A New Forest Hotel with a Gothic Past
Glasshayes House once stood on the edge of Lyndhurst, surrounded by the trees and mists of the New Forest. It began life as a country house, later becoming a hotel that attracted writers, hunters and tourists looking for fresh air and quiet nights.
However, quiet nights were not always what guests received. Over time, stories built up of strange figures in the corridors, unexplained noises and a brooding atmosphere in some of the older rooms.
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Spiritualist Connection
One of the most intriguing parts of Glasshayes House lore is its connection to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The creator of Sherlock Holmes was deeply interested in spiritualism and is said to have had a hand in redesigning part of the building.
Because of that link, some visitors claimed the house felt like a place where the veil between worlds was thin. The idea of a famous spiritualist influencing the shape of a later‑haunted hotel only adds to the site’s eerie reputation.
Ghostly Residents: Grey Lady and More
Reports from the hotel years often mention a grey lady drifting through corridors or appearing on staircases. She is usually described as quiet and watchful rather than aggressive, as if she is still going about some private business long after death.
Guests also spoke of doors opening on their own at night, the sound of footsteps pacing outside rooms and whispers in empty hallways. Some staff refused to go alone into certain parts of the building after dark, especially older wings where the lights seemed to dim without reason.
Eerie Rooms and Vanishing Figures
Several bedrooms gained their own reputations. People woke to see a figure standing at the foot of the bed, only for it to fade as they tried to focus. Others reported their belongings being moved, lights switching on and off and a sensation of someone sitting on the bed when no one was there.
In public areas, particularly lounges and stairways, figures were glimpsed in old‑fashioned clothing before they turned a corner and disappeared. Staff learned to tell nervous guests that “the house has its characters” and encouraged them to enjoy the strange history rather than fear it.
Why Glasshayes House Appeals to Ghost Hunters
Even though Glasshayes House has faced redevelopment and change, its story still captures the imagination of ghost hunters. It combines a classic haunted‑hotel feel with New Forest atmosphere and a direct line to Conan Doyle’s spiritualist interests.
For paranormal fans, it offers a template of what to look for in other historic hotels: layered ownership, famous guests, strong emotional history and repeat reports of specific figures. It is easy to imagine running vigils on former corridors, focusing on the grey lady or calling out to those who may have known Conan Doyle’s era.
Linking the New Forest to DeadLive Events
Glasshayes House shows how even elegant country hotels can develop deep‑rooted hauntings over time. When you join our Liverpool ghost hunts or DeadLive paranormal events in Cheshire and the North West, you are stepping into venues shaped by the same mix of history, emotion and strange experiences.
DeadLive would love to investigate New Forest locations like Glasshayes House in future, but right now events are focused on places such as Lark Lane Old Police Station Liverpool, Mayer Hall Wirral, Vernon Institute Chester, Penrhyn Old Hall, Coffee House Wavertree and the Transport Museum Manchester.
DeadLive – taking you where the haunting is happening.