In the December issue, the history piece by Nick Pollard described ghostly goings on at Battlecrease Hall in Shepperton. These tales had been reported in the local newspaper in the mid 1940’s. Battlecrease Hall was given a new lease of life by current owners Mike Brennan and Lisa Rollin who moved in in 2013. They had read some stories about the property on the internet and as the property dates from the mid 17thcentury it has plenty of history. But Mike and Lisa kept uncovering its secrets after they moved in – not all of them welcome…
Rumour has it that during the civil war, Roundheads kept their Cavalier prisoners in the cellars. Various people had seen ghosts, a lady seen on the second floor, nannies in Victorian clothes seen standing at the end of children’s beds. We have heard stories from several older residents who, when they were children, were so spooked by the house that they remember running past it when they were children.
Shortly after moving in, Mike was alone in the house one night when he started experiencing strange things. The drawing room was extremely cold, despite being a mild July evening. The room also smelled strongly of wet horse. In addition, Mike heard strange noises. The couple had already decided to have the house blessed for good luck, but these events hastened the desire to do so. A day or so later Father Chris Swift came to the house. Chris spent over 3 hours, moving from room to room ‘cleansing’ and blessing. “If this doesn’t work” he said “we’ll call in the big guns”.
The following weekend Battlecrease Hall was hosting a lunch for 20 guests. As the party continued, some guests stayed over. Coming down the next day, one of them remarked on the beautiful piano playing early in the morning, and seeing Lisa at the piano through the patio doors as he strolled round the garden…Except that Lisa had not been up at that time and no one else had touched the piano. That night Mike and Lisa were woken by a huge crash in the early hours. The house shook and the whole family felt it. Looking round the house, checking every room, everything was in order. Days later, household items went missing, only to turn up unexpectedly somewhere entirely different. Something had to be done.
The ‘Big gun’ was referred by the Bishop of London. Known as a ‘Spiritual Displacement Officer’ the gentleman arrived quickly. He told the couple that a big job like this was a weekly occurrence to him, so they felt in good hands. Again he visited all rooms, ‘speaking’ to the lingering spirits. It was an emotional experience for all present. The officer talked of feeling a lot of activity under the drawing room, feeling a presence in the ground. Supposition has it that the cellar where prisoners were held extended underneath it. The visit helped free the souls in limbo and release them from the house. It seemed to do the job. There have been no further strange activities since and the family is now settled into a normal life, integrating with in the community and loving every moment.