So, why would a nun haunt a Georgian hotel?
Brimming with charm, a captivating history, and offering guests and visitors pure comfort and a touch of luxury, the beautiful Georgian Grosvenor Arms in Shaftesbury, Dorset, enjoys an abundance of paranormal activity. As described in our listings page, two of the building’s most reported apparitions are that of a hooded monk and a nun dressed in a simple grey habit. So, a reasonable question for any sceptic or serious paranormal explorer would be, why would two such religious figures haunt a Georgian hotel?
We decided to look into this a little further.
Shaftesbury Abbey
Just a two-minute walk from the lovely Grosvenor Arms Hotel are the remains of Shaftesbury Abbey. The abbey, which was founded by Albert the Great in 888, was the first-ever women-only nunnery.
Edward the Martyr
The abbey housed the tomb of Saxon King Edward. Edward had ruled England for just three years when, in the year 978, he was tragically murdered at Corfe Castle in the Purbeck Hills of Dorset. Edward’s killing was said to have been on the orders of his cruel stepmother, who wanted her own son, Ethelred, to be crowned king. Poor King Edward, who was only 16 years old at the time of his murder, became known as Edward the Martyr. He was viewed as the embodiment of an innocent and heroic victim who was betrayed and sacrificed to sinfully advance the status of others. Edward was officially canonised in 1008, and his elevation and recognition as a saint were generated due to the many miracles and healings that were said to take place at his tomb in the abbey. A cult developed, and for centuries the abbey became a hallowed site for thousands of pilgrims who travelled from all over the country to worship at Edward’s shrine.
The coffers of Shaftesbury Abbey, which already enjoyed generous dowries from the large number of its resident nuns who came from successful and distinguished families, greatly prospered as the site of one of the most significant holy shrines in England, with many Saxon kings also gifting land to the nunnery.
As a celebrated and sacred religious destination, the abbey was central to the area’s economic success, and by the 14th century, Shaftesbury was the wealthiest town in the whole of Dorset. The High Street on which the now Grosvenor Arms is situated (as pictured above today) was awash with inns that all enjoyed a booming trade given their proximity to the abbey and shrine. Although the present building mostly dates to the Georgian era, The Grosvenor Arms is built on the site of a medieval inn with much of its structure comprised of the original framework. The central position of the earliest hostelry which now houses the Grosvenor would have ensured a prominent role in the provision of accommodation, refreshments and stabling for the huge numbers of pilgrims and their horses that flocked to the town.
The end of Shaftesbury Abbey
Shaftesbury Abbey stood as a place of worship and religious obedience for nuns for over 600 years, until it was seized by King Henry VIII during the Reformation of Tudor England. Following the King’s break with Rome in 1534 all religious houses, their lands and capital were confiscated under the policy that became known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. St. Edward’s tomb was hurriedly removed and hidden in the church. After centuries of concealment, St Edward the Martyr’s post-Reformation resting place was discovered. On 15th September 1984, after forensic examination, the tragic king’s remains were again enshrined in a formal ceremony at the St. Edward the Martyr Orthodox Church in Brookwood, Surrey, where they remain today.
After its closure in 1539, the beautiful Shaftesbury Abbey, which had once dominated the town and was so pivotal to its prosperity, gradually fell into dilapidation and ruin. Only its foundations now remain, with a striking section of the abbey wall still visible on Gold Hill (as pictured below).
The Grosvenor Arms building’s religious links
Many people including guests, staff and visitors of the Grosvenor have reported seeing the ghostly nun on the first floor and the apparition of a hooded monk in the cellar area. Interestingly many of these sightings are reported by people who have no prior knowledge at all of the town’s religious history.
The hooded monk
Any possible connections between the hotel site and the abbey surely centre on the latter’s reliance on the High Street inns during the thriving medieval period and may help explain sightings of the two pious figures that are still reported to this day. The travelling pilgrims were a prized asset to the church and local businesses alike and were pivotal to the town’s overall economic success. As a result, Shaftesbury’s inns received full support from the Church. In the medieval period, novice monks were regularly assigned to help with the construction of new premises.
So, is the apparition of the hooded monk that haunts the Grosvenor’s cellar perhaps the restless soul of young medieval monk who was sent by the church to help in the construction of the original building upon which the Grosvenor now stands? Given the lack of proper safety measures and rudimentary building practices in operation at the time, did the young monk tragically lose his life during the build? Is his soul now sadly trapped, paralysed with fear due to the lack of last rites to ensure his journey to salvation?
The ghostly nun
Many suggest that the ghostly nun spotted at the Grosvenor Arms is the soul of one who sought sanctuary at the site following the abbey’s 16th century closure. The only problem with this theory is that witnesses describe the figure as wearing a simple grey habit. This indicates that she is more likely to be from an earlier time period as by the 16th century nuns were wearing the black habits very similar to those we see today. To demonstrate their commitment to a life of poverty it was nuns from the medieval period who wore simple habits in the grey colour of undyed wool – just like that described by those who have witnessed the ghostly figure.
Is it the spirit of Sister Christina?
An examination of episcopal records also shows that during the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, the Bishop of Salisbury and his commissioners made repeated visits to the abbey. It appears that at various points during this period the abbess was strictly disciplined for allowing her nuns to go out into the town and frequent places outside of the monastery. As a result, orders were made to enforce penance against the nuns and abbess for “their offences against God and by the creation of scandal.” These included recommendations of the most severe sanction of excommunication from the church. On one such occasion in 1309, it was recorded that nun Christina Baryl should be ordered confined within the cloister of the abbey until her future could be decided. It seems that by the time of the Reformation, when King Henry VIII’s commissioners visited the abbey in 1535, discipline had been satisfactorily restored, as no instances of impropriety were noted.
Is the ghostly nun who roams the Grosvenor Arms and matches the description of one from medieval times, one who was judged as committing some kind of offence that caused her to be banished from the abbey? Could it be Christina? Having been expelled from the abbey, did the desperate and dishonoured woman perhaps seek sanctuary and lodgings at the inn, remaining a timeless presence, terrified of the purgatory she fears may now befall her for her earthly sins?
Without doubt, the history of the enchanting Grosvenor Arms Hotel and the fascinating town of Shaftesbury is truly captivating and holds mysterious and ghostly secrets that will never be fully revealed. Offering both beautifully designed rooms and a fabulous bar and restaurant that is open to non-residents, this exquisite place is truly a must for any passionate ghost hunter.