Beaulieu, Abbey Church c.1950

Photo ref: B779502

In the late sixties a school friend Eric and I were employed one summer at what was then The Montague Motor Museum. We worked for the catering department. In those days on occasion the Beaulieu Estate held medieval banquets, they took place in the great hall on the first floor of the Domus. One morning we were tasked with collecting a large jar of mead from the vinery and taking it up to the banqueting ...see more

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 ...see more