EPPING: Veteran breaks 60-year silence over haunting (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

EPPING: Veteran breaks 60-year silence over haunting

1:19pm Monday 26th January 2009

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A SECOND World War veteran has broken a 60 year silence to speak about the ghostly events he witnessed while staying at a manor house.

Evan Andrew, 92, was stationed at Hill Hall, Theydon Mount, during the 1940s when he served with the Royal Artillery, and has never been able to shake off the memory of his experience there.

He told the Guardian: ”I was batman to two officers, one a Major and the other a Captain. They picked their bedroom which was off the Great Hall.

“The first job I was given the next morning was to find another room for the two officers. It seems that, during the night, both men were disturbed by some experience they could not account for, but they refused to sleep in the same room again.”

After the officers left, two new ones were assigned to the room.

“I thought no more of it until, a few days later, the same two officers returned. They asked where they were to sleep and, on being told that they had the same room, they replied that there was no way on earth they would sleep in there and they would even be prepared to sleep outside rather than in that room.”

Hill House was built in the 1560s by Sir Thomas Smith a high profile courtier of Queen Elizabeth I.

A number of ghost stories have surrounded the building, the most common telling of seven brothers and one sister said to have lived in the haunted room 300 years ago.

The sister is said to have formed an attachment with a man her brothers did not approve of. The brothers then fought duels with the man one-by-one until all of them were killed.

The remorseful sister committed suicide and ever since Hill Hall is said to have been haunted by her ghost.

Anne Padfield, who organises tours of Hill Hall on behalf of English Heritage, said: “There are a few ghost stories associated with it. There’s supposed to be a ghost horse and carriage and a couple of other characters. Personally I don’t really believe in it but it’s nice to keep an open mind about another dimension. I would be happier if I could find a scientific explanation.”

Mr Andrew, who now lives in Aberystwyth, felt compelled to write to the Guardian about his experiences when he heard on the internet of another account of hauntings at the Hall remarkably similar to his own experiences.

“I received the same reaction from both pairs of officers, despite the fact that they had never met each other and had had no opportunity to talk about their experiences,” he said.

“I was so surprised, after more than sixty years, to read of such a similar event.”

Tours of Hill Hall are available to book on any Wednesday between April 1 and September 30 by calling 01799 522842, price £5 adults, £4 OAP, £2.50 children.

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