Carnfield Hall is a country house dating from the 15th and 16th Centuries, standing in its ancient deer park and surrounding woods, 1½ miles from junction 28 of the M1 on the Derbyshire/ Nottinghamshire border, a haven of tranquility to this day.Originally known as Carlingthwaite, old Norse Viking for "an old womans clearing", it passed to the Babington family in the 15th Century where its first known occupant, Dame Alice Babington, married Gregory Page in the 1470s. However, their son, and heir to the Hall became a Catholic priest, meaning that all his wealth and estate would go to the church upon inheritance. More distant members of the Babington Family - The Revelles', were disapproving of this law of contribution, and controversially assumed ownership of the hall after inflicting a period of intimidation to the church and the Babington Family, climaxing in the kidnapping of Mrs Page in 1498 by her relative, Hugh Revell. The estate was 'sold' to him in 1502. Carnfield Hall remained with the Revelle Family for over 300 years; over the generations of their possession, they were the main contributers and developers of the amazing building that is with us today. Edward Revell remodelled the medieval half timbered house (some of which remains) in the 1570s and his grandsons added panelled rooms and staircases in Jacobean times. Fortuitous marriages with Harpur and Wilmot heiresses in the 17th Century enabled another building phase in the early 1700s by Robert Revell who was unfortunately murdered in 1714 by two of his servants whilst he slept. Robert Revell's grandaughter Frances died aged 20 of the dreaded smallpox in an epidemic that struck Nottingham in 1736, a year after her marriage to the curiously named Strelley Pegge. Strelley Pegge was said to have had a child with his mistress, just before marrying Francis.Frances died before she had children, and her uncle, the Reverend Francis Revell, inherited Carnfield on her death. Shockingly, the Reverend was equally as promiscuous as Mr Pegge, and upon receiving his inheritance, promptly moved into the Hall with his wife, mistress and three illegitimate children! In 1770 it passed to his natural son Tristram a Colonel in the army, whose legitimate cousin, Sophia, disputed his right to inherit, but because she had eloped with the family coachman in 1735 had been cut off. On the Colonel's death in 1797 without children the estate passed to his cousins.Sir John Eardley-Wilmot got into financial difficulties and to avoid embarrassment to an MP he was made Governor of Tasmania thus removing the problem. So in 1834 he sold the estate to his land agent Joseph Wilson, captain of the Alfreton Cavalry, magistrate and solicitor. Mr Wilson was arrested in 1840 and incarcerated in Derby Gaol for some weeks, dying at Carnfield, just before his trial. In 1912 his grandson Vaughan Radford, a most typical old English country squire died and Carnfield was sold to Alfreton estate agent, Melville Watson. In June 1914 he was murdered by a disgruntled tenant and the ongoing restoration started by him abruptly stopped. His widow lived on at the Hall until her death in 1949 following which it was purchased by local industrialist, Noel Darbyshire, who updated the Hall whilst retaining its original features. Darbyshire abandoned the Hall in 1960 and it remained unoccupied until the previous owner James Cartland bought the property in 1987.James spent the intervening years restoring this fascinating house. The restoration continued and now includes the ancient park which is to be laid out as it was in the 18th / 19th centuries based on numerous plans and photos found over the years. The work effort and love of the house that James embellished during his 'tenure' was nothing short of remarkable.Graham Oliver adored Carnfield from the moment he set eyes on it in 2010, and although Heidi took longer to persuade, James Cartland knew his home needed a female touch and the motivation of a man who shared his passion and love of the house. It soon became clear to James that this couple were ideal. Having also uncovered much of the history of Carnfield, James Lured Graham and Heidi into his excitement of the hall, and in March of 2011, he sold the Hall to Graham Oliver.And so the modern history of Carnfield goes on..........
Giggling and chattering is heard on the old oak pannelled hall and reports of figures of parlour maids have been seen.In the Dining room harpsichord music has been recorded by experts.Knocks and bangs and being touched are experienced.Noises such as rustling papers are heard.Shadows are seen in the doorways, blocking out the light.Drawing room has had poltergeist activity by a small child swinging the crystal chandliers.In the bedroom where Robert was murdered, a previous group was mysteriously bolted in from the inside.K2 meter activity is reported in the upper bedrooms.Door handles being turned and door shaking in the ladies room.A dog was protectng its owners from something that could not be seen, growling and snarling at something that was moving about the room, then the lights started to flicker and then crash and bangs occured from the room above.The room above where the crashes and bangs were heard were that of Robert Revill who was brutely murdered whilst he slept.The north east bedroom has a history of being haunted going back at least a hundred years, nobody knew why. About eight years ago It was discovered that Robert Revell, the Squire, was "murdered in his bed by two of his servants". This story had been lost over the centuries and was found on an old family tree. The Carnfield owners and thier guests have heard the furniture being shifted when in the library below and footsteps across the drawing room, of course, with no one there! Another story is of a ghostly coach seen in the fields west of the Hall by various servants heading home in the dark to their houses in Alfreton in Victorian times. What they didn't know was that the Hall was reversed in about 1700 and the main drive to the old front of the house was that on which the coach was seen: Is this Robert Revell's coach? One lady said her mother had told her it had two huge wheels and two small, a perfect description of coaches of the late 17th / early 18th century.A small room known as the Red Cross Room (owing to its use in the first war to wind bandages by the local ladies) gives many visitors the jitters. A previous occupant once saw a lady standing over her bed and never slept there again! Clearly something happened here; what, we don't know.Various visitors and guests have said they have seen figures out of the corner of their eyes. And two, unrelated guests, on separate occasions both described the same ghostly religious figure sat in a window seat in the dinning room. A builder here once heard someone walk in heavy boots across the attic when he was painting the parlour ceiling, a few inches above him. He was alone in the house at the time. The carpet fitter was found sat outside the house refusing to re enter alone as a lady had been talking in the adjacent room, which, you've guessed, was empty. A Bamfords auctioneer refused to discuss what he had heard, but as the house changed hands and antiques were sold off, he left the house, unsecured and refused, ever, to re enter it.An amusing local story is that a ghost ball takes place here every year in the great parlour on the anniversary of the ball given in 1700 by Robert Revell when he was High Sheriff of Derbyshire. We have not yet seen or heard it, but some years ago a piece of film showed a shadow of a man's lace cuff on a shutter in the art of dancing. In the 1960/70's the police quite often came here, called by concerned passers-by who had seen flickering lights in the windows. It was easy to get in but no one was ever found except the smell of candle smoke. Because of so much reported activity here, the chances are that you will be very likely to come across something on the night. Imagine all the things that have happened in this coloured history of Carnfield Hall, the murders, the affairs. To what extent would you go to to uncover the history of this reportedly most haunted house in Derbyshire?
Your event will include
* An overnight investigation with the Prestige Paranormal investigation team* Welcome meeting* snacks during the night- which includes, , flapjacks, brownies, muffins, chocolate bars and sausage rolls.(bring own hot drinks as no electricity in base room)* Mediumship /Historical walkaround* Mediumship vigil- Dowsing rods, pendulums, psychometry experiments, singapore experiment using music/sounds from days gone by.* Victoriana vigil- Ouija Board (optional) glass divination, table tipping.* Equipment vigil - emf (k2) meters, laser thermometers, laser grid pens, motion sensors, super hearing enhancers, franks box, light intensity meter.* Group vigil,we will hold a mass group vigil at the end. * Debriefing session at the end.
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