Homeowners Invite Ghost Hunters to Their Reportedly Haunted Home

A couple, convinced their residence is haunted, has started extending invitations to ghost hunters to investigate the reported apparitions. Nick Evans reported that 34 ghost hunters have visited his property, The Old White Horse, located in Hockliffe, Bedfordshire. This influx followed a visit from television ghost hunter Barri Ghai. Mr. Evans noted that while the majority of the structure has existed since 1642, certain sections date back to approximately 1420. Mr. Evans stated, “Yes, we have a few ghosts – but when we moved in, I wouldn’t have necessarily believed in ghosts.” Mr. Evans, aged 68, and his 62-year-old wife, Maria, took up residence in the house, situated a few miles from Leighton Buzzard, in 2018. The property had been vacant for four years before their arrival. The retired couple initially suspected their new home might be haunted when their granddaughter appeared to form a friendship with the ghost of a young girl. Mr. Evans recounted, “We thought she was having us on. She was aged two when we moved in, but other people have picked up on the same ghost with the same name.” He identified his granddaughter’s new companion as Olive. Mr. Evans stated, “Olive was a scullery maid and died here of scarlet fever, aged nine.” He added, “She’s a bit cheeky – she has put handprints on the mirror quite often and we used to tell the grandkids off.” Nevertheless, he observed that the handprints began to manifest even when the children were not present at the house. The edifice served as a coaching inn for approximately 300 years; currently, the retired couple operates a tearoom on the premises. Mr. Evans informed the BBC that ghost hunters had identified additional entities within the property. A spirit named Michael reportedly inhabits a priest hole located in the most ancient section of the house. Furthermore, a groom identified as Jack has also been perceived. Mr. Evans recounted an instance where he switched off the television before retiring for the night, only for it to reactivate itself. He surmised that one of the resident spirits “wanted to watch the rest of the film.” He further mentioned that the spectral inhabitants of the house had put out candles, caused keys to jingle, and repositioned items. The couple has rejected financial proposals from individuals offering to rid the property of its ghosts. Mr. Evans stated they had “been offered mega bucks” for such a service, but he added, “we like them, we want to keep them.” They began extending invitations to ghost hunting groups following TV ghost hunter Barri Ghai’s promotion of the house on social media platforms. He chose not to disclose whether he charges these groups for overnight stays exploring the corridors. He remarked, “We’ve got a cellar; they love going in the cellar because it’s spooky even if there’s nothing down there.” When questioned about any apprehension he or his wife might feel living in their reportedly haunted house, Mr. Evans responded negatively. However, Mrs. Evans recalled an occasion when she believed she felt something enter the bed with her. She speculated, “I think one of the ghosts maybe came for a cuddle because they were scared.” Mr. Evans further commented, “When we moved in, it felt like the friendliest house. They are very friendly ghosts – they’re great.” For news from Beds, Herts, and Bucks, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.