Ann Dixie and the Haunting of Bosworth Hall

By Ross Dix-Peek

It is said that "Bosworth Hall", which is to be found at Market Bosworth, in Leicestershire, England, is haunted. That in itself does not warrant an article. There are a plethora of haunted homes the world over. What warrants attention, and indeed mention, is the tragic and baleful story attributed to this imposing edifice, whether it be true or merely the invention of a macabre-minded fabulist and mythomaniac. Bosworth Hall's origins hark back to the last years of the 17th century, 1680 to be precise, and was the ancestral home of the "Dixie" family.

In 1758, Bosworth Hall was then the property of a certain Sir Wolston Dixie. He was, it would seem a cruel and arrogant fellow. Apparently, his daughter, Ann, was in love with the gardener's son, and when Sir Wolston became aware of the relationship, and the identity of Ann's amour, he is said to have been horrified, and livid with rage. He contrived a ghastly solution, which could only be the result of a demented mind. Sir Wolston duly set vicious mantraps in the grounds of Bosworth Hall, hoping to ensnare Ann's unsuspecting suitor, but as is often the case, events went horribly wrong. It was not the gardener's son who stumbled upon the mantraps but Ann Dixie herself. She had apparently arranged to meet her lover in his place of abode. This poor girl, as it can be well be imagined, must have suffered a most gruesome fate, and although she managed, with almost superhuman strength, to free herself from the devilish device and drag her pain-racked and torn body to her room, she succumbed, having lost too much blood.

Well if this story is, as suggested, true, and Ann's ghostly apparition still stalks Bosworth Hall in search of her one-and-only, then it can only be hoped that one day poor Ann will find the peace and solace she so rightly deserves; perhaps, once more to be reunited with her true-love. And, of the nefarious and savage Sir Wolston Dixie? Well, to hell with him!

About the Author

Born in Salisbury, Rhodesia, in 1970. Resident in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Archivist by profession and Freelance writer. Interested in History, Military History, the English Language and its etymology,Books, and other pursuits. contact details: e-mail address- dix-peek@webmail.co.za