Chesterton Hall Hotel: 1967
Chesterton Hall dating from 1887. Lord Ambrose Chesterton turned this fabulous family home into a hotel. Seventeen rooms includidng en-suites. A fantastic Orangery, an indoor swimming pool, and a spa. The gardens were superb and gave elegance and grace to this unbelievable property.
Ambrose Chesterton was the last surviving heir to the Chesterton Estate. This home was his sanctuary. He was born there, and Chesterton Hall was his everything. He knew every corner, every hidden passage, and knew precisely which rooms were the easiest to covertly enter.
He used to play wicked tricks on the servants and scare the living daylights out of them too often. His parents were too busy to pay attention. His live-in Nanny knew him too well and tried her best to curtail his mischievousness.
Sadly, there was another side to him, one that he guarded secretly. He liked dark things. His mother always wondered why there wasn’t any bird life, and why their cats seemed to mysteriously disappear. Ambrose knew, but he kept quiet.
It was the year that his parents died that he realised just how dark he had become. He had grown up rather reclusive, never wanting to meet other boys his age - always an excuse. He had his reasons. Other people did not interest him; they wouldn’t understand.
He did not like animals. Each cat his mother brought in he treated so badly that they eventually just ran off. The birds—oh, they were his enemies. His little bow and arrow came in handy. Eventually, the birds didn’t come for scraps.
But his true dark self was something else. He was manipulative, soulless, and treated the servants appallingly. He knew how to find his way into their bedrooms and cause such horror, only to vanish without anyone knowing what happened. Many servants died suspiciously at Chesterton Hall, but no one was ever brought to justice.
His father understood him and his strange nature. He showed him how the estate ran, giving him free range of everything by the age of twenty. He changed things very quickly, hiring new servants, more men. His faithful nanny made her swift exit when he turned eighteen. She was glad to see the back of Chesterton Hall.
He inherited Chesterton Hall when he turned twenty-four. His parents had sadly perished when the wing they lived in burnt down. Lord Archibald Chesterton and Lady Penelope were admired in the village, and there was a huge turnout at their funeral. There was an inquest into the fire and deaths, but it was swiftly dismissed as an accident.
Ambrose had inherited not only the vast 40-hectare estate and Hall, but the bank account held a vast sum of money. He was extremely ambitious. His father showed him how to keep money safe and shared information on investments.
When he turned thirty, he approached his lawyers and the bank to put into action the change of ownership on the Hall. He wanted to turn it into a vast hotel. His investments and bank balance were large enough to accommodate the changes.
It took five years to transform Chesterton Hall into Chesterton Hall Hotel and Spa. Ambrose collaborated extremely closely with the architects. He was adamant that his private wing would remain completely unchanged, as well as the hidden passages.
The opening of the Hotel in 1925 went extremely well. The staff he hired were of quality standard and once again it was heavily male. The restaurant was elegant, and the breakfast room was now located in the orangery. The wing that burnt down was rebuilt and housed the spa. Each bedroom was styled to perfection and all had en-suite bathrooms.
The first guests left great reviews. Over the first year, the hotel did tremendously well. There were a few guests who left early, firmly convinced that their bedrooms were haunted. Some guests who used the spa were certain that someone watched them. But the hotel remained full despite negative reviews.
The first guest died suspiciously in 1926. She was a single lady, heiress to the Bancroft Foundation. Bridget was staying in room number 12 and complained that she kept hearing noises in the walls. When her body was discovered, the room was kept strictly out of bounds.
Police investigated, but again, no one was found guilty. The second guest was Lord Wilson from Sandygate. His death was nasty. Room 10. Again, nothing found, and no one found guilty.
Years passed slowly, and each time someone stayed in room 10 or 12, they left abruptly, believing it was haunted. Noises came eerily from the walls. They felt terror like never before.
Word got around that Chesterton Hall was haunted, and guests did not return apart from those who had been going regularly for years. Things took a downturn when a group of ladies attended the legendary Spring Garden Festival. Chesterton Hall Hotel gardens were wonderful and well kept. Each year the hotel put on a special event highlighting the beautiful gardens. This was every June.
Jessica, Mavis, Sharon, June, and Cecilia were old school friends and arranged to spend a few days at the Hotel to enjoy both the spa and the gardens. The first day they just enjoyed the relaxing spa, and the second day they joined the garden tour. On the third day, they returned to the spa.
Unfortunately, the sauna they used had a faulty electrical issue, and they could not swiftly exit. When the staff found them, they had succumbed to the heat. Such a tragedy, and the hotel was abandoned by the guests. The following weeks, no one returned to the Hotel, and months faded, then a year.
