Bettiscombe Manor

A screaming skull resides at Bettiscombe Manor, which in legend cannot be removed from the house. To do so is said to cause great havoc.

One tenant is supposed to have thrown the skull into a pond to be rid of the grisly item. All through the night the manor house shook on its foundations, and screams echoed down the corridors until the owner was compelled to return the skull to its pride of place.

Bettiscombe Manor: by Tim BirchLegend suggests that the skull once belonged to an African slave whose dying wish was to be taken to his native land to be buried, instead of which he was interred locally. After this screams issued forth from the grave, and the house was subject to poltergeist activity. Finally the body was disinterred and placed in the house. Several attempts at reburial resulted in the same ghostly manifestation and over the years the skeleton became reduced to a skull.

When actually dated the skull was found to be over 2000 years old, it is thought to have came from Pilsdon Pen, an Iron Age hillfort not far from Bettiscombe Manor. The reason why the object ended up at the house is anyones' guess.

There are several screaming skull legends in Britain and they all follow a similar theme, basically if they are removed from the house for any reason, they cause paranormal manifestations until they are replaced. It is not known whether this has been tested in recent times with any of the skulls, but stories relating to the manifestations abound.

Additonal Information:
Bettiscombe Manor is not open to the public and now forms a private home.