Abbey c1960, Beaulieu

Chanting at Dusk

Abbey c1960
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

My parents were managers of The Montague Arms for a short while. On sunny days I was allowed to cycle to Hythe and back. I was twelve and fit enough to reach Hythe within half-an-hour! I heard rumours from the staff at the hotel that the Abbey nearby was haunted by the ancient monks who had lived there. I was told that some had heard chanting as the sun went down at certain times of the year. I dared to go there several times at dusk - but heard nothing. Instead, during the daylight, I would climb the old walls and view pretty eggs in the nests that had been made within the mossy stones.