Speke Hall is a magnificent example of Tudor architecture, built in the 1500's during a time of religious turmoil. Because of this, the house contains a priest hole, allowing the priest to hide if in trouble, and observation hole, built in the chimney so that you can see people approaching, and an eavesdrop, a small hole under the eaves of the house which allow the servant to listen in on the conversations of people trying to gain entry at the original front door.
The house itself is a magnificent look through history, with many items of Victorian furniture available to view during tours of the house. It is also possible to roam the gardens, full of many beautiful plants and trees, as well as a maze and lots of fun things for kids. You can also explore the wooded areas and explore the nature of the area.
There have been many ghost stories involving Speke Hall. One is that a women, hurt by the unfaithfulness of her husband, killed her baby then herself. Another variant is that Mary Norris, one of the original inhabitants, haunts the tapestry room. Mary is believed to have thrown her baby out of the window into the moat before killing herself after her husband, a keen gambler, had lost almost all of their belongings. However, the moat is too far from the house for the baby to have been thrown into.
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