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General
Chenies is a picturesque village based around a village green where can be found an old school, chapel and an ancient parish church. The name derives from the Cheyne family who were associated with the area from at lest 1232. The Manor House at Chenies, dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, was once the home of the Dukes of Bedford and has entertained Kings and Queens including Elizabeth I who slept there on several occasions.
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Chenies Manor
In the 1970s Chenies Manor was having structural alterations done to the Pink Room. It was known that a small bricked-up chamber was located in one wall of the room, so it was decided to open this up to create more space. Workmen were employed to install a doorway and when they opened up the chamber they discovered that it was a priest-hole. Inside the room was found an inscription which was dated to the 1660s and simply said ‘9 September’. From that time it was found impossible to keep doors and windows shut in the Pink room on…..9th September.
This haunting may, or may not, be associated with a figure that has been seen in the manor. The ghost only appears for an instant then vanishes, but all who see him agree that he seems to have a limp as he drags one foot. The actual sound of his limping has also been heard and this has been traced to an area where two hundred Roundhead soldiers were billeted during the Civil War. The sounds of laughter and thudding have also been heard coming from the armoury. A memo was found that was written in the early nineteenth century and relates to a headless ghost that had been seen in the ornamental grounds to the south of the house. This was thought to be the ghost of Lord William Russell who was beheaded in Lincoln Inn Fields in London around 1670 and his body was buried at Chenies.
Chenies has seen many distinguished visitors including Henry VIII who stayed there with his new bride Anne Boleyn in 1533. Henry’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, also stayed there as did Elizabeth I. Chenies was also used to house Charles I after he was captured by the Parliamentarians.
To view a map of the area click on the button below
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Local Cottage
On the village green stands a cottage where the sound of babies crying has been heard, when there are none in the house or the adjacent properties. Also doors have been known to open by themselves, a man humming has been heard and the whistling of a small girl.
To view a map of the area click on the button below
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