Southern Paranormal - Investigations
Ruined Mansion in Windsor Investigation
August 2007
Investigating Members - Amanda Horley, Maureen Taylor, Diana Moore, Marie Holder, Mark Pettet, Alison Blyth, Ross Richardson, Sandy Rutter.
Overseeing: Maria Street
Historian: Elias Kupfermann
Filming: Wayne Blyth
Introduction
As a paranormal investigation group, we were very privileged to be asked to investigate this site, as it had never been done before. It is a very different atmosphere, investigating outside and it presents different challenges. Baselines are very difficult to conduct as the temperature changes with a puff of wind. It was, however a pleasant night with an ambient temperature of around 15c and there were no EMF fluctuations. As for the history, I am going to start with a report from Elias, who explains it all very well.
Maria Street.
Teams
Team 1
Amanda Horley (Team Leader)
Mark Pettet
Marie Holder
Geoffrey Try (Guest of SPUK)
Team 2
Maureen Taylor (Team Leader)
Ross Richardson
Sandy Rutter
Andrew Try (Guest of SPUK)
Team 3
Alison Blyth (Team Leader)
Diana Moore
Sanjay Gogna (Guest of SPUK)
Fiona Try (Guest of SPUK)
Vigil Areas
Colonnaded Hall, Early Room and Lawn
Cellars
Servants Quarters, Kitchen and Mystery Room*
Equipment
Each team had access to -
1 night vision camcorder
at least 1 digital camera
1 laser temperature gun
1 emf meters
Glass for divinations
Rota
8.30pm- Arrive, meet and greet.
9.15pm- Set up, baseline tests and tour of building
10.00pm- Vigil 1
11.00pm- Break
11.30pm- Vigil 2
12.30am- Break
01.00am- Vigil 3
02.00- Pack up, then discuss evening’s findings with Geoffrey and his family before we leave.
Personal Reports
Elias Kupfermann
Having been up to the ruins of St Leonards Hill on many occasions I had often wondered whether there were any ghosts up there and decided there was only one way to find out hence this investigation. The house has a very long and interesting history starting off as a hunting lodge known as Gloucester Lodge in c.1700. The house was enlarged by the Harcourt family and at its height was a fine five storied mansion with some of the finest views in the county of Berkshire. The house became too expensive to run and in the late 1920’s was partially dismantled. Over the years it became a picturesque ruin which was purchased in 1948 by Reginald Try the father of Geoffrey Try who currently owns the land which the mansion stands.
In terms of Paranormal investigation the house has never been investigated before so it was a great opportunity for Southern Paranormal UK to see what could be found. For me personally it was an interesting experience – Our first vigil area was the lawn which was very quiet so we went off to the colonnaded hall where there was possibly some activity in terms of cold breezes which appeared during calling out – but these could be natural as the colonnade is open to the elements. Out next area was the cellars where we managed to contact William Harcourt and also is wife Mary – but what where they doing in the cellars? The use of dousing rods produced some interesting results – did they move because of spirits or an underground spring? Our final area of investigation was the servants quarters and kitchen - it was very confusing there as we seemed to have picked up a little boy who was playing with us - pretending to be other people – its was all very confusing - including the answers we got via the dousing rods.
Sandy Rutter
When me Mark, Alison and Wayne arrived at the location we thought it was a good feeling because it was nice and woody and spooky. We were greeted by Sanjay Gogna who showed us the way into the place as we got a bit lost at the end, then we were greeted by Mr Geoffery Try, the owner of this once magnificent building. We walked up towards the house and the view from the top of the hill was tremendous. You could see Windsor Castle.We then met Mrs Fiona Try, Geoffery's wife. We had a nice discussion with both Mr and Mrs Try about past investigations and we told them every investigation was very different.
