Houghton Tower - Hoghton - Lancashire
Hoghton Tower, a Grade I listed building is the ancestral home of the de Hoghton family. The de Hoghtons are descended directly from Harvey de Walter, one of the companions of William the Conqueror, and through the female line from Lady Godiva of Coventry, wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia.
Since its re-creation in 1565 by Thomas Hoghton this ancient, fortified, hilltop manor house has retained its Tudor-Elizabethan character and construction in its entirety. It occupies a commanding position, 650ft above sea level mid-way between Preston and Blackburn, with magnificent views of Lancashire, the Lake District and North Wales. Hoghton Tower is the only true baronial residence in Lancashire and is the home of the 14th Baronet, Sir Bernard de Hoghton.
There have been so many ghostly experiences at the Grade I listed Hoghton Tower that staff keep a ghost file in which they record anything unusual they might have seen or felt.
From a Tudor woman wandering across the courtyard to freezing areas in the house, the file details every paranormal incident.
Eerie activities in the building have even prompted investigations from ghost hunters, which has led to the house earning a ghoulish accolade. Melissa Westwood, events organiser at the tower, reveals: "Paranormal investigators who have studied activity here and compared it to other areas believe Hoghton Tower is reputedly the third most haunted house in Britain."
