Ghosts: Mysterious Tales from the National Trust

The houses and castles of Britain’s National Trust are teeming with ghost stories—eyewitness accounts of the spirits of former owners, staff, even pets haunting their former homes. Elizabeth, Duchess of Lauderdale is said to wander solemnly through Ham House in Surrey, sometimes accompanied by the ghost of her beloved spaniel. Anne Boleyn is reported to travel to Norfolk’s Blickling Hall in a coach driven by a headless horseman—and carrying her own head in her lap. The ruins of many historic houses and castles are similarly alive with ghoulish tales. In Ghosts, cultural historian Siân Evans interviews those who work and live in these National Trust houses. She also traces the origins of the myths and legends long associated with these haunted homes—comparing them with contemporary accounts to yield some very chilling results.