Vigil 1
The Cellar
Team
Maureen
Ross
Sandy
Andrew Try
Alistair
our first vigil was in the cellar we all took a few pictures of the place and we got aquainted with the place a few minutes went past then Ross called out no response then we waited for a few more minutes then Ross got touched on the hand then about 10 or 15 minutes went past Andrew got touched on the shoulder he didnt like it and Maureen felt as if there was something behind her a older lady and then she picked up on the Catherine then we tried the rods and Maureens crystal that is all i have to say about that then we started talking to a boy between the ages of 10 and 15 unfortunatley we didnt get a name
Vigil 2
Servants Quarters Kitchen And Mystery Room
it was really quiet here nothing much happened we got a few orbs but tha is about it again we tried Maureens crystal and rods but nothing we tried calling out again nothing so there was not much to report here
Vigil 3
Collonaded Hall Early Room and Lawn
we lost 2 of our group Andrew and Alistair so we where down to 3 we walked about the grounds to see if we could pick up on anything but it was very quiet we took a few pictures i got 2 orbs on the collonade and 1 orb on the pile of blocks out side the house and that is all that happened here.
the seance wasnt like normal seances we had random questions and marie was holding rods and that is all i have to say about that
Maria Street.
Having done the pre-investigation visit with Elias the month before, I was already fortunate enough to have enjoyed the hospitality of Geoffrey, the owner, and his wife Fiona. However, other members of the group hadn’t, so we started the evening with a picnic at the top of the hill. This gave us all a chance to become acquainted with the family and to soak up the wonderful atmosphere. Although the house is now in ruins, there is still a glimpse of how magnificent it once was, with its’ majestic colonnaded front, looming over the once splendid lawn. The view takes your breath away. It stretches for miles, taking in landmarks such as Windsor Castle and the Wembley Arch, to name but a couple.
I was overseeing this investigation as Julie was unable to make it and I’d like to thank everyone for making it so easy for me. I travelled down with Di, Amanda and Maureen, picking up Elias on the way. I asked one of them if they could be a nominated timekeeper for the night and Amanda volunteered. Thank you Amanda. The night was warm and clear with a slight breeze and we were all thankful for the lack of rain, particularly as we have had such a wet summer.
My initial plan was to wander round the site and tag on to different vigils, but this was impractical, as it was too noisy underfoot, so I stayed with Amanda’s team with Marie, Mark P, Elias and Geoffrey. We started our first vigil at the colonnaded front, early room and lawn. We first went to the lawn, where the stills cameras picked up some light anomalies. Some of these, however, can be attributed to dust or pollen. We picked up a musky, spicy scent on the lawn and were able to rule out peoples’ after shave, perfume or soap. I knew it couldn’t be me because I purposely do not wear any perfume on an investigation for this reason. We moved on up to the colonnaded front and almost immediately noticed a drop in temperature. We should have been more sheltered here but could feel a very cold breeze. Elias came up with the word, ami, or friend in French and felt very cold as he said it. The word ‘Major’ came into my head very strongly, but I could not voice it aloud, as I had read and heard some of the history of the place and could not be sure that this is where I had got it from. I was almost certain that I hadn’t but knew I would feel better if somebody else got it independently of me.
Our next vigil was down in the cellar, where the scene was set by some mightily impressive spiders. Not for the faint hearted, or for Wayne! Amanda started to use the divining rods and a question and answer session ensued. We ascertained that we were speaking with a William Harcourt, and, thankfully, Amanda then picked up that he was a Major.
Our next vigil was in the mystery room, servants quarters and the kitchen. I got the name Suzy in the servants quarters and, a little later on, the name Hector came to me, who Geoffrey verified was there in later years, so there is no way I could have read up on him, which made me feel a little better! Amanda used the divining rods again, but it seemed we were in contact with a playful spirit who kept giving unreliable and contradictory evidence, which was a real pity.
For the last part of the evening, we all joined together down in the cellar for a group séance. I took over the filming because Wayne was not too keen on the spiders! He did brave coming so far in to the cellar though and could watch from a distance.
This was a fantastic location and I would like to thank Geoffrey and his family and friends for their very warm welcome, for their open mindedness and for their willingness to try everything. We would love to return at a later date for further investigation. This was a first for any paranormal group and we were privileged to be to there. Thanks also to Elias for his help in securing this location and for his help with the investigation as a whole.
