The White Lady of Newstead Abbey source BBC.CO.UK
 
 

The White Lady, a former resident, can now be seen wondering through her beloved gardens...

After Byron left Newstead Abbey he sold it to an old school friend, Thomas Wildman.

A devoted fan of the poet and his work, Sophie Hyatt came to live at a nearby farm.

She was very shy, being deaf and unable to speak, and would always hide away from approaching strangers by diving into any nearby bushes to avoid having to communicate.

She always carried a slate on which to write if necessary.

When the Wildmans learned how fond she was of Byron’s work they kindly allowed her to wander around the grounds whenever she wanted.

She was even allowed to take a dog Byron had left behind, for exercise on her walks.

Sophie became known as the ‘Little White Lady of Newstead’ because she always wore light clothing.

Sophie, unable to support herself, lived on an income provided by a relative. In 1825 the relative died and the money dried up.

 However, Sophie had another relative in America and decided that she must try to make contact to ask for help.

She left a note for the Wildmans to let them know what she was doing and set off for Nottingham aiming to catch the stagecoach to London.

She did not realise just how kindly the Wildmans thought of her. When Mrs Wildman read the note Sophie had left explaining her situation she spoke to her husband and they immediately dispatched a rider to catch Sophie and offer her accommodation in the grounds of Newstead for the rest of her life.

The horse and rider set off in hot pursuit and reaching the Market Square found a great crowd gathered around a horse and cart outside the Black Boy pub.

Intrigued, the rider dismounted and pushed through the people to find Sophie lying on the ground – dead. She had been run over by the cart, not hearing the drayman’s warning.

She can now be seen wondering through her beloved gardens, especially along one path now known as White Lady’s Walk.

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The rooks of Newstead were believed to be the souls of the 'Black Monks' as they were seen to observe the Sabbath...

Washington Irving, the author of the famous American ghost story 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' stayed at Newstead in the 1800s.

He noted with interest that each morning the rooks would fly away, en mass, to sweep the countryside for food.

They would return in a similar manner in the evening, where their discussion of the days events would echo around the estate.

Irving was told that the rooks observed the Sabbath; they set out every day except Sunday, when they stayed in the abbey grounds.

He didn't believe this until he saw it for himself. Indeed it appeared that the rooks visited their neighbours and friends, devoting Sunday to their nearest and dearest, but didn't leave the estate.

Irving tells us that the local tradition had it that the rooks at Newstead were the souls of the 'Black Monks' reborn as birds, still occupying their old abbey.

Indeed so strongly was this belief held that, contrary to common country practice, the Newstead rooks were not shot, and were generally left unhindered.

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The Rose Lady of Newstead Abbey
 

The Rose Lady
 
A strong Victorian scent of roses and lavender lingers in the air at the bottom of a staircase in the Abbey...

At one certain place in Newstead, where a passageway crosses the bottom of a staircase there is often a strong, heavy, Victorian scent of roses and lavender.

No-one has actually been seen but there are numerous stories of people smelling the perfume.

It is only in a small area and can vanish as suddenly as it appears.

The staff at Newstead often put on Ghost Tours and one night were doing just that with various members of staff dressing up to re-enact some of the ghostly goings on at the Abbey.

All of a sudden the whole group of people who were being shown round on the tour became aware of a very strong scent of roses and lavender.
They were convinced it was just another one of the staged effects and would not believe there was anything out of the ordinary, but the staff knew otherwise!

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The Black Friar of Newstead Abbey
 

The Black Friar, pointing the way
 
A black robed friar says nothing but points a lost doctor the way to a pregnant lady about to give birth...

There are many stories about appearances of the Black Friar or Monk.

In some he seems to be a portent of doom but in this one he shows a more sympathetic side of his nature.

In the 1930s the wife of a houseowner in Newstead village was due to give birth.

Her husband telephoned the doctor to come to the house as soon as possible. It was some time before the medic finally appeared and the husband remarked that he was only just in time.

"Where have you been – you’re so late" he chided.

The doctor replied that he would have been later still if he hadn’t stopped by a waterfall in the grounds of Newstead Abbey and asked the way of a monk who was standing there.

The black robed figure said nothing but pointed in the right direction.

There had been no monks at the Abbey for hundreds of years.