Haunted Manor House Fails To Sell At Auction

A manor house which is claimed to be one of the UK's most haunted properties went up for auction today - but failed to attract any bidders..

Security guards refuse to work alone at night at Wymering Manor in Portsmouth.

The property, believed to be the city's oldest house, needs major restoration and structural repairs and hence had a guide price of £375,000.

The Grade II listed building is a 17th century former vicarage, monastery and family home, and was a youth hostel from 1960 until 2006. The manor was mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 1086.

It has seen much-documented paranormal activity, including sudden drops in temperature, children whispering and strange apparitions, and over the years has appeared on TV's Most Haunted and video website YouTube.

The building's current owner, Portsmouth City Council, wants to sell it to cut costs. It was offered by Andrews & Robertson at auction at London's Grand Connaught Rooms today (Sept 21st 2010), but failed to sell.

Jeremy Lamb, chartered surveyor at Andrews & Robertson, said:

"This is a property of some renown for being haunted, so there is a fair chance a future owner may use it as a guest house because of the novelty factor attached to it.

"It's certainly a unique selling point and not often that we offer a haunted house.

"When I surveyed it, the security guards told me they feel there is something 'fairly spooky' going on in the house and, though they patrol it on a 24-hour basis because it attracts lots of people who are intrigued by its levels of paranormal activity, they refuse to work alone there at night.''

Currently the building has planning permission for use as a hotel.

Principal valuer at Portsmouth City Council, Jeff Hutchins, said:

"Wymering Manor was not sold at auction today as its reserve price was not met.

We still hope to sell the property and will now speak to the under bidder and a number of other interested parties."