Longley Old Hall - UK - another ghost tour

Started by monstr, May 21, 2003, 02:09:55 PM

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WHEN Robin and Christine Gallagher bought Longley Old Hall, they thought they were taking on a straightforward, 400-year-old home.


But once they began their 10-year plan to restore it, they found it was a whole two centuries older, in parts.

The timber-framed, grade two-star listed property - possibly haunted by more than one seemingly amicable presence - is structurally a mix of mediaeval, Tudor, Jacobean and Victorian.

Over the centuries, parts, have been demolished and rebuilt. Today, it stands as an awe-inspiring eight-up, eight-down mansion - tucked away inconspicuously in ordinary Longley.

Slowly but surely for the Gallaghers, it's now revealing its full history. But there's still a lot of renovation work to go.




Robin, assistant managing director of an industrial property company, and Christine - who works as a consultant de-cluttering people's homes and lives - bought the hall four-and-a-half years ago.

Turning it into a mini-museum for a steady stream of visitors was the last thing on their minds.

But, when its full importance began to emerge, they decided it would be unfair to the public not to throw open their heavy oak front door.

As soon as they moved in, experts in all sorts of architectural and historical fields descended. Some were on necessary business, others just came for a nosey - in some cases, helpfully shedding light on different aspects.

Organised tours began three years ago, to control numbers of callers. Now they have a streamlined system - and even sell high-grade mediaeval-style ceramics and pewter souvenirs.