I spent my early life living in a small village in West Sussex. The village nestles on the slopes of the South Downs.

On the Downs above the village is the National Trust property Uppark. The house was extensively damaged by fire several years ago and the National Trust spent millions restoring it to its former glory using modern detective techniques to re-create the paint, fabrics and plaster used originally when the house was built. They made a TV program about the restoration perhaps some of you saw it?

Anyway the ghost is connected to the house.

At the begining of the 1800's the son of the owner was due to be married. It was decided that after the service in the parish church of St Mary's in the village the Wedding Breakfast would be held in the newly completed hunting lodge on the downs.

The lodge was a large square turreted afair, which was built specifically to entertain the large number of guest that the owner invited to hunting parties. Not unusual at the time. But Sir Harry, the owner, was a great friend of 'Prinny' the Prince of Wales who was later to become George III (if memory serves me).

There was to be a great feast laid out for the many guests and music and dancing. The village choir were also to sing for the guests during the festivities.

The plans were all in place for the wedding which was to take place on Mid-Summers Day.

The night before the choir held a last practice in the hunting lodge. At the end of the session the one of the choiristors who was due to sing a solo the next day stayed behind to do some extra practice and help tidy things away.

Now the story goes that whilst he was tidying away in the choir stalls he heard voices below him in the hall. He stopped to listen and what he heard cost him his life.

There were several men below in the hall who had met there to plan a murder. Some say that they were planning to murder Sir Harry because he had sacked them from their jobs on the estate, which meant that they and their families would be destitute with no home, others say that they were planning to murder Prinny who was to be a guest at the wedding.

For what reason is uncertain but this was during the American war of Independance and also the continuing war with France, either would have provided a motive.

The story goes that the boy made a noise and was discovered. The men tortured the boy to find out how much he knew, he told them nothing but simply sang the solo he was due to sing the following day. He died still singing.

They draged his body away onto the downs and left it there.

The following morning as the Vicar was preparing for the ceremony a shadowy figure appeared behind him in the church. It told him that murder was to be committed that day at the hunting lodge and that these men had already had the blood of an innocent on their hands.

When the vicar turned to see who had told him this there was no-one there but he was convinced that it was the voice of the boy.

Before the service the vicar, who was a member of Sir Harry's family, told Sir Harry of the warning. Sir Harry took it seriously, especially with the Prince comming, and took steps to prevent it.

The conspiritors were aprehended waiting in hiding in the stables of the hunting lodge and when questioned one of them broke down and confessed all including the murder of the boy.

Apparently before he confessed he turned pale and was seen staring into the corner of the room where he seemed to see something because he kept shaking his head and had trouble breathing. It wa though he was seeing something or someone who was talking to him.

The body of the boy was found on the Downs and burried in the churchyard. The conspirtors were hung for murder.

But every year since then if you are walking up near the ruins of the hunting lodge people say that they have seen lights in the old windows and the smell of fresh flowers in the air and heard the sound of someone singing very sweetly.

But this singing, as it reaches the highest note of the song turns to a strangled cry and then there is silence.

It is said to be the ghost of the boy. The villagers, the real ones, wont go up there on Mid-Summers Eve.

And I must admit that there is a definate feeling around the ruins whatever time of year you go there. There is a coldness even on the hottest day, hairs really do stand up on the back of your neck.

I have been close on several occasions when I was a child on Mid-Summers Eve. Usually hurrying home and I can honestly say that I have heard that singing. It is pure and sweet and true but the ending.....oh boy!

Maybe its just auto suggestion because I knew the story, but that wouldnt account for the fact that the first time I heard the singing I hadn't been told the story! It was only after I told my family that I had heard singing up there on my way home and wondered who it could be that I was told the story.

I will leave it to you to decide.
 
 

Wizbang