Haunting spirits roam the halls and rooms of Larkfield Priory Hotel in Maidstone, Kent, says RICK HALE
Set in the picturesque countryside of Kent is Larkfield Priory Hotel, a hotel well known for it hospitality as well as it’s stunning grounds.
This Maidstone hotel has another, much darker reputation. A reputation for being haunted by troublesome ghosts.
Specifically, the ghost of a former servant girl that tragically died over a century ago. And takes her anger out on the hotel long after her death.
History of Larkfield Priory Hotel
A house has been located on the site where the hotel now stands since the 18th century when it was known as Larkfield Farms.
In the 19th century, the house was occupied by Reverend William Lewis Wigan and his family.
The Wigans lived in the house until a fire destroyed it in 1890. Enough of the structure was left and the house was rebuilt.
The land the house sits on has a much more interesting history and may account for some of the ghosts believed to haunt the hotel.
Evidence of Roman villas have been discovered nearby. And during the civil war Parliamentarian troops dealt a crushing defeat to Royalist forces at the Battle of Maidstone.
Lastly, just prior to Larkfield Farms being built, a gallows was located on the grounds. Dozens of criminals met their maker there at the end of a noose.
The Haunting of Larkfield Priory Hotel
Since opening its doors as a hotel, there have been several reports made by guests and staff, encountering ghostly phenomena.
And some of those reports were quite unnerving.
One spirit in particular has caused so much trouble the owners contacted a medium in the 1980s to deal with the unpleasant spirit.
What the medium discovered was the hotel was home to not just one spirit, but several.
Charlotte
According to the medium, the angriest of all the ghosts was a servant girl named Charlotte.
In life, Charlotte fell head over heels in love with a groundskeeper and the two engaged in a whirlwind romance.
One day, Charlotte discovered that she was pregnant. An unforgivable sin for a young woman in those days. After this the story of Charlotte’s untimely demise gets a bit muddled.
One story says that when Charlotte lost her baby, she succumbed to a deep depression and took her life.
A second story states that she died as a result of a botched abortion performed by a disgraced doctor.
Regardless of which story is true, the ghost of this young woman has been experienced throughout the hotel. And not all of those experiences were pleasant.
Charlotte’s ghost has been witnessed walking the halls of the hotel sobbing inconsolably over the loss of her child.
She has further been known to visit guests as they sleep and wake them up with her sobbing.
Charlotte has also been known to have somewhat of a meanstreak. She has been known to violently pound on guest’s doors and throw glasses off tables.
Charlotte may seem like a tragic figure but her anger is what truly terrifies some people.
A Motley Crew of Ghosts
Apart from Charlotte, several other ghosts have been witnessed in the halls and rooms of Larkfield Priory Hotel.
A handful of male spirits have been sighted in disheveled clothes with angry looks upon their faces by staff and guests.
They typically keep to themselves and rarely interact with the people seeing them.
According to the psychic, these are the men who went to their deaths when a gallows occupied the ground the hotel sits on.
These nameless spirits, much like Charlotte, are incapable of finding the peace in death they were denied in life.
What the Hotel Offers
The luxurious Larkfield Priory Hotel is a 3 star hotel that we’ll know for its hospitality and service.
The hotel has 52 en-suite rooms with all the amenities you would come to expect from a 3 star hotel.
The hotel’s restaurant features a sumptuous menu offering the finest in French and European cuisine.
Out and About
The area around the hotel is abundant in things to do. The town of Maidstone is a short trip and has numerous boutique shops and museums.
London is an hour away and lastly the natural landscape surrounding the hotel is ideal for the outdoor enthusiast.
