Six locations that are said to be haunted in Hampshire

Ghost hunters are known for travelling far and wide for a snap or a sighting, however this Halloween, we are bringing the spooky details to our readers. 

Ghostly tales are reported all over the country, however Hampshire is a hot spot for paranormal activity due to its deep history.

Below are haunted locations in Hampshire that you can visit:

Ask Italian, Winchester

Ask Italian is known for its pizza and pasta dishes, however, this restaurant in particular holds a little extra. It is said that Queen Matilda's spirit walks the halls of the building, while sometimes appearing at the top window, said to be where her room was. 

Manager Chris Tiley-Dixon, who has worked within the God Begot House since June, is certain staff and guests aren't alone.

He said: "I have to stay and do the cash up quite late at night. Just last night, Tuesday, October 25 at 10.30pm, I was about to leave and I saw someone coming down the stairs, but I knew I was the only one here. 

"It was a lady in a white dress. It was very visual. I could have mistaken it for someone. It was proper spooky. It's very active."

Staff have become so scared that they refuse to go upstairs alone.

Chris said: "A lot of activity happens in Queen Matilda's room. You can often see someone standing in the window if it's late at night. I have seen someone stood by the window. It's always a female. Nothing bad has happened but she's always here. A lot of stuff happens in the day. All the lights flickered throughout service which was spooky. We were pretty busy as well."

Assistant managers, Carla and Jodie have also seen the lady in the white dress and both agree a presence can be felt.

While finishing paperwork late at night after closing the restaurant, Chris heard a man and a woman talking. He said: "I have heard people talking, and that's where I went, 'OK, I need to get out of here.' It was a man and a woman talking and it was weird. I didn't finish my paperwork, I just left."

The Eclipse Inn, Winchester
The Eclipse Inn is known for its cosy atmosphere, food and friendly staff, but the pub also holds great mysteries among customers and staff members.

The pub is famous for the tale of Dame Alice Lisle, who was accused of harbouring two dissenters after the 1685 Battle of Sedgemoor at her house and sentenced to decapitation. She was held overnight at the inn. A scaffold had been built outside the building and on September 2, 1685 she walked out of an upstairs window onto the scaffold where she was beheaded with an axe.

Pub manager Keira Bamford has witnessed a host of paranormal activity in the eight months she has worked there. She said: "I'm not a believer of the paranormal, yet whenever I say I don't believe, something spooky always happens to me when I'm in the pub.

"I have witnessed glasses fall and smash, bottles that were stacked securely have fallen and hit me on the head. It's not violent, but I think Dame Alice Lisle is trying to tell me she's real and she is here."

Former manager Elliott Fearne has also had his fair share of sightings. He said: "I was by myself and I was about to lock up, I was having a cigarette outside and I could hear banging from inside the pub which freaked me out. 

"There was another time when I was on the top floor and from another room, I could hear things being moved around me. It was really quite strange.

"The next day, along with my co-manager, the room was really heavy. The day felt really strange and there was a really heavy vibe in the pub.

"More recently, my chef came out of the kitchen and said 'do you need all these fridges and freezers open still?' I'm like, 'Steve, I've not been in the kitchen to open them!' I still can't prove it, but the truth's the truth."

Basing House, Old Basing

Built in 1531, Basing House was set on fire with around 74 remaining garrison left in the flames. Since then, Oliver Cromwell is just one of the names who is supposed to wander around the ruins.

There have also been reports of the shadow of a giant man seen darting across the grounds, leaving extreme coldness wherever the shadow is spotted.

Dancing Man Brewery, Southampton

Built in 1332, the Dancing Man Brewery is one of the last Wool Houses in Europe, where it was used to store wool for export to Italy. In the 19th century it was used as a prison for Napoleonic French prisoners of war, before being restored by Southampton City Corporation and adapted to house the Southampton Maritime Museum, which opened in June 1966. 

According to restaurant employees and their customers, the Brewery's dark past still lingers. Bar manager Amber Dumbar said apparitions have been seen walking around the building, while customers say they have felt a presence on both floors.

Amber said: "The cellar is definitely haunted. I've had my name called out down there!"

The Dancing Man Brewery has been subject to ghost hunts and psychic investigations through the years and will be in place for this years tour of Southampton.

The Red Lion, Southampton

Known for its Tudor-style building, legend has it, the half-timbered room was a court room which was the site of the trial of the conspirators in the Southampton Plot.
Taking place in 1415, around 75 years before the building was built, the plotters were jailed at the site and held there for a trial.

Since then, there have been many reports of ghostly sightings leaving from the pub, which have been linked to the prisoners. It is also claimed the pub is haunted by a barmaid in her sixties and only visible above her knees, who reportedly drifts through the bar.

Wymering Manor, Portsmouth

Listed as a Grade II building, Wymering Manor is the oldest building in Portsmouth. First recorded in 1042, it was owned by King Edward the Confessor and is known as one of the UK's most haunted properties and had failed to sell at auction. It has been a youth hostel, a family home, a vicarage and a monastery, with security guards patrolling the grounds 24/7, refusing to go alone - going everywhere in pairs.

A 'lady in a violet dress' was encountered by Thomas Parr, who was living in the house at the time, witnessing the lady standing at the end of his bed one night. It is said that the lady and Thomas had a short conversation before saying "Well, Tommy dear, I must leave you now as we are waiting to receive Aunt Em" before disappearing. The following morning Thomas received a message informing him that his Aunt Em had died during the night.