sure sounds like a plan! It was a bit of a sad time though as we were here for three(ish) years before restoration began and my brother and I used to play in the ruins... which as you can imagine was quite magical ... not to mention spooky at night!! builders definitely ruined our fun!! haha
Hi Dean,
I worked on the restoration of Barrells for around three years as a carpenter and I'm sorry that we spoilt your fun. It was a massive project indeed and ghost hunters applied to stay there over two seperate nights during the build and used recording equipment and many threads stuck across door frames and corridors to eliminate physical interference. After the second stay I asked them if they had experienced any occurences and was told that there was just one unexplained noise and I don't remember them returning. However, a floor tiler working alone on a Saturday morning said he was working between the annexe and the main building when he turned around to see a woman in a Black cloak dart across the corridor. He quickly packed up his tools and went home immediately. Not someone to miss a challenge I got to the site early one morning a few days later when it was still dark and made my way to where the supposed ghost of Lady Luxborough was reportedly seen but I did not witness anything. However, after readind about Lady Luxborough and the literary circle she surrounded herself with at Barrells one lunchtime I sat in my car and composed a poem, something that I had never done before and nor since.
"Oh Barrells"
Oh Barrells after all this time,we see you slowly rise again.
Once more, your splendour of strength and grace dominates this special place.
With walls rebuilt and roof now sound you do not lay upon the ground but rise up high to touch the sky just as you did before
The gardens too can breathe again and after all this special care one can only stand and stare at what was nearly lost"
Sadly two people that worked on Barrells took their own lives, one being Andrew Craythorn the author of "From Riches To Ruins" which was the history of Barrells Hall and the other Andrew Watson a young carpenter. There is no doubt that working on Barrells Hall made a big impact on me and I suppose that I am part of it's hidden history too.
Pete