Diana Moore
On arriving at the Ruined Mansion in Windsor we parked in what I can only call woods. This was about 8.30pm and it was dark and spooky under those trees. We walked up to the Ruined Mansion (well this was just what it was),
We did a walk round with Elias and started our vigil, I was in team three with Alison, Sanjay (guest) and Fiona (Owner). This Mansion has never been investigated before.
Vigil 1. Servant's Quarters, Kitchen and Mystery Room.
We went to the Mystery Room first (the Mystery Room nobody seems to know what it was used for) my first impressions was of baths like a Roman Bath House, Sanjay thought the same at first, standing round these area's in the dark, only light being a torch and camcorder. I could hear sound of rustlings which could have come from the undergrowth or trees but it was not windy and was such a lovely night. I saw a figure standing not far from us. It was a girl about 4ft - 5ft. It was dark but I could make out a shawl wrapped round her over her head and round her shoulders. It was very clear to me, then I just wanted to go to where she had been standing in the open, look up to the stars, arms out stretched, and twist round and round and round which I did. I could not help myself. She seemed very happy to be there.( Group must have thought I was mad). Break.
Vigil 2. Collonaded Hall, Early Room and Lawn.
The Pillars were amazing with parts of the floor having mosaic still on it, the feeling of this Mansion being pulled down was depressing and sad. On the lawn we sat on tree trunks, called out to spirit, but nothing, feelings though were all over the place, horses, children, garden parties, soldiers and we heard an owl which Fiona tooted in reply to and it answered back. Break.
Vigil 3. Cellars.
Down in the cellars there were lots of cold spots Alison picked up on, lad with red hair and a boy. I got nothing. The rest of the groups arrived and we used the Rods and they answered questions when asked. This was very good.
All in all I had a good night and when Maria showed me a photo of a large orb on her camera, it had a face in it, and this was the girl I had seen early with a shawl. Could have done with a portalou!
Thank you to the Owners for letting us come and investigate The Ruined Mansion, it was a good night and hope you enjoyed it as I did.
Wayne Blyth.
A very brief report from me this time, as I was heavily involved in the filming side of things. On this investigation I was not taking part in any group activities, therefore, I did not experience anything of a “paranormal” nature.
We were met by our kind host and shown the way to our eventual destination. In daylight, it looks very impressive, although not much remains of the house itself.
After the walkthrough, it was off to the vigils. Unfortunately, as I reported above, I was too involved in capturing “general views” for the SPUK dvd.
I was, however, able to face my fears yet again, as, during the vigils, I was able to wander between them and found myself quite alone in what is essentially a wood. In the pitch black in the middle of the night is quite a scary thought, but actually being there and doing it is not as bad as I thought it would be.
The only thing I couldn’t face were the spiders in the cellar (being severely arachnophobic), although eventually I did manage to venture in and stand by the doorway, ready for a quick exit should one of these nasty creatures pounce.
During my filming, I did see that there was dowsing going on which appeared to be gleaning results, but I would have to leave that for other people to report on.
Conclusion:
All in all, a very impressive location, and one, I am sure, would benefit from a return visit.
I must thank Geoffrey, Fiona, Sanjay et al for being extremely kind and generous and for extending their warm welcome to the SPUK crew.
