Wymering Manor

Wymering Manor, Wymering Manor Close, Portsmouth, England, PO6 3NL, United Kingdom

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The haunting

Apparitions of a woman in a violet dress, a medieval knight, a nun, unexplained footsteps, children's whispers, phantom horses and sudden changes in temperature. More than 20 ghosts have been associated with the manor in paranormal accounts. Wymering Manor has accumulated a remarkable collection of ghost stories. Some concern recognisable figures with individual legends, while others describe strange sounds, unexplained movements and an unsettling presence within the house.

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◆ The Nun with Bloody Hands Wymering Manor is also associated with a mysterious nun whose hands are said to be bloodied. Her story is one of the more unsettling elements of the manor's paranormal reputation. The religious figure is often mentioned alongside the other apparitions said to inhabit the building, adding another layer to its long and varied collection of ghost stories. The manor's history includes a period when it served as a vicarage, as well as surviving architectural features associated with earlier religious life. However, a definitive historical identity or documented explanation for the nun's reported appearance has not been established.
◆ The Lady in the Violet Dress One of Wymering Manor's most intriguing stories concerns a woman dressed in a long violet-coloured gown. According to the legend, Thomas Knowlys-Parr awoke one night in 1917 to find a woman standing at the foot of his bed. Rather than appearing frightening or threatening, the apparition behaved like a familiar visitor. She spoke to him warmly and was said to be a cousin who had died that same year. During their conversation, she reportedly spoke about her religious experiences and other deceased members of the family. Before disappearing, she told him that she had to leave because they were waiting to receive Aunt Em. The following morning, Thomas reportedly received a telegram informing him that his aunt had died during the night. The encounter has since become one of the manor's best-known ghost stories. What makes this story particularly memorable is the apparent lack of fear during the encounter. The woman was said to have appeared simply to speak with someone she knew, leaving behind a message that seemed to connect her visit with another death in the family.
◆ Reckless Roddy Another famous figure associated with Wymering Manor is Sir Roderick of Portchester, known in local legend as Reckless Roddy. The story takes place during the medieval period. Roddy is said to have visited the manor intending to take advantage of a young bride who had been left alone on her wedding night after her new husband was called away unexpectedly. According to the legend, the husband returned and discovered what was happening. He chased Roddy from the house and thrust a sword through him as he attempted to mount his horse. The horse bolted, leaving the knight dead. Later accounts describe sightings of a phantom horse galloping along the lane outside the manor. One version of the story claims that Roddy's apparition appears when a new bride is brought to the house. The tale gives the manor one of its most dramatic hauntings: a violent medieval encounter whose echoes are said to linger around the old house.

Background and folklore, separate from member eyewitness experiences.

Historical background

Wymering Manor is widely regarded as one of Portsmouth's most haunted buildings, but its history is just as fascinating as its ghost stories. The settlement of Wymering was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Although the manor's origins reach back to the medieval period, much of the surviving house dates from the late sixteenth century, with later additions and architectural features from different periods. Over the centuries, the manor served several purposes. It was a family home, later became a vicarage, and eventually operated as a youth hostel from 1961 until 2006. During the Second World War, the British Army took possession of the property. Its long history has left the building with timber-framed rooms, old staircases, historic panelling and stories of former residents whose lives have become intertwined with its paranormal reputation. The manor was saved from demolition and eventually passed to the Wymering Manor Trust in 2013. Its restoration has helped preserve this remarkable piece of Portsmouth's heritage, while its ghost stories continue to attract people fascinated by the unexplained.

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