Halloween feature: The most haunted locations in Dorset

Dorset has been associated with hauntings and happenings throughout the centuries, with superstition rife around this time of year as to which locations are the most haunted. 

Here are the top haunted locations, according to Dorset Echo readers: 

Athelhampton House

Athelhampton House (Image: Archive) The stately home has a reputation as one of the most haunted houses in the country.

It has been a site of much speculation in the past, and was even the first location that TV show Most Haunted used. It is said that more ghosts have been seen in the grounds of the home.

The most notorious of the ghoulish characters rumoured to be roaming the estate is that of an ape that belonged to the Martyn family, who owned Athelhampton House in the 16th century.

The image of an ape can be seen on the Martyn coat of arms which adorn the stained glass windows in Athelhampton's Great Hall.

Legend has it the ape was trapped in a secret passage leading from the Great Chamber and, although it is never seen, the sound of scratching can be heard on the panels as the beast tries to escape.

Other tales of ghostly goings-on in the house include a pair of duellists battling in the Great Chamber, the sound of a cat's feet padding up the Great Stairway and the ghost of a cooper tapping barrels in the wine cellar.

One Echo reader said that their Dad, who lived next door to the home before he passed away, kept saying that he had seen a man go through the garden in a hooded cloak.

After looking it up, the family thought that he was seeing a hooded monk that would visit the house, as the description provided was ‘unbelievably accurate.’

HMP the Verne

HMP the Verne (Image: Archive) The prison, which is located within the nineteenth century setting of the Verne Citadel on Portland was opened in 1949. Some people who have worked on the site feel as though there is an added presence within the walls besides prisoners.

An Echo reader, who would patrol the dorms whilst working at the prison said he would hear footsteps behind him on multiple occasions. He said: “I was thinking it was a prisoner, and when I turned around no one was there- just one long dark corridor.

Sandford Orcas Manor House

Sandford Orcas Manor House (Image: Mike Searle) Built in the 1530s, this old Sherborne manor house looks like something from the Hammer House of Horror film series from the 1970s, and despite only two families residing in its walls over that time, it’s said to be a hotbed of activity for ghosts. 

Supposedly, reported sightings include a lady in a red dress, a girl in black who is seen at the foot of the stairs, a priest over the beds of guests, and a man who walks from the gatehouse to the staff quarters leaving the stench of rotting flesh behind him. 

One Echo reader said they had never been more scared in their life following a visiting the manner, and sensed a feeling of pure evil. Scary stuff.

Bryanstan Woods

Bryanstan Woods (Image: Michele Mclaren) One Echo reader wrote in to say that they believe Bryanstan Woods in Blandford to be haunted. The Dorset resident says the area is haunted by a horse and coach, as well as a pack of hunting hounds.

Dorchester Prison

Inside Dorchester Prison (Image: Alfie Lumb) The prison in the heart of the town centre was built on the site of a medieval castle in 1154 and completed in 1795, serving as a working prison until its closure in 2013 it is said that 33 people were hanged between 1800 and 1941.

Thomas Hardy was a 16-year-old boy witnessing the execution of Martha Brown for the murder of her husband, John - which is said to have inspired his dark novel, Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

Echo readers wrote in to say this was one of the most haunted places they had ever visited, and when two reporters visited the site last year, they were surprised at what they caught.

The Nothe Fort

Nothe Fort (Image: Archive) The Nothe Fort was built in 1872 to protect Portland Harbour, which was an important Royal Navy Base at the time.

It is known for a tale of a ghostly whistling gunner who 'roams round' part of the site.

Over the years many people have claimed to hear the eerie whistling in the fort’s underground passageways.

While other people report witnessing a white figure seen walking around the fort on the parapets, the low protective wall along the edge of a roof, when the building is locked and there should be nobody there.

In 2007 a survey carried out by The National Lottery discovered that the fort was voted as one of the spookiest locations in the UK.