Holy Ground

Legend has it that Chambercombe Manor is said to be haunted.It is said that in 1865 a farmer living in the house was making some repairs to the roof when he looked down and saw a skeleton lying on a cramped bed in a room he never knew existed.Alexandre Oatway was one of the notorious West Country ship wreckers of 400 years ago.One night, a young Spanish girl survived the wreck and married William, Alexander's son.The couple had a daughter,Kate,who fell in love with an Irish see captain-Wallace-who took her home to Dublin as his bride.Years passed.One winter's night,a vicious storm blew up.William hurried down to the beach after spotting a ship in trouble.He found a woman lying on the rocks,disfigured.He carried her home,but she died during the night.As he checked her belongings William fell to temptation.The woman was carrying a belt with enough money and jewellery to enable him to buy his beloved manor house.Two days later,a man called,making inquiries about a missing passenger from the wrecked ship.William said he knew nothing about it.Then the visitor mentioned the name of the missing woman-Mrs.Katherine Wallace.William and his wife were devastated.They had stolen from their dead daughter,her face unrecognisable because of the impact of the rocks.Filled with remorse,they walled her body in a secret room and moved away.In 2006,Chambercombe Manor was the focus of Living TV's Most Haunted series.

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