Ross Richardson
The Ruined Mansion at Windsor is a great building on the top of a hill over Castle .It is surrounded by trees and a big lawn. I was in vigil team 2 with Maureen (team leader) Sandy, Andrew and Sanjay. First we went down into the cellars which had a musty smell. I called out for spirits but had no response. After a little while we did pick up on a young boy and a lady. We used the dowsing rods which did respond to some of the questions and also the crystal. Next we moved onto the servants quarter`s,kitchen and mystery room. We all stood out in the area where these rooms did stand a long time ago, Around us was just rubble stones and some half standing walls. We took turn in calling out but it was very quiet and no response. I did hear some rustling sounds through the trees but think it was maybe animals nearby moving around. We all had a break, then moved onto our last vigil of the night which was the collonaded hall, early room and lawn. We moved around on this last vigil but it was very quiet and did not pick up any paranormal activity. Did take some pictures and a couple did show an orb. Tried the emf meter but did not pick anything up. I then walked up towards the lawn, which around that area seemed quiet and peaceful. All the vigils were coming to an end now so all of the investigation team and guests decided to do a seance in the cellars as most of us picked up more activity there. We all stood around in a circle and called out and used the dowsing rods. There was great response and they picked up on a couple of spirits which was the boy again and also a man Alison picked up on which seemed not a very nice person. It was a great night and I really enjoyed it. Just wish the spirits showed themselves to me more but it was the first time a paranormal team has investigated this site and maybe the spirits are a bit shy to come forward and show themselves. Would like to thank Maria for all her hard work sorting this one out for us, and Geoffrey and Fiona for inviting us to investigate this wonderful ruined mansion and I hope you enjoyed the experience
Marie Holder
Team: Amanda Horley, Mark Pettet, Marie Holder, Geoffrey Fry
Watchers: Maria Street, Elias Kupferman
Introduction
What a beautiful building this must have been once upon a time! This wonderful ruin in a picturesque location is such a sorry sight to behold as very little is left of this mansion but it still holds a truly unique atmosphere hidden in the fabric of the walls. Unfortunately I did not get to see as much of it as I would have liked during the daylight (as I did not find the location until gone 9pm!) however, I still had high hopes that this location would hopefully reveal some of its past.
Vigil 1 – Colonnaded area, Early Room and Lawns
Temp 15.3º
EMF readings: none
We started on the lawns and I picked up what I thought was a strong smell of either lavender or a pungent grassy smell, Amanda said she smelt something similar and it appeared out of nowhere and there was very little wind. We thought however, that it might be a plant that was growing in the grass. There were also lots of orbs photographed, which could have been pollen as you could see it floating about in your torch light.
Amanda tried using the diving rods and they led her to a tree, but no further explanation was offered as to why they led her to this particular tree and she could not pick anything up.
I stood by the colonnades and Elias said he kept getting cold blasts across his body and face and I stood in one place in the colonnades and felt as though we were being watched from within the ruins and a cold blast came over me almost instantly and I felt very uneasy almost like a “walked over your grave” type feeling.
Vigil 2 – Cellar
Temp 11º
EMF readings: none
We walked down to the end of the cellar and Amanda got some movement on the rods when walking up and down the length of the cellar. I tried and got no movement at all; Geoffrey and Elias had a go and got different results.
We called out but got no response.
Amanda tried contacting spirit with the rods but got no response. I tried and we managed to contact a Major William Harcourt who was born after 1800 and died before 1850 in the house. We also learned that he had a mistress called Sophie, a wife called Mary and one daughter.
Vigil 3 – Servants Quarters, Kitchen and Mystery room
Temp: 16º
EMF readings: none
We did not experience much in these areas, we tried calling out but we did not get any response.
We then tried the diving rods again and got a boy child through, who kept giving us contradicting answers, so we thought he may have been playing games with us as one minute he was saying he was under 20 years of age and another minute he was saying he was over 20 years of age.
He also said that he was a drummer boy and that he had brothers and sisters.
Séance in the cellar
We all joined together for a séance in the cellar. We again tried the diving rods and got the little boy through again so we did not know whether he was telling the truth or not. Alison also mentioned that we should be aware that there was some sort of malevolent spirit in the cellar with us; I therefore thought this could be disguising itself as the child we had contacted.
We also spoke to Mary Harcourt, wife of William, who was friends with George IV and who had been to Windsor Castle. We also spoke to a Richard who had lived in the house and who said he was 35 years old.
Conclusion
To see this location in such a ruin was a sheer tragedy and was once, I’m sure, a magnificent sight to behold in its heyday. I went to this location not knowing what to expect as I had not investigated a ruined mansion before, but it was a joy to go round and learn some of it history and to hear about its previous occupants. The best area for me was the cellar (despite the spiders!) as there was definitely something down there!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Geoffrey, Fiona and their family for their hospitality and for allowing us to investigate this wonderful location and I look forward to re-visiting it sometime soon.
