Bisham Abbey, based around an ancient preceptory [1] built by the Knights Templar in about 1260, is known as one of the most haunted houses in Britain. It's located on the picturesque bank of the River Thames near Maidenhead [2] , but there's no peace there- the condemned ghost of Lady Hoby has haunted the abbey relentlessly since her death in 1609. It is said that her apparition materialises with a black face and white clothes; she tears sheets from beds, throws things around, sobs piteously at night or illuminates the empty Tower Room with a ghoulish light... Even after 400 years, Lady Hoby gets no rest for her evil sin. She still appears so frequently that Bisham Abbey is one of the most haunted places in Britain.

It all began in 1538 when the monks of Bisham Abbey were expelled with brutal force by King Henry VIII's reformers. Witnesses said that the Abbot almost went mad on seeing the sanctuary fall into worldly hands. He was kicking and screaming at the King's servants and finally he even cursed the place: "As God is my witness, this property shall never be inherited by two direct successors, for its sons will be hounded by misfortune."

The later events proved that the Abbot's curse was powerful and grave misfortunes have frequently struck Bisham Abbey's owners. Indeed it didn't take long for the first really disturbing death to occur- the little boy William Hoby died in an unimaginable way from his own mother's hand.

Lady Elizabeth Hoby was not only one of the most educated women of the age, but also very arrogant and proud. As a personal friend of Queen Elizabeth I, she wanted to prepare her children for the highest roles society by giving them the most intense tuition. However, not all of her siblings were quick learners and the young William Hoby often fell victim to his mother's bad temper. More often then not she shouted at and even violently beat William with a heavy ruler till he collapsed with blood streaming from his head.
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Accompanied by Roy Cadman, I decided to make a little 'expedition' or, to be more precise, a photo session to Bisham Abbey that is arguably one of the most haunted houses in Britain. Because our primarily focus was photography, not a real paranormal investigation, we decided to go during daytime when the lighting is the best for taking photos. (On other hand, I don't believe that the time of day should have much influence on apparitions).

The first thing to note is that Bisham Abbey became an eclectic conflict of two very different cultures. The genuine medieval legacy has been incorporated into modern sport facilities and it simply feels inappropriate. For instance, the Great Hall with all its historic paintings (including the famous portrait of Lady Hoby), unique medieval wall painting, 400 year old fireplace with the coat of arms of King Henry VIII, all of that has been made into a dining room for young sportsmen. The story behind this conversion of the Abbey is that the previous owners struggled to find a buyer for the property and the National Sports Council was the only one that didn't care about the bad reputation of the Abbey and its ghost.

Nevertheless the Great Hall still retains grandeur and atmospheric. The high ceiling impresses with its medieval construction and the daylight from two tiny windows is absolutely helpless against the thick darkness falling from above. The restored ancient wall painting grabs your attention with its unique and bizarre details, while a wooden minstrels gallery on the opposite side testifies to the hall's ancient foundation. A huge fireplace with King Henry VIII's wooden coat of arms above it seems to be big enough for cooking even a whole ox. But such a room wouldn't be complete without family portraits and the Great Hall is no exception.
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