Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 10, 2020 17:40:35 GMT -5
Duchess of Cornwall’s Former Haunted Estate for Sale
Bolehyde (pronounced Bowl-lea-Hyde) Manor, a medieval residence of yellow Cotswold stone just northwest of the historic town of Chippenham, Wiltshire, is for sale. The 7,500-square-foot, eight-bedroom, four-bath home nestled in 70 Arcadian acres includes a swimming pool, tennis court, dovecote, tree house, guest annex, staff cottages, extensive gardens and stables. Among its more notable features are a flag-stoned reception hall, open fireplaces, oak paneling, ornate staircases and a ghost ... No respectable British estate would be complete without a ghost or two.
The present-day house dates to the 17th century, however, there is evidence of work on the site as far back as the 13th century. The estate takes its name from Thomas de Bolehyde, who allegedly embezzled money from the monks of Glastonbury Abbey who owned the land at one time. The Snells occupied the property until it was sold to John Gale, a Bristol merchant, in 1635 and the Gale family retained possession until the late 1900s. In 1928, the house was restored and renovated by H. Philip du Cros (later 2nd Baronet) and his wife, Dita.
Fast-forward to 1973 at which time the estate was purchased by Andrew Parker-Bowles, a cavalry officer, and his wife, Camilla, present Duchess of Cornwall and wife of the Prince of Wales. Parker-Bowles dated Princess Anne in the early 1970s. Camilla was particularly interested in the property because of its proximity to the Beaufort Hunt, one of the oldest and largest of England’s many fox-hunting packs.* The extensive grounds with their sculpted yew hedges and formal paths leading to secret gardens were also big drawing points.
While Camilla and her husband owned Bolehyde, she claimed to have been aware of the ghost, particularly while watching television. She never saw the wraith, but told a reporter she could feel it beside her and because she and her invisible companion “always wanted to watch different programs,” the spook would change the channels.
By 1980, the Prince of Wales had acquired Highrove, an estate near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, just 15 miles away, and it was in the gardens at Bolehyde that he proposed to Lady Diana Spencer, and their storybook weeding took place in July 1981. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for both the Prince and Diana to realize their marriage was anything but a fairy tale and it was also at Bolehyde that he renewed his affair with his old flame, Camilla, the woman he should have married in the first place. Years later, Diana would proclaim, “There were three of us in this marriage.” In 1986 – the year Prince Charles claims he began his adulterous affair with Camilla – Brigadier and Mrs. Parker-Bowles sold their Wiltshire property to the Earl and Countess Cairns, Simon and Amanda.
Nine years later, Camilla and her husband were divorced and the marriage of Prince Charles and Diana was dissolved in 1996, almost a year to the day before Diana died in the Paris automobile accident with her Muslim lover, Dodi Fayed. The Prince and Camilla were married in April 2005.
When Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011, her parents considered purchasing Bolehyde, which was then for sale at an asking price of close to £5 million. However, the pair declined to make an offer and Lord and Lady Cairns ultimately decided to remain in their home.
Now, the haunted royal property is on the market again at a much more reasonable asking price: It can be yours for £3,750,000 ($4,238,572).
Sources: Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, June 8, 2020; Souhaib, TrendsWide, June 6, 2020; Richard Kay, The Daily Mail, June 5, 2020; Katie Weston, The Daily Mail, June 3, 2020; Julian MacKenzie, Town & Country, June 1, 2017; Walkabout; CitySeeker; and The Telegraph, March 29, 2011.
*In 2004, hunting wild mammals with dogs was banned in England and Wales.
See also “Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Frightened by Dumfries Ghost.”
