Spooky Happenings At Hampton Court Palace
Ghost stories, paranormal sightings, and my own unexplained experiences at Hampton Court Palace
I don’t know about you, but I love a good ghost story.
Walking through a haunted palace though, in the dead of night; on my own, with nothing but a torch… that’s another thing entirely!
Don’t get me wrong - my role as a security officer at Hampton Court Palace is a great job! I get to explore every nook and cranny, and wander through rooms which are very much off the beaten track. From the roof to the basements; from the grand state rooms to the derelict Grace and Favour apartments, I’m immensely fortunate to see it all and help protect the historic space future generations.
A big part of my job is patrolling the palace, both day and night. As you can imagine, the atmosphere which lingers within the darkened halls of Hampton Court Palace can be very eerie. Was that creaky floorboard a ghostly footstep? Did that door close on its own? Why is there a random cold spot in the middle of the room? It’s easy to let your mind play tricks on you, with every shadow and noise playing on your fears of the paranormal.
The more night shifts I’ve worked at Hampton Court Palace, the more I’ve gotten used to the creaks and groans which rumble through the palace during the dead of night. Sometimes the atmosphere can be weirdly comforting, even when it’s so dark that I can’t see my hand in front of my face and I’m completely on my own. It almost feels as if the palace is grateful for your presence, and the spirits of those who once lived within its walls are merely curious by your appearance.
However… there are some occasions when the palace doesn’t feel as welcoming.
With nearly 800 years of history associated with the site, it’s not surprising that Hampton Court Palace is considered to be one of the most haunted buildings in Britain. We have our famous ghostly tales, such as the ghost of Kathryn Howard. The fifth wife of Henry VIII is said to scream down the Haunted Gallery in a desperate attempt to grab her husband’s attention and save her neck.
Hampton Court Palace also went viral in 2003, when a clip of CCTV footage captured fire doors springing open on their own accord, before a strange-looking spectre mysteriously materialised. The figure almost appeared disgruntled at having to close the doors him/herself.
Since working at Hampton Court Palace, I’ve learned that the fire doors actually opened on three occasions, across three consecutive days, at the exact same time. Upon investigation, nothing could explain why the doors randomly burst open. Believing the culprit to be a member of the public or a member of staff, security officers reviewed the CCTV footage, only to find the creepy figure appearing once during those three occasions, with no visitor or staff member in sight.
Of course, many theories swirl around this notorious ‘ghost’ sighting. Many speculate that the figure was in fact an actor dressed in historical clothing. Others argue that the footage is fake, used purely for publicity purposes.
As I didn’t work at the palace in 2003, I cannot confirm or deny any of the allegations surrounding the CCTV footage. I have heard further details surrounding the story though, such as a comment written in the visitor book on the exact same day when the footage was captured. The visitor claimed that they enjoyed that area of the palace very much, but they didn’t appreciate the tall and scary looking figure standing in the corner of the room…
You guessed it, there was no tall and scary looking figure in the corner of the room - or anywhere in the palace for that matter! Bit of a coincidence, no?
Even to this day, that area of the palace still sends shivers down my spine. Knowing the ghost stories associated with a particular room can put me on edge during my nighttime patrols. However, if you’re hoping that I’ve experienced my own ghostly encounter with the creepy-looking spectre, I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you. As far as I’m aware, he/she hasn’t made an appearance since, and the fire doors have remained (thankfully!) shut.
I have had my fair share of unexplained phenomena at Hampton Court though. Many instances actually occurred during the daytime, such as chandeliers swinging on their own; dark shadows setting off intruder alarms when no ‘living’ person was there; footsteps creaking through empty rooms, randomly fainting in the infamous Haunted Gallery, and seeing people disappear into thin air!
Many of my colleagues have also experienced strange things during their patrols. There have been instances of people calling out and communicating with my colleagues… only for my colleagues to discover that they had been alone that whole time! They’ve been told to ‘shh’ by invisible people before, and received unexpected ‘thank yous’ after switching lights off in empty offices. They’ve also seen things move on their own; suddenly felt very cold on boiling hot days; had their hair tugged; heard loud unexplained bangs; waded through random mists which no one else could see, and even smelt the strong scent of rose water in the room where Queen Caroline used to bathe.
So next time you visit Hampton Court Palace, make sure to have your eyes and ears open to any ghostly presence. You may encounter the terrified screams of Kathryn Howard, or stumble across a dark shadow disappearing into walls… Or, if it helps you sleep better at night, you could see and hear nothing at all!
I’ll be interested to hear your own ghost stories. Have you experienced anything paranormal, especially in a historic space? Let me know in the comments!
When I visit Hampton Court Palace last year. I went into the wine cellar and the little room to the right. I felt a presence in that room and it drawed me to the middle of the floor and I got goosebumps. I'm convinced that there is something buried under the floor in the middle of that room. I had a feeling that I stumbled onto something that no one should know about. I've been going to Hampton Court Palace for as long as I can remember every year.
That’s a great image