The Borley Rectory may be one of the most famous haunted places in the world. It also may be largely a hoax.
Located about 60 miles northeast of London in Essex County, it was built in 1863 by Reverend Henry Bull, who occupied the building with his family for about 70 years. After he died, his son, Harry, took over and after Harry died, the rectory stood empty for a while. It was during this time that rumors began that the rectory was haunted. Twelve clergymen turned down the assignment until it was finally taken by Reverend G. E. Smith.
Supposedly, the haunting of Borley Rectory began during the residence of Henry Bull. His daughters had allegedly seen a phantom nun. Harry Bull had once seen a phantom coach with two headless horsemen. Legend says that the rectory was built on the site of a medieval monastery where one of the brothers had run off with a nun and they had either been captured and killed or he had strangled her on the monastery grounds and was hung for the crime.
When the Smiths contacted Harry Price of the National Laboratory of Psychical Research of London, they reported seeing the phantom nun, hearing disembodied voices and whispers, seeing the apparition of Harry Bull, strange footsteps, unexplained lights and black shapes. Reports from other witnesses included the unexplained movement of objects, voices, footsteps, breaking objects, banging doors, spontaneous fires, writing on the walls, sudden changes in temperature, sounds of horses, unexplained smells, animals becoming frightening with no apparent cause and rappings. Price claimed to have experienced some of the phenomena himself.
