site had been a notorious "ship-wrecker", by falsely guiding the ships on to the rocks and stealing any valuables that may have been carried. William had married a Spaniard whom he had saved from such an incident, and did not follow his father's activities. However, one stormy night as he was watching out to see if any ships were in distress he noticed a young woman who was badly injured, lying on the rocks. He carried her back to the house, and he and his wife tried to save her but she died soon afterwards. As they searched her for some kind of identity, Oatway noticed she carried enough money and jewels to enable him to buy the manor, so he took the money from her. It was soon revealed to him that the young woman was Kate, and Oatway was so guilt-stricken he boarded up the body in a secret room.
Other ghosts at Chambercombe include two little girls who have been seen in the upstairs children's bedroom, and a lady seen by the pond near the café. There are also cold spots throughout the house, including on an old staircase. The house made an appearance on Most Haunted
Most Haunted
Most Haunted is a British paranormal documentary reality television series. The series was first shown on 25 May 2002 and ended on 21 July 2010. It was broadcast on Living and presented by Yvette Fielding. The programme was based on investigating purported paranormal activity...
in 2006.