HISTORY

The area can be dated back to the Norman Conquest, where shortly after the land was owned by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester.

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In the 13th Century, ownership of the land passed on to the Despenser family, who created a deer park and hunting lodge where the current Beaumanor Hall now stands. In 1327, the land and property then passed to Henry de Beaumont, who built a new house on the site called 'Beau Manor' in 1330. He also built the nearby church in 1338. In 1595, the manor was replaced with a new house for Sir William Herrick, who was a government official under Elizabeth I and later became an MP for Leicester. The house was extensively altered in 1610, and remained until 1725, when once again it was replaced with a smaller house that was completed the following year.

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This was then again demolished in 1842 by the owner William Herrick, who ordered for a new Jacobean style mansion, architected by William Railton and built over roughly an 8-year period. The Hall was constructed using stone from various quarries in neighbouring Derbyshire, with marble floors coming from Ashford. William however struggled with affording the cost of construction, and sought help from his uncle James Perry to pay for the remaining costs. His uncle agreed but on one condition, that he would change his surname to Perry Herrick, to mark the Perry family name on the property. The initials 'PH' can still be found on the some of the decor inside the building. The building in total costed £37,000 once it was completed.

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William Herrick was born in Wolverhampton and went to Oxford to become a barrister. One of his uncles owned the previous mansion up until his death in 1832 and had no male heirs to take over, so the property and land was inherited by his nephew William. He also inherited Earlisley Park in 1852 when his uncle James Perry died, making him a very wealthy man just from property and land alone. He lived at Beaumanor Hall with his younger sister Mary Ann Herrick for many years, who was known to be a very kind and generous lady, and sadly died in 1871 at Beaumanor Hall.

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In 1862, William who was 68, married Sophia Christie who was 37 years younger than him. This meant that couple had no children because of his age. One Tuesday afternoon in February 1876, William was out riding his horse, as he was a described as a very healthy man for his age. He then began feeling faint and his servants brought him into what is now the Bar Room. It was shortly after that William passed away in there. While his cause of death isn't officially known, it was likely due to old age. All of his assets, properties and lands was passed over to his wife Sophia, who continued living at Beaumanor Hall on her own with her servants, until 1915 when she died. One of her favourite servants was a lady called Elizabeth Ellerbeck. The Hall then went into possession of one of William's relatives, William Montagu Curzon, who took on the Herrick name when he became owner of Beaumanor Hall.

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Montagu Curzon-Herrick shortly after married Maud Kathleen Cairns Plantagenet Hastings, who was referred to as just Kathleen Hastings. In 1923, a wedding took place at Beaumanor Hall between Dorothy Hastings, cousin of Kathleen, and Lord Eltham, who was the nephew to the Queen Consort of King George V, and also the 2x great grandson of King George III. This wedding was widely reported in newspapers at the time. William and Kathleen frequently held parties, gatherings and celebrations at the Hall, until the Second World War broke out. In 1939, the War Office took over the estate, and the Hall and Park became a secret listening station, where encrypted Morse code signals from the enemy were intercepted and decoded. The estate passed back to the Curzon-Herrick family, but in 1946, then owner Lieutenant Colonel Assheton Penn Curzon Howe Herrick decided to dispose of his assets for financial reasons, and by December of that same year, the War Office purchased Beaumnor and the surrounding grounds. Today, Beaumanor Hall is owned by Leicestershire County Council.

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GHOSTS & HAUNTINGS

Beaumanor Hall is home to many paranormal activities, including full apparition ghost sightings and terrifying noises that will send you running.

Perhaps the Hall's most popular ghost is the White Lady, strongly believed to be the wife of William Perry Herrick, Sophia. Her ghost is commonly seen around the Grand Staircase walking across the landing. It's also on this landing that clear phantom footsteps have been heard by multiple witnesses, including some of our team. They can only be described as heels walking on wood, even though the landing is carpeted.

The apparition of a male figure is also seen throughout the building. Could this be William Perry Herrick coming back to his stately home, or is this a different character?

In the Attic areas, loud dragging sounds and taps are heard with nobody around that part of the building. Who or what is causing these sounds? And will they communicate with us to tell us more?

In the Ground Floor State Rooms, poltergeist activity like plates and glasses being thrown have been reported by staff and visitors, with no explanation as to their occurrences.

And the most eeriest place to be in is the labyrinth of Cellars, as this is where your fears will definitely be heightened. People have reported loud phantom boot-like footsteps pace up and down the never-ending corridors, with disembodied voices, taps and groans heard in various rooms and areas. Are these the ghostly war officers who took position here at Beaumanor during World War 2?
 

YOUR GHOST HUNT EXPERIENCE

Your night of ghost hunting with Brookes Paranormal is guaranteed a fun, safe and spooky one. Experience this historic location with exclusive access after dark, as you explore the eerie rooms and areas in search for the ghostly spirits that haunt here. Here at Beaumanor Hall, you will get to investigate the expansive Cellars, the Ground Floor State Rooms, the Lower Attic Rooms and the Upper Attic Rooms.

Our team are friendly, professional, approachable and knowledgeable with paranormal investigating, and we will guide and support you to make sure you get the most out of your investigation. We welcome everyone from all walks of life, as our events are a safe space for all who love and enjoy the thrill of ghost hunting. Whether you're a paranormal novice or an experienced investigator, you'll be well-looked after and treated like family.

This is an honest ghost hunting experience, so there won't be any fakery or trickery during the night. We believe that if activity happens, it happens for real.

On your ghost hunt, you will be split into smaller groups to give you the best, personal experience possible. You will also get hands on with various pieces of ghost hunting equipment and participate in interesting paranormal experiments.​ While we encourage everyone
to get involved in the night's vigils, you don't have to partake in experiments like Ouija Boards and the Estes Method if you don't
want to, we have plenty of other equipment for you to use.

You will also have a couple of breaks throughout the night, where we provide you with unlimited refreshments and snacks.

 

YOUR EVENT INCLUDES