For friends of the cultivated shiver: the overnight stay in the gloomy children's room of an eccentric English mansion promises more than staged horror
Rather inconspicuous from the outside, its unique character quickly becomes clear when entering the building inside. Over 1800 original pieces of equipment from two millennia and 27 countries form a fascinating universe, whose life of its own can be felt through subtle smells and enigmatic noises.
Everything is well thought out and staged, including the spook in the gloomy master bedroom, which reveals its horrific secret by candlelight. Despite the almost museum-like atmosphere, the house has all the modern amenities you would expect from a fully equipped accommodation.
Here you stay overnight in a former house in Essex, England, which was transformed into a fantastic miniature palace by its owner. Each of the eleven rooms and two gardens is dedicated to an imaginary place. The high-contrast spectrum extends across the world; from the living room in the Welsh watchtower (12th century) or the voodoo kitchen from New Orleans in the 1950s to the Victorian dining room and the Cambodian tree house sanctuary to appease nature spirits.
Although not even a hundred years old, the building is steeped in the breath of history thanks to the more than 1800 antiques and original artifacts housed in its walls. Comparable to a living, interactive work of art, this wonderful world cannot simply be visited - it must be experienced with all the senses. Each new room marks a leap into a different time - each with its own smells and noises.
The two sleeping areas in the house could not be more different in style: the friendly'Room of Dreams' with its Moorish interior is inspired by the Spanish Alhambra, while the second accommodation moves intrepid guests to the Scottish Highlands, where they spend the night in a dark 19th century Victorian-Neo-Gothic style sleeping chamber. The so-called 'Enchanted Bedroom' is considered Britain's most eerie bedroom.
The opulent furnishings with black wall and ceiling panelling, heavy brocade fabrics and elaborately turned furniture reinforce the mysterious impression, to which disturbing decorations and grotesque woodcarvings contribute. Rich textures and dark colours also characterise the textile wall covering. Electric light is available, but discreet and well hidden. Instead, the lighting is provided in true style by flickering candlelight.
In oppressive detail, the room turns out to be the bedroom of a Scottish boy of Edwardian times, including books, toys and memorabilia. For like all other rooms, the 'enchanted' room contains an imaginary background story that lends a special charm to the overnight stay: Seathan Macpherson was only seven years old when his parents found him dead in his room in 1911. Jack, as he was called, was a reclusive only child and often complained of noise at night. After his death, the room was initially left unused.
As the restless spirit of the deceased boy haunts the corridor, a priest is ordered to bless and guard the children's room. Later the superstitious couple closed off the room and sealed it with various sacred symbols. The parents swore never to set foot in it again. The original interior has been preserved to this day.
When the door creaks open for guests for the first time, they are not only welcomed by a slightly musty smell, scattered toys lie everywhere in the room - as a legacy of the imaginary dead boy! Completely bizarre, but effective. And because, according to the storyboard, the MacPherson mansion between Aberdeen and Dundee lies on a cliff above the sea, the distant sound of the waves can also be heard in the staged bedroom. Unexplained smells and noises finally make the illusion perfect.
Those who remain unimpressed by so much authenticity cannot be helped anymore. Everyone else has a night of well-dosed shivers ahead. When booking the 'Enchanted Sleeping Room', the entire house and the two gardens are available to guests for exclusive use for the duration of their stay.
For up to four additional guests, the log cabin accommodation and/or the 'Room of Dreams' can be booked additionally. The entire property accommodates a maximum of 6 people.
From 159,- EUR per night for the whole mansion with 11 rooms (based on two persons)
Further informations and booking via the provider site