Post by Hartswood on Dec 16, 2004 6:55:33 GMT
Although a bit out of GH's area this is, what I believe, a genuine tale of a little known haunting (or hauntings) at a former mansion on the outskirts of Dorking.
There has been a house on the site since 1378, lived in then by Walter atte Pyppe (hence Pippbrook) and his wife, Alicia. The current Pippbrook House was built in the 1750s and was lived in by William Page. A painting of the mansion hangs in a room at Lords Cricket Ground.
The home passed though many different owners, until in 1817 Pippbrook House was bought by William Henry Forman, a millionaire iron master from Wales. Mr Forman almost completely rebuilt the house, turning it into an imposing Gothic mansion. When he died it passed to his sister, and after her death the estate was sold off in lots, eventually being bought by Dorking Urban District Council, where it became a library and in turn also a social services department.
In September I was fortunate to be invited on a tour of the house, along with some council staff members and a local historian, who was particularly interested in local hauntings (and Dorking has many others).
For many years now paranormal activity has been taking place, increasing recently after a break in, when there was quite a bit of damage. There seems to have been a lot of poltergiestal activity: knives being thrown down stairs, books being heard moving in the library, when only the head librarian is in there, and in one attic room, on a regular basis, pens, paper, books etc are piled up in the middle of the room. Also a woman has been seen at the bottom of the stairs, on numerous occasions, believed to be Caroline Moore, who lived there briefly in the 1880s, and the vision of a butler has been seen looking out of an upstairs window.
Most intruiging is the fact that the head of social services is called Alicia, (as the original owner) and quite regularly, after signing in of a morning, she will return to find her name has been crossed or rubbed out. Perhaps the original Alicia thinks there is room for only one at Pippbrook House!
Unfortunately, due to the senstive nature of some of the files kept there ie. child abuse records etc, they are reluctant to invite any group in to do an investigation. But it would be an interesting place to do - I'll let you know if they change their minds.
There has been a house on the site since 1378, lived in then by Walter atte Pyppe (hence Pippbrook) and his wife, Alicia. The current Pippbrook House was built in the 1750s and was lived in by William Page. A painting of the mansion hangs in a room at Lords Cricket Ground.
The home passed though many different owners, until in 1817 Pippbrook House was bought by William Henry Forman, a millionaire iron master from Wales. Mr Forman almost completely rebuilt the house, turning it into an imposing Gothic mansion. When he died it passed to his sister, and after her death the estate was sold off in lots, eventually being bought by Dorking Urban District Council, where it became a library and in turn also a social services department.
In September I was fortunate to be invited on a tour of the house, along with some council staff members and a local historian, who was particularly interested in local hauntings (and Dorking has many others).
For many years now paranormal activity has been taking place, increasing recently after a break in, when there was quite a bit of damage. There seems to have been a lot of poltergiestal activity: knives being thrown down stairs, books being heard moving in the library, when only the head librarian is in there, and in one attic room, on a regular basis, pens, paper, books etc are piled up in the middle of the room. Also a woman has been seen at the bottom of the stairs, on numerous occasions, believed to be Caroline Moore, who lived there briefly in the 1880s, and the vision of a butler has been seen looking out of an upstairs window.
Most intruiging is the fact that the head of social services is called Alicia, (as the original owner) and quite regularly, after signing in of a morning, she will return to find her name has been crossed or rubbed out. Perhaps the original Alicia thinks there is room for only one at Pippbrook House!
Unfortunately, due to the senstive nature of some of the files kept there ie. child abuse records etc, they are reluctant to invite any group in to do an investigation. But it would be an interesting place to do - I'll let you know if they change their minds.
