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The Haunting of Borley Rectory
- The Story of a Ghost Story
- Narrated by: Richard Attlee
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
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Summary
Marianne Foyster, Harry Price and the most haunted house in England - the perfect listen for Halloween.
In 1928, Eric and Mabel Smith took over a lonely parish on the northern border of Essex. When they moved into Borley Rectory, Mrs Smith made a gruesome discovery in a cupboard: a human skull. Soon the house was electric with ghosts. Within the year, the Smiths had abandoned it and the Rectory became notorious as the ‘most haunted house in England’.
When Reverend Lionel Foyster moved in he experienced a further explosion of poltergeist activity with an increasing violence directed at his attractive young wife. Marianne was a passionate and sensuous woman isolated in a village haunted by ancient superstition and deep-rooted prejudice. She would be accused not only of faking the ghosts but of adultery, bigamy – and even murder.
The haunting, sensationally reported in the tabloid press, gripped the nation. It was investigated by Harry Price, a self-made ‘psychic detective’. This was the case that would make Price’s name as the most celebrated ghost-hunter of the age. He recorded the evidence of 200 witnesses to over 2,000 supernatural incidents. This surely confirmed that not only did ghosts exist but, finally, here was proof of life after death.
With the tension of a thriller and the uncanny chills of a classic English ghost story, Sean O’Connor brings the story of Borley Rectory to vivid life as an allegory for an age fraught with anxiety, haunted by the shadow of the Great War and terrified of the apocalypse to come.
Critic reviews
"Borley Rectory is perhaps the definition of an old haunt, still exerting an extraordinary grip on the popular imagination.... Balanced, surprising and strangely moving." (Mark Gatiss)
What listeners say about The Haunting of Borley Rectory
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lady Bird
- 08-01-24
Very in depth
Enjoyed the whole story. The ghost aspect was interesting but for me the most intriguing part was the story of Marianne Foyster. I would like to find out more about her incredible life.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mono
- 28-09-23
Fascinating social & historical context
I wanted to read a book about Borley Rectory, and I can’t even remember why I chose this one now but I know I didn’t read many reviews or anything before choosing.
Anyway I was well rewarded - this book goes into real detail about the lives of people connected with Borley, and I found myself getting really interested in the paths their lives took. I think originally I wanted more info on the spooky stuff, and whilst this book does do this, it’s also a fascinating delve into the historical context. Have been looking for more stuff from the author since.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kathleen E
- 12-09-24
Well researched
This is a very well researched book which is both informative and entertaining. Kudos to the narrator as well whose style of reading added to the enjoyment.
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- Simeon
- 18-01-24
An incredible historical account!
I'm not one for writing long reviews.
As someone who in my younger years had a more personal relationship with borley rectory (post fire, I'm not that old) and have always found it fascinating, I found this book incredible.
The history of not just the house but it's residents has been so well balanced and researched that I'll definitely be listening again to take in the parts I've missed.
You're still left at the end to make your own judgement, was borley rectory haunted? From personal experiences yes it was. Are there still paranormal goings-on to this day? Well.....when I was there last. Yes!
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1 person found this helpful
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- J C Brannan
- 26-12-23
Enlightening!
This was a very detailed history of Borley and the real story turns out to be more fantastical than a house full of ghosts! Really interesting and an amazing amount of information about all the people associated with the place.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sue Courtenay-blake
- 06-01-24
dialogue
I found it interesting and absorbing , wonderful dialogue, exceeding expectations. the background stories helped with the understanding of the history
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1 person found this helpful
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- anthony
- 14-10-22
Very informative historical account
If you’ve heard and are interested in Borley Rectory like myself then this is the book/audiobook that you’ve dreamed of!! Enjoyed the narration aswell.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Andy Payne
- 04-01-24
Fascinating, worth a listen - but would have benefited from an edit
Overall enjoyable and very thorough, though at times more detailed than required even for the avid fan. With some content duplication, it would have benefited from a stronger edit. For fans of fabled ghost stories, and particularly Borley, this is definitely worth a listen.
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2 people found this helpful
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- TJ Latham
- 21-09-23
Captivating
Comprehensive, exhaustive and completely enthralling. This to my mind is now the definitive book on the most haunted house in England. Superb narration as well.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Squeaky Joe
- 27-12-22
A little slow at times, but otherwise fascinating.
Moving into Borley Rectory in 1928, Eric and Mabel Smith discovered a human skull in a cupboard. Subsequent events suggested the house might be haunted. Within a year, the family had moved out. Reverend Lionel Foyster and his young wife then moved in and became aware of what appeared to be poltergeist activity. Reported in the tabloid press, the house attracted the attention of ghost hunter Harry Price and the events that followed gave the house its reputation as the most haunted house in England.
The most exciting thing about a supposedly haunted house must be the possibility that it might actually be haunted. However, in this book, Sean O’Connor shows that the ghost stories were probably just that – stories. I’ve been aware of the tales surrounding Borley Rectory for many years and had always assumed that at least some of the sightings and phenomena must have some basis in fact. In this highly detailed and thoroughly researched account, Sean O’Connor reveals that while some events – such as the four sisters who allegedly saw a ghostly nun crossing the garden – could be put down to spooky shadows and youthful enthusiasm – other accounts, like the echoing footsteps in upper rooms of the house when no-one was actually upstairs, sound feasible. Some incidents, like flying pebbles and other objects were most likely the result of Harry Price’s slight-of-hand antics and his desire to promote his own reputation. As the Borley Report (published in 1956) pointed out, there was little evidence to back up Price’s claims and much to suggest several people played tricks on friends and visitors, keeping up the pretence of ‘spiritual’ activity for reasons best known to themselves.
What is most interesting about this book are the lives of the individuals who lived in the house and their various shenanigans and possible reasons for wanting everyone to believe it really was haunted. Though the pace of the book slows a little at times, it is nevertheless a fascinating account of what is most probably not the most haunted house in England.
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5 people found this helpful