Abbots Langley

Contents -- Click Site Name to view details

General
Leavesden Hospital
St Lawrence's Church
Vicarage

A brief note about the area
The ghost of a monk holding a candle
Mary Ann Trebble, suicide or murder victim?
A damaged fireplace that can't be repaired
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General

The name Abbots Langley originates from 1045 when Ethelwine the Black and his wife Wynfelda, gave Langelei (a long meadow or long lea) to the Abbot of St Albans monastery. The name Langley derives from the Old English words lang and leah meaning ‘a long wood or clearing'. In the Domesday Survey of 1086 the name is given as Langelai. In the 2001 Census the population was 10,472.

Abbots Langley is the birthplace of the only Englishman, Nicholas Breakspear, to become Pope. Nicholas was born at Breakspear Farm, near Bedmond in approximately 1100. He became Pope Adrian IV (1154-1159).

In 1539 Henry VIII took Abbots Langley for the Crown and sold the manor to one of his most loyal commanders Sir Richard Lee.

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Leavesden Hospital

In the west of Abbots Langley there used to stand the Leavesden Hospital which was the Metropolitan District Asylum for Chronic Imbeciles. This has now long gone and been replaced by houses in the area now occupied by Mallard Road the adjoining cul-de-sacs. In 2008 a number of national papers picked up on a ghost story, not because it was unusual but because it involved Manuel Almunia, goalkeeper for Arsenal. It seems that he lived in a house on the former asylum site which was said to be haunted by the ghost of a monk who was seen holding a candlestick.

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St Lawrence's Church

St Lawrence's church and churchyard in Abbots Langley are said to be haunted by the ghost of Mary Ann Trebble. Mary Ann is believed to have been either the housekeeper or a servant at the vicarage before the First World War and died in mysterious circumstances. No one knows for certain how she died but theories vary from double pneumonia to an accident when she fell downstairs, suicide or murder by the then Vicar's wife Mrs Caroline Parnell. At the end of the day she was seventy-four when she died so natural causes seems likely. One story even says that she died from being shaken when she would not get out of bed one morning as she felt unwell.

She died in 1914 and is buried in the churchyard and her ghost has been seen several times walking from the vicarage to her grave. The fact it was Mary Ann was confirmed by villagers who lived in the cottages opposite the vicarage.

Mary Ann is most active on All Souls Day and has been seen by a former curate who noticed her during mass, and then she vanished. Another curate was alone in the church when he heard footsteps coming from the west followed by the feeling of clothes brushing his face. The footsteps then continued to the east end of the church.

One vicar who noticed her in the congregation saw her vanish so the Bishop of St Albans was called in to perform a service of exorcism and things did settle down for a while

The tradition is that Mary Ann fell down the stairs and died later of pneumonia as a result of the accident with no evidence that she was pushed.

To view a map of the area click on the button below



To view images see: Abbots Langley - St Lawrence's Church Album

To view a report about St Lawrence's church see: 21-11-2008


Abbots Langley, St Lawrence's Church
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Vicarage

The vicarage of St Lawrence in Abbots Langley is said to be haunted by the ghost of Mary Ann Trebble. Mary Ann is believed to have been either the housekeeper or a servant at the vicarage before the First World War and died in mysterious circumstances. No one knows for certain how she died but theories vary from double pneumonia to an accident when she fell downstairs, suicide or murder by the then Vicar's wife Mrs Caroline Parnell. One story even says that she died from being shaken when she would not get out of bed one morning as she felt unwell. At the end of the day she was seventy-four when she died so natural causes seems likely.

She died in 1914 and is buried in the churchyard and her ghost has been seen looking out of the window of her former bedroom. The fact it was Mary Ann was confirmed by villagers who lived in the cottages opposite the vicarage. The fireplace in her bedroom has been repaired several times but each time something causes the damage to reoccur.

Mary Ann is most active on All Souls Day and has been seen by a former curate who noticed her during mass, and then she vanished. When the man and the vicar went to the vicarage they found a fresh crack in the fireplace of Mary Ann's bedroom. The tradition is that Mary Ann fell down the stairs and died later of pneumonia as a result of the accident with no evidence that she was pushed. At one point the Bishop of St Albans was called in to perform a service of exorcism and for a while things settled down but in the late 1970s noises could be heard coming from the room and electrical equipment would turn itself on.

To view a map of the area click on the button below