Britain’s most haunted house has finally been sold after 12 years on the market.
The Cage, a former medieval prison in deepest Essex, once held inmates accused of witchcraft.
It is located in St Osyth village and 14 women were imprisoned there while awaiting trial in the Elizabethan era, including Ursula Kemp who was executed in 1582.
Owner Vanessa Mitchell, 46, moved into the property back in 2004 but she says she has been beset with hauntings and paranormal activity since.
Electric toys turned themselves on and doors mysteriously slammed while walls inexplicably were covered in blood.
Vanessa told how a ghoul shoved her to the ground when she was pregnant and how household items have flown across the two-bedroom property.
The Cage, a former medieval prison in deepest Essex, once held inmates accused of witchcraft in the Elizabethan era
After remaining unsold for 12 years, estate agents Home Domus, which put the two-bedroom property on the market for £240,000 last year, said it has now been sold
She said that one spectre even slapped her bottom and she was eventually forced to flee the house.
After remaining unsold for 12 years, estate agents Home Domus, which put the two-bedroom property on the market for £240,000 last year, said it has now been sold, subject to contract.
Vanessa previously said: ‘I honestly believe the house is cursed. I’ve lived here for years but seeing a tall dark figure standing between me and my son’s cot was the final straw.
She estimated ‘at least a dozen’ ghosts occupy the house – from young children through to male and female adults.
Guests often described hearing women’s voices from behind the kitchen door even though no one was on the other side.
Worryingly, on one occasion two of Vanessa’s friends were visiting and within minutes of their arrival the entrance hall had suddenly become covered in blood.
Paranormal investigator Brad Mac was gobsmacked to see a colleague of his – known only as Debbie – ‘transform’ into a witch while he and five others spent the night at the house in St Osyth village, Essex
Strange images captured from CCTV cameras at the property appeared to show a satanic ghost claimed Vanessa
‘My friends were a high-ranking officer in the army and she was a well-respected NHS worker – so as witnesses go, they are about as credible as you could find.
‘They were speechless when they saw what had happened, ‘ she said.
Amazingly all of the sightings were in daylight hours – before 5pm – and none came in the hours of darkness.
The claims led to paranormal investigators making regular visits to The Cage and it was also the subject of several paranormal investigations and documentaries.
Following the spooky incidents, Vanessa decided to move out of the house in 2008 to live elsewhere in the village and put the property up for sale.
But despite a lot of interest, she was not able to complete a sale until now.
Vanessa decided to move out of the house in 2008 to live elsewhere in the village and put the property up for sale
Despite a lot of interest, she was not able to complete a sale until now, with the estate agents saying the new buyer had fallen in love with the property and doesn’t believe its supernatural reputation
Florent Lambert, director of Home Domus, said: ‘Vanessa did try to sell The Cage numerous times since 2008 and with a number of different estate agents.
‘Most agents advised her to sell at auction at ridiculous prices or were not at all interested as they predicted it could not be sold.
‘I took it as a challenge and a mission to find the way to best sell it.’
The estate agents ran a campaign trying to sell the idea that The Cage would be a successful cottage to be rented to international paranormal tourism.
‘We attracted over 30,000 views on Rightmove, which is a record for Essex in 2019, and also probably the highest exposure on Rightmove anywhere in the country that year.
The estate agents ran a campaign trying to sell the idea that The Cage would be a successful cottage to be rented to international paranormal tourism
‘We finally got a cash buyer falling in love with the place, but not believing at all into the supernatural element of it,’ he added.
A plaque on the side of the building describes the plight of Ursula Kemp, who was imprisoned in The Cage on suspicion of witchcraft before being hanged in Chelmsford in 1582.
Men, women and children were detained in lock-up until 1908 when it then became a family home.