Hangleton Manor

Overview

Hangleton Manor was our first investigation of its kind where we took the staff from the manor on a ghost hunt around their place of work.

Ghost Stories

The Legend of the young girl of Saxon origin, who came to work at the Manor as a serving maid and was seduced by the Lord of the Manor and threw the resulting child out the window. History makes this impossible, since the Manor dates from around 1540, nearly 500 years after the disappearance of Saxon wenches.

A remarkable manifestation reported during the 1970’s was the appearance of phantom clothing, “…the skirt of brown silk dress” was seen sweeping through part of the building. As well as being seen, the dress was also heard by witnesses and claims were made that the dress was worn by the Saxon girl in the story, but again history renders this impossible as silk was not introduced until the 17th Century. A slightly more plausible candidate for the wearer of the phantom dress is Mrs Fitzherbert, the lover of the Prince Regent in the 18th Century. Mrs Fitzherbert was reputed to have visited the Hangleton Manor many times.

More remarkable stories from the 1970’ sare from former employees who stated a female phantom in the building caused weird tapping noises from behind the wood panelling and ghostly cries from a some what ‘ tortured soul’ were noted to have been heard at night .

Apparently, there are two female ghosts. The other one is shyer and is often sensed rather than seen. If she disapproves of someone, she will gently push the person out the room, but it is described as a ‘subtle pressure’. Others have felt her sweeping by leaving a faint chill in the air as her ghostly form passes by unseen..

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History

History
Hangleton Manor has served history well and dates back to medieval times when it was originally located near a church and was known as the ‘The old manor House ‘ and was originally built in the 1540’s (early Tudor times). It appears parts of the old manor were salvaged and used the current Manor we see today.

The Manor was originally built for Richard Bellingham who was a man of substance and status who had served as sheriff of Sussex on three occasions (1528, 1534, and 1542).At least four major internal alterations or extensions were completed during the following 200 years from when the manor was built of these the substantial ones where completed in the Tudor times. Hangleton Manor is the oldest surviving domestic structure within the Brighton and Hove area and is Grade 2 listed.

By 1786 a William Hardwick was licensed by the Duke of Dorset as his gamekeeper at Hangleton . Thereafter successive generations of Hardwicks as occupiers and tenants of the Manor House. It was only in 1914 when the Hardwicks horses were commandeered for military service, that their association with Hangleton manor and farm came to an end.

During the Second World War it was used by the Army and between 1964 – 1969 the Manor was unoccupied and fell into a state of near ruin. The property is currently owned and managed by Hall & Woodhouse (Independent family brewery) with Mrs Sue Cunningham as the current landlady.