Raynham Hall and the ghost of the Brown Lady (9 photos)

Raynham Hall is a luxurious mansion located in Norfolk, England, famous not only for its architectural splendor, but also for its ghostly inhabitant, the Brown Lady.





Believed to be the ghost of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Raynham, the story of the Brown Lady is one of the most compelling and well-documented ghost stories in England, with eyewitness accounts and even photographs.

The Legend of Lady Dorothy Townshend



Raynham Hall

Lady Dorothy Walpole married Charles Townshend in the early 1700s. Before her marriage, she was rumored to have been Lord Wharton's mistress. Charles Townshend, known for his jealous and temperamental nature, suspected Dorothy of infidelity.

Although official records stated that Lady Dorothy had died and been buried in 1726, there were rumours that Charles had faked her death and burial, and instead had her locked away in a secluded part of Raynham Hall until she died in reality many years later.

Ghost Encounters





An 18th-century landscape by John Cotman, c. 1818

The ghost of Lady Dorothy, known as the Brown Lady due to her distinctive brown satin dress, has been seen at Raynham Hall on numerous occasions. Notable sightings include:

King George IV: In the early 1800s, King George IV was staying at Raynham Hall when he allegedly saw a woman in a brown dress next to his bed. He was so frightened that he immediately left the house.

Colonel Loftus: In 1835, Colonel Loftus saw the Brown Lady during the Christmas holiday. He described her as a lady in a brown satin dress, with a luminous, pale face and sunken eye sockets.

Captain Frederick Marryat: Several years later, Marryat and two friends saw a ghost carrying a lantern down the upstairs corridor. The man claimed that she was grinning devilishly, and although he fired a pistol at the ghostly woman, the bullet passed through.

Famous Photograph



Dorothy Walpole, 2nd wife of the 2nd Viscount Townshend (1686-1726)

The most famous piece of evidence for the Brown Lady is a photograph taken in September 1936. Captain Provand and Indre Shira, photographers for Country Life magazine, were commissioned to photograph Raynham Hall.



According to Shira:

Captain Provand took one photograph while I was flashing him. He was adjusting the focus for the next exposure and I was standing next to him just behind the camera, looking up the stairs. Suddenly I became aware of a disembodied, veiled form slowly descending the stairs. Excited, I called out sharply, "Quick, quick, there's something here." After the flash and the shutter closed, Captain Provand removed the focusing cloth from his head and turned to me and said, "What's all the fuss about?"



Hall

After the film was developed, it showed the ghost of the Brown Lady. The picture was published in the December 16, 1936 issue of Country Life magazine and caused a sensation. This photo remains one of the most famous and accepted pieces of evidence of ghosts.

Continued Sightings



Fireplace in the Red Drawing Room

The Brown Lady continues to be seen from time to time, and remains one of England's most famous ghosts. And Raynham Hall remains a place of mystery and intrigue, attracting visitors and ghost hunters eager to see the legendary Brown Lady.



Queen Anne's Bedroom

Raynham Hall hosts open house events several times a year, offering a unique opportunity to explore this historic haunted estate. Tickets must be booked in advance to visit.



That famous photo

This truly beautiful estate is not only a great place to learn about its rich history, but also to meet the famous Brown Lady. Will she want to show herself? Not a fact. But no one will forbid mysticism lovers from hoping to meet her.