Hinton Ampner, located near Winchester in Hampshire, England, is a grand country house with a history dating back to the 16th century. The current Georgian-style mansion, built in 1790, replaced an earlier Tudor structure. The estate gained notoriety in the 1760s when it became the center of one of England’s most famous hauntings.

The Ricketts family, who lived in the old Tudor house, experienced a series of terrifying paranormal events. Mary Ricketts, her children, and servants reported hearing loud noises, banging doors, and inexplicable footsteps throughout the night. Witnesses described seeing a tall woman in silk clothing gliding through the house and disappearing into walls. The apparition was often accompanied by the sound of rustling silk.

Other reported phenomena included the sound of someone walking with a stick and dragging one foot, as well as the appearance of a man in a drab-colored coat. The haunting became so intense that the family was forced to abandon the house in 1771, after which it lay empty for years.

Local legend suggests that the haunting may be connected to a scandalous love affair between Lord Stawell and his sister-in-law. Some believe the ghostly woman in silk was the spurned wife, eternally searching for her unfaithful husband.

While the current house, rebuilt on a different site, has not reported similar paranormal activity, the story of the Hinton Ampner haunting remains one of the most well-documented cases of its time, with detailed accounts preserved in letters and contemporary reports.