Moon Mausoleum
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It is said that every year, on the anniversary of her death, the ghost of Anne Boleyn returns to her birthplace at Blickling Estate where you can meet her wandering […]
It is said that every year, on the anniversary of her death, the ghost of Anne Boleyn returns to her birthplace at Blickling Estate where you can meet her wandering through the haunted Great Woods.
English history is woven with tales of love, betrayal, and tragedy, none more poignant than the life and death of Anne Boleyn. Though her earthly journey was cut short by the executioner’s blade, Anne’s spectral presence endures, with Blickling Estate in Norfolk, England, standing as a haunting backdrop to her restless afterlife.
Within the sprawling expanse of Blickling Estate covering around 4600 acres, the Great Wood conceals secrets that transcend centuries. Towering trees and ancient pathways cradle the whispers of history, and it is here that a pyramidal mausoleum, erected in 1793 to honor the 2nd Earl of Buckingham, becomes a gateway to the spectral realm.
The Blickling Hall Estate is a Jacobean stately home and has had many famed British people passing through it. The estate we see today is built upon the ruins of the Tudor style building that once belonged to the Boleyn family and it is said that Anne Boleyn together with her siblings were all born here.
Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, is one of the most iconic and controversial figures in English history. Born circa 1501, she captivated the Tudor court with her intelligence, charm, and striking beauty.
Anne played a pivotal role in the English Reformation, as her marriage to Henry marked the break from the Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England. However, her failure to provide a male heir led to her tragic downfall.
A statue and portrait of Anne may be found at Blickling Estate which carry the inscription, “Anna Bolena hic nata 1507” (Anne Boleyn born here 1507). Although, we don’t really know the exact year she was born and it was probably a bit earlier.
It is also deemed to be one of the most haunted properties of the National Trust and every year the people of Norfolk come to the estate to look for the UK’s perhaps most busy ghost.
Every 19th of May, a spectral figure is said to materialize within the Great Wood — none other than Anne Boleyn herself. Accused of adultery, incest, and treason, Anne Boleyn was executed by beheading on May 19, 1536, at the Tower of London. Her life and death continue to be the subject of fascination and speculation, with tales of her ghost haunting sites associated with her dramatic and tumultuous journey.
Read More: Check out all haunted forests around the world
It is said she appears at midnight, It is as if time itself pauses, and the ethereal veil between past and present becomes permeable, allowing Anne’s ghost to revisit the grounds of Blickling Estate.
People say she is dressed in all white and is carrying her severed and bloody head under her arms. She comes by a coach pulled by four headless horses as well as a headless horseman.
She comes through the forest before entering the big halls, roaming the corridors until the sun rises before disappearing until next year.
In addition to the Great Wood at Blickling Estate, the ghost of Anne Boleyn is rumored to haunt the Tower of London, where she was imprisoned before her execution. Reports suggest that her restless spirit roams the Tower’s corridors and grounds, perhaps searching for solace or retribution.
Read Also: Unveiling the Dark History of the Tower of London and its Ghosts
The historic Hever Castle in Kent, Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, is also believed to be visited by her ghost. Visitors and staff at Hever Castle have reported sightings and eerie encounters, contributing to the enduring legend of Anne Boleyn’s haunting presence across various locations associated with her tumultuous life.
Read Also: A Royal Haunting at Christmas
The haunting tale extends beyond Anne to encompass the Boleyn family’s tragic legacy. Sir Thomas Boleyn, Anne’s father, is believed to suffer from a curse, condemning him to eternal unrest.
Failing to prevent his daughter’s execution, and even perhaps pushing her into the life as a king’s mistress, Sir Thomas’s spirit is said to wander the grounds ceaselessly, a specter burdened by the weight of history and a father’s sorrow.
Anne Boleyn’s ghostly apparition, forever tethered to the anniversary of her tragic demise, transforms the woodland into a canvas where past and present converge for one night of the year.
Amidst the ancient trees and the pyramidal mausoleum on the ground, the haunting echoes of history persist, inviting those who venture into the Great Wood to contemplate the enduring legacy of Anne Boleyn on Blickling Estate, only one of the few places her ghost is said to haunt.
Behind the scenes at Blickling Hall, the birthplace of Anne Boleyn | Britain Magazine
