Beaulieu Hampshire, England Beaulieu is a small village located on the south eastern edge of the New Forest national park in Hampshire, England. It is home to both Palace House and the British National Motor Museum. Beaulieu village is a favourite tourist stop for visitors to the New Forest. Discover phantom monks, a grey lady, Gregorian chants and the smell of incense! © Great British Ghost Tour 2012 Palace House The Haunting of Palace House and Abbey The Monks and the Grey Lady The Beaulieu Palace House was originally built in the 13th century as the Great Gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey and has been the ancestral home of a branch of the Montagu family since 1538. The Montagu’s bought it from the crown following the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. The house was extended in the 16th and 19th centuries, and today is an a elegant example of Gothic country house architecture. It overlooks the Beaulieu River and is surrounded by sumptuous lawns and walkways. At Palace House, originally the Abbey gatehouse, the Gregorian chanting of monks and ghostly footsteps are often heard. Many people have seen their ghostly forms in the Abbey ruins. Some have even said to have caught a whiff of incense in rooms of Palace House once used as chapels in the Middle Ages. According to legend, this olfactory manifestation signals tragedy for the people of the abbey or Beaulieu village. There is no dearth of witnesses will testify to their presence, from Lord Montague to the gypsies of the New Forest. An interesting point is that all find these ghosts benevolent and not at all frightening. It is still home to the current Lord and Lady Montagu. However, parts of the house and gardens are open daily to the public who can enjoy the Victorian interior and beautiful exterior. For more information, please visit www.beaulieu.co.uk The abbey is also said to have a post-Reformation ghost, a grey lady who is seen in Palace House. She is said to be the shade of an 18th-century inhabitant of the house, Lady Isabella. Beaulieu was the featured location for Most Haunted Live!'s Halloween event in 2003. Beaulieu Enterprises Ltd, John Montagu Building, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7ZN. Haunted Britain Antony D. Hippisley Coxe ISBN 0 09116540 7 © Great British Ghost Tour 2012 Beaulieu Abbey A Reflection of Scale and Importance Beaulieu Abbey was a Cistercian abbey founded in 1203-1204 by King John and uniquely in Britain was occupied by 30 monks sent from the abbey of Cîteaux in France. This was the ‘mother house’ of the Cistercian order. The Latin name of the monastery was Bellus Locus Regis which translates as 'The beautiful place of the king'. During its time, the Abbey became extremely wealthy, and its buildings reflected its scale and importance. A great deal of the Abbey was destroyed at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. However, there is still much to see if you visit. The groundplan of the 102 metre long church can be seen on the lawns, and the position of the altar is marked by a cross and flanking trees. For more information, please visit www.beaulieu.co.uk/attractions/beaulieu-abbey © Great British Ghost Tour 2012
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