Mark Pettet.
Our first vigil was on the Colonnaded Hall, Early Room and Lawn. Initially it was very quiet We/I did pick up a lot of orb activity but after closer inspection put it down to airborne pollen and insects. We then changed places from the lawn to the colonnaded hall and early room, divining rods being used and seemed to be producing some answer to questions .
Our second vigil was in the cellars. calling out didn’t produce any results but rods seemed to be the best form of communication in here.
Third vigil was the Servant’s Quarters, Kitchen and Mystery Room. In my experience there, I only heard noises from the wooded area, putting that down to animal movement and orbs on stills camera. Apart from that very quiet here for me.
All in all this was a very quiet investigation for me. The final vigil was in the cellar with all who took part. I didn’t get any feelings at all about the building, and although the orbs seemed to suggest that there was something there, and with rod divination very active, maybe something is there but will leave that up to others to decide for themselves.
Maureen Taylor
What a magnificent setting for a house, the view was, sorry, still is, wonderful. I was looking forward with great anticipation to this investigation. Having only realised a few days beforehand that I was down to do this investigation I had no idea what to expect, and as I wasn’t driving there, I had no idea where it was.
Having met our hosts and guests for the night, and had a picnic supper with them, followed by a tour of what was left of the buildings, it was time to head for our first vigil.
Vigil 1 – the cellars
Having made our way down the steps into the cellar we settled down in various places along its length to wait and see if anything was going to happen.
After a while several of us sensed the presence of someone with us, at first we couldn’t identify it, but when we used the dowsing rods and pendulum we began to get some answers. I was given the name Katherine or Kathleen, wasn’t sure which, so we asked if we could just call her Kath, which she seemed quite happy with, however, I had the feeling that this wasn’t her real name in life, but it was at least a name we could use in our communication with her. She told us that she was a servant, and had been the housekeeper. It was difficult getting a date from her, but eventually we came up with somewhere around 1810.
I had taken a chair with me and was therefore sitting down as I’m unable to stand for any length of time. During almost all of the vigil I could sense someone pacing/walking to and fro behind me, and at times stopping behind my chair. At the end of the vigil I had a very definite sensation of someone holding my elbows and trying to help me out of the chair, as if they knew that I might find it difficult. Whether this was the same spirit – Kathleen – that we had been communicating with through the vigil or not, I can’t tell. We got no more information from her, she told us that she wasn’t too happy about our being there and would prefer it if we left her in peace.
Other members of the group at times thought they were sensing things happening, being touched on the hair and so on, but I think it was Ross that said he couldn’t be sure whether it was actually spirit presence or just cobwebs and the like brushing against him in the breeze.
Vigil 2 – servants quarters
A quiet vigil this one, very little happening at all, at least, not that we were aware of. The only spirit presence that I personally was aware of was the young friend that often accompanies me on investigations. Using the dowsing rods and pendulum we asked her if there were any spirits other than herself in the area we were in, she gave us a definite yes, but said that they didn’t want to communicate with us.
After the investigation as I was showing my photos of it to a friend he said that he could sense a female presence in the area, but at the time we weren’t aware of her there.
Vigil 3 – front of the house
Another quiet vigil during which we made no contact with any spirits, though again several of us had the feeling that they were around but didn’t want to talk to us.
This was a location that had never seen a paranormal investigation before, so it was going to be an interesting experience for all of us, and it didn’t disappoint. A wonderful old place, with a great atmosphere.
Amanda Horley.
When we arrived we were shown a picture of the mansion when it was intact. A great idea, as it would have been very difficult otherwise to imagine how the areas we were investigating would have looked when there was still an intact building there. Even so, it was sobering to see how quickly nature can take over an area once the humans move on.
