Island Echo examines the myths and legends associated with the Isle of Wight’s reputedly most haunted house, the former sumptuous stately home of Knighton Gorges near Newchurch.
Knighton Gorges no longer exists; it was pulled down in the early 19th century. Little trace of the former magnificent property remains other than the gateposts and the legends that surround the mansion.
One of the 1st owners of Knighton was Hugh de Morville, who believed the property to be cursed. Hugh was 1 of 4 knights who assassinated the Archbishop of Canterbury, Saint Thomas Becket, on 29th December 1170. The property remained with the de Morville family until 1256 when it passed to Ralf de Gorges through marriage. Gorges added his surname to the house: hence the name “Knighton Gorges”.
In 1565, Knighton Gorges was acquired by Antony Dillington, who renovated the building. However, the renovated house included an original room of the former building with the words ‘The Room of Tears’ engraved above the door. It is claimed that a former owner – Sir Theobald Russell – had died there from battle wounds, his wife Lady Gorges was also said to have perished in the same room from a broken heart.
A further legend associated with Knighton Gorges concerns the supposed suicide of Tristram Dillington – MP for Newport – who was said to have shot himself on 7th July 1721, aged 41. It has been claimed that Dillington took his own life after being driven to despair by the death of his wife and children from smallpox. Others say he killed himself because of gambling debts after losing his townhouse in Newport in a game of cards.
At that time, the assets of those who had committed suicide were not passed on to the family. Therefore, Tristram’s steward made his death appear as an accident by strapping his dead body to his horse Thunderbolt, and making the horse run into the pond below the manor. The steward then declared that Dillington – who frequently rode his horse at night – had got lost in the dark and drowned in the pond.
There are rumours that Dillington did not receive a Christian burial and is not buried at All Saints Church in Newchurch. The skeleton of a large man found in Knighton Gorges’ walled garden was believed to be that of Dillington.
Knighton Gorges is believed to have been demolished in 1821 by the then-owner Maurice George Bisset. Bisset is famous for his role in the scandal involving Sir Richard Worsley and his wife Lady Seymour Fleming from Appuldurcombe House – a story that was made into a BBC costume drama.
There are different theories as to why Bisset had the famous old mansion pulled down. 1 version is that he went insane after having caught syphilis from his lover Lady Worsley and blamed his insanity and misfortune on the cursed property of Knighton Gorges. Another tale is that Bisset opposed the marriage of his daughter, Jane, to a clergyman and therefore had his home demolished to prevent her from ever inheriting it.
So what are the ghost stories associated with this historic house?
One concerns a young man who knocked on the door of a house in Newchurch, claiming he had nearly been run over by a horse and carriage. He had gone to the house which he believed the vehicle had come from, but no one answered his knock. He had then peered through the window, where he saw what he believed to be a fancy dress party, with all the guests dressed in Georgian costume.
The house owner asked the man where this house was. He then pointed to the former site of Knighton Gorges on a map.
The Isle of Wight writer Ethel Hargrove had a similar tale. On New Year’s Eve, 1915, she claimed to have seen the legendary house herself, even though it had been demolished nearly a century before.
Miss Hargreaves wrote of her experience:
A few minutes before midnight, a flood of melody arose from the site of the former mansion. It was varied in character: dance music played on a harpsichord, Georgian minuet airs, slow and stately, then a duet between tenor and soprano voices. At 12:00, the party seemed to break up, a pistol or gun was fired, dogs bayed, and the sound of carriage wheels was heard.”
Other tales of Knighton Gorges hauntings include strange occurrences with the stone pillared gate. Nothing has been placed on the stone pillars since the early years of the previous century. But various witnesses have seen stone animals on the columns.
In 1972, Edwin Perry wrote to a local newspaper to enquire as to where the stone animals he had seen on the Knighton Gorges gates had gone. This letter was followed by another from a Shanklin lady who believed the stone figures resembled lions.
A further ghost story associated with the former site of Knighton Gorges concerns the ghost of Tristram Dillington. Every 7th July – the day of his death – his spectre is said to ride the grounds of Knighton Gorges driving a coach and 4 horses, accompanied by a ghostly hound.