Ambrose decided enough was enough and shut the hotel. Staff left and he was just left with Edward, who was the bell boy and now was the keeper of the building. Ambrose became morose. His dark days were over. The Hotel cost him too much, and his bank balance dwindled, and he could barely afford the upkeep.
Years passed slowly, and the gardens and building deteriorated. Many thought that the owner had died. Edward had left. Some said that they saw lights in the Hall; others said that there was an apparition at the windows. At full moon, the hall had a soft glow, and lights flashed erratically in the front rooms.
A group of adrenaline junkies interested in haunted homes, hotels, and properties had heard of Chesterton Hall. Brandon, Robert, James, and Meryl decided that they wanted to visit. Meryl said she would bring her video paraphernalia, and Brandon said that he had sound equipment he wanted to use. James and Robert were just enthusiasts and came along for the ride.
The evening of the 5th of June 1967, the four of them booked into the local hotel in Chesterton. They sat in Brandon’s room discussing the details of their visit the following night. They had asked the manager of the hotel about the Hall, but he wasn’t forthcoming.
When they had dinner that evening, one of the waitresses whispered to them that the hall was haunted, and many people stayed away. That the gardens were choked with weeds and thorns, and no one went up to the hall/hotel at all.
At the local pub where they went to have a pint together, they asked a few people about the hall. Some told them about the deaths. However, many stressed that the problems started years before, mentioning suspicion about the death of the Chesterton’s and the servants. This really piqued the interest of the group.
The following day, the four of them checked all the equipment they were taking and agreed to get a good afternoon nap and have dinner later than normal. They went to the pub for their supper and chatted and drank beer until eleven. They fetched their equipment from the hotel and donned warm clothes.
They decided they would drive up to the gates of the Hall and park up there and go through the broken gates. Slowly, they made their way up to the hall. The first question was how they would enter. Whilst walking up the driveway, Brandon noticed the movement in one of the front windows He lowered down, and so did the others.
In a soft voice, he said that he saw something. James said he saw a light in one of the front windows. Meryl was excited. Robert said he felt nervous. They got up and continued up to the front of the Hall. There was a flight of steps up to the door. They went up rather tentatively. They tried the door—it was open. They were incredibly surprised.
Slowly, they pushed the door open. The hallway was huge. They shone the torches over the furniture; all covered with white drapes. Cobwebs clung in the corners, dust everywhere. Chandeliers still hung, casting strange shadows on the walls and floors. They walked in further. This was eerie.
Meryl suggested they double up and go in different directions and shout out if something was wrong or if they saw something. Meryl went with Brandon, and James and Robert paired up and went upstairs. Meryl was struggling with her equipment, and Brandon took some. They walked over to the orangery.
This was a disaster. Broken windows, furniture turned over, and the plants were growing wildly along the floors and broken windows.
Nothing happened there. So, they went on to the kitchen. Nothing there. They could clearly hear the footsteps of the other two upstairs. The spa was interesting. The sauna they heard of was nowhere to be seen. Everything was just messy and dusty.
James and Robert walked up the stairs. They were so on edge. The bedroom doors still had their numbers on. Some hung on by a thread, and some still fine. Room 10 was interesting. A distinct glow was visible under the door. James looked sharply at Robert, and they both tore frantically down the stairs, hearts racing.
They found Meryl and Brandon and told them what they saw, and they all decided to go back upstairs. They walked up slowly, and Meryl got her equipment ready, taking the heavy camera, while the guys took the rest. They got to room 10, and the glow was still pulsating under the door.
Brandon walked up to the door and listened intently. He heard a faint sound; he turned the handle, and the door flew open... Creak, creak, his footsteps continued. His heart hammered, and Meryl entered breathlessly after him, her breathing shallow. James and Robert waited anxiously by the door, frightened. The room smelt horrendous.
James held the door open, and Meryl walked forward past Brandon, her hand on the camera started shaking uncontrollably - she shrieked and dropped the camera. Lights went out abruptly; pitch black enveloped them. Brandon shouted urgently for Meryl, but no sound was heard. James and Robert had spun around and ran down the stairs.
He found his torch and switched it on... He turned and bolted out the room, down the stairs. He tripped violently over something, twisting his ankle. He sat back, rubbing his ankle, looking frantically around. There in front of him was James, and just a short way was Robert. He was beside himself.
This placed wasn’t haunted...
The prompts continue and Bradley Ramsey continues to produce such terrific horror suggestions. This one was creepy - and I hope I did the prompt justice. Thank you for reading my take on the prompt.
Thanks for the restacks. ❤️