Our first vigil was on the lawns and amongst the remains of the mansion entrance. It was a generally quiet vigil, although the dowsing rods did seem to be directing me across the lawn to one particular tree. However, once there I was unable to pick anything further up which was a little frustrating. When standing amongst the pillars of the entrance, each of us was experiencing some strange cold areas, but because of the open nature of the area it was difficult to rule out the wind as the cause of these.
Our second vigil was in the cellars of the building. These were divided into three areas, and in the furthest area we all had a go with the dowsing rods and got a similar response. This was very strong and pulled the rods off to one side, but for me had no “spirit” feeling attached to it. We were unable to get responses in this area with the rods. Was it perhaps an underground stream? We then moved to the first area in the cellars, and quickly picked up on a spirit with the rods. As Marie knew nothing of the history of the building, she held the rods, and Elias asked some initial questions. When he mentioned the name Harcourt I immediately felt that we were talking to a man called William. When Elias asked if he was married, I saw him with a mistress. Someone of importance, possibly titled, and someone who enjoyed horse riding/hunting. As we asked further questions I also felt that he had just one child (through marriage), a girl.
Our third vigil was in the kitchen and staff area, and for me was quiet.
Our final vigil was with the whole group in the cellars, and this time we were in the central area. We did pick up on a spirit, but a different one to the man we had met earlier. I didn’t get any feelings relating to this energy.
It was a great investigation, and it is always nice to do something different like a ruin or other outdoors site. Thank you to the owner and his friends for making us so welcome, and I hope that we have been able to provide answers to some of his questions.
Alison Blyth.
We arrived at the location and I must admit I was quite overwhelmed by the keep out signs and my first impression as 'what have I let myself get into' but as we wandered further up the drive I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.
The view was absolutely fantastic and as it was a warm summer evening I was really looking forward to the investigation .As we sat in the lawn area I saw what can only be described as a groundsman in the woods . He didn't identify himself to me, he only gave me images of cages of young pheasants which he seemed to be caring for ready to be released come the hunting season
My first vigil was in the kitchen area.I was looking forward to this as during our guided tour I did pick up on a few bits and bobs which intrigued me and left me wanting to find out more.
I felt the presence of a young girl first of all, but she seemed reluctant to come forward and kept her distance. I got the impression that she was a servant girl and would only speak when spoken to. She was dressed in a drab brown uniform with a pinny but also she seemed to wear a bonnet of some sort. We called out and received no response from her but I began to smile as I was welcomed by a small boy. He seemed out of place as he was dressed in good quality clothes in a pale blue colour. Almost like breaches and a white frilly shirt with a waistcoat. He gave the impression of liking it in this area and would play her with the servants who liked him being around. He made me aware of having brothers and sisters who also would play and associate with the servants who would make them cookies with hot milk.
My next area was in the veranda area. It struck me as strange as I could hear horses and the noise of wheels passing by on the gravel drive. I asked our guest what this meant as in theory this was the back of the house and surely guests would be making a grand entrance at the front for effect. I was advised that the site ha been used for many purposes over the centuries and this could relate to another time period.
I also sensed that a lady had been seen walking up the driveway to the lawn area but was purely in visitation as this was a place she liked and wished to remain . The Veranda also gave me a sense of well being as I could visualise ladies sitting looking out the window to the manicured gardens to get inspiration for samples they were stitching. On a fine day they would walk the grounds with their parasols. I think the era was Edwardian as they wore dresses that consisted of a corset and a bustle at the back.
My last vigil was in the cellar area. I felt very uneasy in the far room and felt that the energy here was very strong. I believe that there is an underground well beneath us. I was approached by a stocky male who gave me the name of Richard. He made me feel very uneasy as he seemed quite leery and seemed to invade my space uninvited. He had piercing green/blue eyes which I felt were staring at me to the point of feeling intimidated. He gave me the surname of Harcroft and he liked to drink port or fine wine in this area.
All in all a good evening for me with good company . I feel very privileged to have been invited to this wonderful ruin. Thank you .
Conclusion.
It’s not very often we get the chance to investigate solely outside, especially one which has not been investigated before. I would very much like to thank Geoffrey and his family for their very kind hospitality and I hope you got as much out of this evening as we all did.