The 'Victorian Lady' has often been heard walking around the upstairs of Belgrave Hall and on occasions, fleeting glimpses of her have been witnessed by staff on duty. On occasions, the aroma of cooking has been smelt within the Hall when nothing has been cooked. The smells are usually of fresh bread, stewed fruit and gingerbread - all generally referred to as 'old fashioned' cooking methods.

In 1998, staff were discussing work by the main door when one of the group suddenly went extremely pale. He said that while they were talking, out of the corner of his eye he saw a women in a "terracotta coloured Victorian style dress" walking down the stairs and turn into one of the adjoining rooms. When he looked at her full on, she disappeared.

Another member of staff witnessed the same figure on the first floor landing. Footsteps are often heard on the first floor landing, doors close of there own accord and room alarms are mysteriously activated when no one is there.

In December 1998, luminous figures, one believed to be wearing a long flowing dress complete with bustle, were captured on film outside the hall. The figures appeared to be surrounded by a halo of light. The image was recorded on the halls security camera at about 5.00 a.m. and was first spotted by a museum assistant who was reviewing the overnight video. Other members of staff who studied the tape confirmed that the images appear to be that of two figures in Victorian style clothing. The story was made even more bizarre when it was discovered that the camera, which records an image every second, froze for five seconds while the image appeared. It also appears that the images come through the courtyard wall. Experts confirmed that the figures 'were not human' due to the luminous effect they made on the film - it is believed that the figures were producing heat and energy similar to that given off by a fluorescent light. A suggested cause for the camera to stop filming was sudden surge of electricity in the atmosphere. A mysterious ball of mist or fog was also seen swirling over the garden throughout the experience. The curator of the museum admitted that the video had him and his staff baffled. "The images appear from nowhere. "They make no entrance nor exit - they just appear and disappear". It is thought that the ghost is that of Charlotte Ellis, who lived at the Hall with her seven sisters after John Ellis brought the property in 1845.

 

Many explanations have been given regarding the two figures including a leaf, a moth, people dressed in luminous clothing and…a ghost. As there isn’t a definite answer, staff at the museum let visitors reach their own conclusions.

 

Belgrave Hall has been investigated by many people and organisations, not least Dr Larry Montz (veteran field parapsychologist who's 1999 documentary, ISPR Investigates Begrave Hall, won an award in Hollywood), Most Haunted (with Vic Reeves) and Ghost Hunters International.