Maurice Bisset’s daughter Jane is also said to haunt the former Knighton Gorges site dressed in blue and purple.
There have been numerous other reports of mysterious happenings in this legendary location, such as electronic equipment not functioning properly on or near the site.
If any Island Echo reader knows of interesting tales or inexplicable happenings from the former Knighton Gorges site, please leave a comment.
I saw the house during my first week of employment having just moved to the island nearly sixteen years ago. I mentioned the house when I got to work only to be told by my boss that it didn’t exist…
As always really interesting article.
It may interest lovers of Enid Blyton books featuring the Famous Five characters, that an excellent book has been written with the Famous Five staying at Knighton Georges on our beloved Island.
It is found by typing
Fanfiction Five visit the Isle of Wight
Link IF ALLOWED:
FIVE VISIT THE ISLE OF WIGHT, an enid blyton fanfic | FanFiction
I drove past the gate posts one New years eve back in the 1980’s, and a large crowd were gathered. We stopped the car to see what was going on thinking it must be an accident.
But the crowd insisted they had witnessed a haunting and one member said he had ‘taped’ a recording of unearthly music or sounds.
I never head the tape, but I think it was reported in the County Press at the time.
Not somewhere I would feel happy being at night I must say.
In the early 80’s, the little now ruined gardener’s cottage for Knighton Gorges was up for sale, with a guide price of around £40k ( it actually made double that).
We were passing and looked in, and a kindly lady relative of the presumably deceased owner asked us if we would like to have a look inside.
We did, and it was very run down, with wire over the upstairs windows to keep the many cats the elderly owner had then inside.
The owner showed us some wonderful artwork the old owner had painted, being some relation of the Carters from the old burnt out mansion at the top of Ryde (another interesting story for an article for Island Echo to investigate.
A lawyer with connections to the family in London bought the place.
£80k in the early 80’s would have bought a mansion here on the Island so I call BS on a little cottage going for that price!
You are Wrong as ‘ real estate’ b.s’ers tend to often be. The Cottage did sell for that as it included a huge walled in garden and as mentioned, the buyer was a lawyer in London who had some connections with the property so paid well over the top.
My kids have read a really good famous five book written about the haunted gate pillars at knighton
Think it is on fanfiction under famous five vist isle of wight.
I have driven past in the Summer late in the evening a couple of decades ago and seen a figure slowly drifting from the field toward the road.
Not saying it was a ghost but seemed to move oddly but never had the bottle to go back as hairs on my neck rose as seemed weird. I was aware of its reputation so may be all in the mind.
What’s on top of the gateposts?
Just saying, Ivy, but not Ms Searl !
Seriously what is on top is round carved ‘loaves’ of bread shaped adornments. They are flat on top so presumably could have had additional ornamentation.
I have seen stone lions on top of the gate posts on more than one occasion
I’ve seen lions new years in the 90s with a friend,no we hadn’t been drinking or anything else before any says
In the early 2000s, a group of friends and I drove to look at the gates at midnight on a random night. I’m unsure what time of year it was, but it wasn’t NYE, and I remember wasn’t too cold.
We stopped for about 5 minutes and, not seeing anything, got back in the car to leave. Only, the car wouldn’t start, the battery seemed completely dead. No phone service down there, so we couldn’t call for breakdown. No other cars passing to flag for a jump.
A few minutes go by, and we’re talking about what to do, and suddenly the car’s electrics come back on with the radio at full volume. I don’t think we had the radio on before we stopped, but if we did it wouldn’t have been loud.
We drove off fast, and I haven’t been back passed since.
Really strange place! , years ago myself and my friend were riding our horses on the bridle way that passes through the land when suddenly both horses stopped and we all watched something emerge from nowhere! Strange shadow drifting towards us the horses spun around and bolted up to the top of the hill ! We never went back! Even driving past in my car makes me shake lol
We have stayed at Knighton Gorges a couple of times my grandson aged 9 months kept looking in one direction in the garden and we have seen orbs at night. Read Gay Baldwin’s book