Aspenshaw Hall

“There was a long drive over bleak hills. Dark, jolting, infinitely wearisome.”
-Edith Nesbitt, From the Dead

Aspenshaw Hall, a grade II listed building in Thornsett, stands alone at the top of Aspenshaw Road. Although a 1727 marking exists, the front of the building dates to the 19th century. Records suggest the homestead’s origins extend further than 1727, as they relate to the Buckley family, the original owners, and the Bowers who inherited the hall through marriage in 1722. Buckley Bower, the son of Edward Bower and Elizabeth Buckley would grow up to become a successful lawyer and inherit the estate.

The Haunted Books

The earliest mention of the haunting comes from the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star, 27 January 1914;

…not far from the Ollersett pit, is Aspenshaw Hall, which for many years was empty. It is in the middle of a wood, and people in the vicinity vouch for the following story: Some of them remember when a well-to-do farmer named Sidebottom held the mansion, but only occupied a portion of the building, leaving certain rooms unoccupied. A lawyer had previously held the estate, and he, on his decease, left a large number of books strewn about in one of the spare rooms. First one and then another of the volumes were destroyed or mutilated; and immediately after those sleeping in another root had fallen into a quiet slumber, they were disturbed by loud noises of tumbling stones or reports varying in character. Every time a book or paper in the room was torn or destroyed, a repetition of the hideous noises followed, and the bedclothes wore gradually dragged to the floor of the room. For a long time the place was declared “haunted,” and many refused to sleep there for fear, though upon investigation nothing to produce any alarm could be found.

The lawyer mentioned would likely be Buckley Bower, but although the property changed hands a number of times through the 1800’s there doesn’t seem to be any mention of a Mr Sidebottom. The notion of a person returning from the dead, bemoaning those who meddle with his precious books, however, is an appealing one.

Although the story comes up again through to the 1930’s, these articles just repeat the same information as the Telegraph story without adding anything new to the legend.

From the Dead: Edith Nesbitt visits Aspenshaw

An interesting footnote is that Edith Nesbitt, author of The Railway Children was known to have visited Aspenshaw Hall. Nesbitt’s friends the Woodcock family who resided at the hall were”dazzled, amazed and amused by their visitor, who would stretch out with the dogs on the hearthrug; her hair was cut short and her uncorseted figure was clothed in a flowing wool gown.”

Though most famous for her children’s books, Nesbitt also penned a number of ghost stories. From the Dead, a story about a man who is tricked into marrying Ida after she deceives him with a fake letter from his fiancee, directly mentions the hall.

“…one morning as I was setting out for one of those long walks that had no goal but weariness, I met a telegraph boy, and took the red envelope from his hand. On the pink paper inside was written—

“Come to me at once. I am dying. You must come.—Ida.—Apinshaw Farm, Mellor, Derbyshire.”

It’s a quietly chilling short story and particularly of interest to those local to the area as Marple train station and Mellor churchyard also get a mention. Collected in Grim Tales alongside the classic story Man-Sized in Marble, you can read it for free on Project Gutenberg. Also worth a look is the Edith Nesbitt literary trail, a 9 1/2 mile walk that takes in many of the locations in the area that inspired Nesbitt including Aspenshaw Hall.