Aylestone Hall’s many spectral sighting have seen it become known as one of Leicestershire’s most haunted places
At 22–24 Old Church Street in Leicester, Aylestone Hall stands behind iron railings and old trees, watching the village around it grow modern. But the house hasn’t moved on.
Inside its 14th-century walls, strange things happen. Cold gusts drift through sealed rooms. Doors slam when no one’s near. And some say they’ve seen figures in the garden after dark. This isn’t just a historic building – it’s one of the most haunted places in Leicestershire.
The Hauntings at Aylestone Hall
Reports of ghostly activity at Aylestone Hall stretch back decades. The most frequently seen figure is a woman in white – tall, silent, and gliding across the grounds or standing motionless at upper windows. She never speaks. Locals have long speculated about her identity, often linking her to the Vernon family who once lived here.
Another chilling presence is described as a woman in black with a deathly pale face.
According to one witness: “There have been sightings of the ghost of a woman dressed completely in black but with a pale white face. She’s usually spotted in the dead of night.”
Inside the house, the atmosphere turns colder. Visitors report objects moving on their own, doors slamming without cause, and a feeling of being watched.
In the 1970s, a caretaker shared his unsettling encounter: “I saw a boy in old-fashioned clothes standing at the bottom of the stairs. When I stepped forward, he vanished into thin air.”
Other staff have reported hearing children laughing or running overhead—when no children were present.
In the cellars, the activity becomes more disturbing. Shadowy figures shift in the corners of vision. Chains have been heard rattling. Some hear whispered voices in the dark.
While no records confirm imprisonment or slavery, the sounds and sensations there are difficult to explain or forget.
Near what was once a chapel on the grounds, several witnesses have seen a hooded figure kneeling in the grass. Believed by some to be a monk, he vanishes without a trace.
Many say he disappears before they can get a second look.
History of Aylestone Hall
Behind the hauntings lies deep history. Aylestone Hall dates back to the 14th century, with timber from the 1330s found in its structure.
Originally held by the de Aylestone family, it passed to the Vernons and later to the Manners family, future Dukes of Rutland.
The hall remained in private hands for centuries, served briefly as a girls’ boarding school in the 1800s, and was requisitioned for military use during the Second World War.
After the war, the hall was purchased by Leicester City Council. In 1954, the grounds opened as a public park, saving the building from demolition. It was listed as a Grade II* structure in 1955 and later converted into private flats.
Surrounding the building is Aylestone Meadows, a floodplain reserve of rivers, bridges, and misty paths. A 15th-century packhorse bridge nearby hints at the area’s long past as a trade route and boundary between countryside and city.
Visiting Aylestone Hall
Aylestone Hall itself is private and not open to the public, but the park that surrounds it is accessible daily.
The hall’s exterior remains intact and imposing, and it’s not uncommon for passers-by to pause near the iron gate at night.
The nearby meadows and chapel ruins are freely walkable – and often cited as ghost sighting hotspots.
Have you witnessed anything spooky at Aylestone Hall? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
