The Chanting Monks of Beaulieu
At the ruins of a medieval abbey, people say they've heard monks chanting where no monks have lived for nearly five hundred years.
What was reported
Beaulieu Abbey in the New Forest was founded by Cistercian monks in 1204 and closed by Henry VIII in 1538. Parts of it survive among later buildings on the Beaulieu estate.
Residents and visitors have reported hearing the sound of chanting and plainsong at times when no service was taking place, smelling incense, and seeing figures in brown robes in the grounds.
Explanations offered
Suggestions include sounds carried from the nearby church or estate, wind in the ruins, and the power of suggestion in a famous old place. The reports are part of the estate's ghost tours today.
- When
- Reported in the 20th century
- Where
- Beaulieu Abbey, Hampshire, England
- Witnesses
- Residents and visitors to the abbey
- Status
- Unexplained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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