Guys Cliffe House

History:

The history of Guys Cliffe dates as far back as the 5th Century, when Saint Dubricius founded an Oratory (small private chapel) which he dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. Eventually he would become the 1st Bishop of Warwick. Around the 10th Century is where we learn of the legendary Guy of Warwick, who fought in battles and lived out the rest of his life as a hermit in a cave here. It's believed that he died in what is now known as Guy's Cave, an area that we will be investigating on the night. It's from here that we get the name 'Guys Cliffe'.

In 1158 AD, Roger Earl of Warwick gave the hermitage to Saint Sepulchre's Priory in Warwick, where secular priests from Warwick Castle served here. In June 1312, Piers Gaveston a 'favourite' to King Edward II was executed in Blacklow Hill a mere half a mile away from Guys Cliffe. It's rumoured that Piers was held at Guys Cliffe the day before his execution. Between 1327 and 1409, it was recorded that two men, Thomas de Lewis and John Burry, lived out their lives as hermits in Guy's Cave, following in the footsteps of Guy of Warwick. In 1420, Guys Cliffe was visited by King Henry V who wished for a chantry to be built here for two priests, which came to fruition in 1423 in service to St. Mary Magdalene. And in 1432 a cottage and another chapel was built on site.

 

At the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, many holy buildings were demolished, ransacked and slighted under the orders of King Henry VIII, however the Guys Cliffe area was overlooked and left unharmed. The site was obtained by Sir Andrew Flammock in 1547, who knocked down the priest's cottage and replaced it with a substantial Tudor house granted by Royal License. The following 200 years saw numerous families seize and inherit the land here, up until 1751 where a big change was made.

In the years leading up, Samuel Greatheed, a West Indian slave-owner and Member of Parliament for Coventry, had leased the site out until 1750 when he purchased the property and land. In 1751 Samuel made some big alterations to Guys Cliffe, replacing the Tudor house and other buildings no longer needed to create a stately Georgian home. His son Bertie later inherited the property and continued making additions and alterations in 1810 to create a picturesque view. By the early 19th Century, the Guys Cliffe estate comprised of a watermill, stables, a kitchen garden and land stretching as far as Blacklow Hill. Because of this, it was in 1821 that Bertie erected a large stone cross called 'Gaveston's Cross' to remember the horrific murder of Piers Gaveston. In fact, the inscription was so clear to read that Bertie noted in his diary that he could read it through a telescope from the top of Guys Cliffe.

As the 20th Century came around, so did the struggles of the world being at war. In World War 1, Guys Cliffe became a hospital for injured civilians and soldiers, and in World War 2, the house became a school for evacuated children. By 1947, the estate was broken up into sections and sold on. The watermill, the stables and the kitchen garden all still exist today and are operated as a pub and restaurant, a riding school and a nursery respectively. The new owner of the house intended to convert it into a hotel, but these plans never came about and the house was left to go into disrepair. The chapel was later leased to the Freemasons who continue to utilise it to this day. English Heritage gave the ruined house Grade II listed status, and the cliff the house is built on was also granted protective status by the SSSI due to its geological interest.

 

HAUNTINGS:

Guys Cliffe House is renowned for its supernatural experiences and paranormal activity.

 

A figure of a White Lady has been seen roaming the site, with her ghost being seen on numerous occasions. On one account her ghost was seen standing above the ruined building, with her eerie screams heard breaking the dead silent night, before she disappeared. Some people believe this woman to be Guy of Warwick's wife, the Lady Felice, but only if you believe in the legend. There's also stories of Piers Gaveston's ghost who haunts these grounds too, after it was allegedly claimed he was brought to this site a day before his execution half a mile away in Blacklow Hill.

 

In the Basement Hall, strange light anomalies are commonly witnessed floating around the room, with people feeling ill and nauseated soon after. This phenomena has also been reported many times across the whole site. Poltergeist activity has also been experienced in the Wine Cellar nearby.

 

The Coach House hosts a nasty poltergeist who hates visitors. This spirit has reportedly thrown stones, pushed over chairs and makes loud noises from inside the space to rid of anyone who enters. About 20 years ago, a gentleman attended a gathering event on site at the time and something caught his attention. He looked towards the Coach House and saw a man dressed in all black with a bowler hat walking towards the black gates. He was confused as the man looked out of character with his clothing, so he looked away briefly, but when he turned back the man had completely vanished and no one else saw this person on the grounds. Could this be the poltergeist who haunts this room?

 

In Guy's Cave, a sensation of fright leaves people with hairs raising on their arms, with echoes of voices from the past heard from this cave despite no one there, as if an imprint from the rock plays these voices back on a loop. Is Guy of Warwick's legendary ghost still trapped within these cave walls?

 

In the Masonic Temple Rooms, sounds of dragging furniture and heavy footsteps are heard in this section of the building, but when the rooms have been checked out there is nothing out of place. Disembodied voices are also heard in this area, and there's been a few accounts of investigators hearing distant chanting from outside.

 

And in the Cloisters Cave, ghostly hands touch and brush past people, with unexplainable movement heard shuffling around and strange feelings of sadness felt here also. This place in particular is very mysterious, as there's long been rumours that this could've been a Mithraeum (a temple of worship dedicated to the Roman god Mithras), given its exemplary comparison to other known Mithraeums.