Healing Manor Hotel

Dating from 1892, Healing Manor was built by the Portman family and remained their family seat for many years. The following article entitled ‘Ghost spotted in room at Healing Manor during Halloween shoot‘ was published in the Grimsby Telegraph on 30 October 2014.

A beauty queen was spooked after a picture from a photo shoot at Healing Manor appeared to show a ghostly figure looking out from the window behind her.

Former Miss Lincolnshire Siana Hemmings said her “whole body shivered” upon seeing the apparition, which she believes could be former owner of the manor Viscount Portman.

The 23-year-old from Scunthorpe was modelling for a Halloween-themed bridal couture shoot organised by The Wedding and Flower Boutique, Joanna Leigh Couture, make-up artist Tina Brocklebank and Cherry Blossom Hair Boutique, featuring pumpkins and candles.

She was sent some pictures from the shoot by photographer Tracy Conway-Smith, not noticing the figure behind the right-hand window pane.

But when this picture, above, was posted on Facebook, somebody asked: “Who is the girl in the window above you?”

Siana said: “My mum rang me and said ‘who’s the woman in the window?’ I hadn’t even noticed it. When I saw it my whole body shivered. I was instantly creeped out. It’s very eerie.”

Intrigued, the model started looking into the history of the hotel, and discovered that it was listed as a haunted building on the website Haunted Lincolnshire.

She also contacted the hotel, where staff told her about Viscount Portman, whose pipe smoke can often be smelt in parts of the building.

She said a picture of him resembled the ghost looking down on her shoot.

“It’s definitely a haunted house. But I’m quite into old buildings and ghost stories so I would definitely go back, but I don’t think I will be staying in that particular room!”

Danielle Bizby, an admin assistant at Healing Manor, said there had been several reports from staff and guests of spooky goings on at the venue.

Danielle, who has researched the history of the building, said: “The Portman family were the longest running owners and left in about 1964. We know Viscount Portman liked his tobacco and his pipe, and the smoke can often be smelt in the building, mainly in the entrance area and up and down the stairs.

“One lady who stays with us quite regularly said she woke up one night and the room was full of pipe smoke.”

She revealed there had been several reported sightings of mysterious shadows moving around the hotel corridors.

And she said several staff had heard the clattering of horse’s hooves outside, which may belong to former Grand National winner Cure-All, who was stabled at the site in the 1840s.