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Details of venue hire for
paranormal investigation groups

Venue

Tudor World museum is a Tudor building (which includes the theatre area and baseroom) is available for hire Fridays and Saturdays nights, if available. It is still known as ‘The Falstaff Experience’ within the paranormal community.

Time

The venue is avialable from 8pm on Friday until 5am and 10pm on Saturdays until 5am.

Capacity

We would not recommend more than 25 people, including the team.

Price

£250 (minimum price) for up to 10 people, £25pp thereafter. Up to 4 team members free.

Requirements

We require £50 deposit at time of booking and £5m insurance policy. If you are a new team, a reference will also be required.

Whats included

Refreshments are include (i.e. an urn, cups, milk, coffee, tea, sugar etc.) and a history tour by one of the owners.

Click here for venue hire terms and conditions

Historical Background

Always a prominent feature on Stratford’s landscape, right in the heart of the town, the Shrieve’s House and the awarding winning and haunted Shrieve’s House barn (the museum) date back to the 16th century, although a dwelling has stood on this spot since 1196.

The first known tenant of the building was William Shrieve, who was an archer to King Henry VIII. His name still survives today and in a house such high rank, it could be reasonably assumed he was an important figure in his day and may possibly have been a Sheriff of some sort, as his name suggests.

In the 16th century it was a tavern and the tavern keeper, William Rogers, is said to have been the inspiration for Shakespeare’s famous comic character Falstaff. There is documented evidence that his family had strong connections with Shakespeare, as Shakespeare’s daughter Suzannah was close friends with Elizabeth, the daughter of the Rogers.

In the 17th century, wounded soldiers were brought back to the building after the first battle of the English Civil War at Edgehill. Following the war, John Woolmer, tenant of the building was made Mayor of Stratford.

Having survived two great fires, the plague and Civil War, the house has a lot of secrets to share including hidden priestholes, secret chambers and not forgetting the hauntings.

The Hauntings

There are a number of ‘dominant’ spirits said to be active in the property: an archer from the time of Henry VIII; a serial murderer from the 18th century; a little girl who was a pickpocket in the tavern; a Catholic gentleman from the time of the reformation and a justice of the peace who used his power to run an extortion ring with threats, violence and trumped up charges. There are also sightings of the parliamentary soldiers, children and animals. During certain times of year a dark hooded figure with red glowing eyes, who is said to be a very ancient spirit, stands back and watches.

Mediums have reported the following:

“To this day, I have not since returned inside Shrieves House barn, to revisit the Spirit energy that resides within and although very scary and frightening at the time, it was undoubtedly one very special encounter to remember.” Medium, Derek Acorah

“The most haunted building in England” author Terry Deary.

“A very scary place” Ian Lawman, Living with the Dead.

“One of the most haunted I have every visited”. Phillip Soloman, psychic to the stars.

Literally hundreds of investigations have been undertaken at the property. Although many towns and buildings have claimed to be “the most haunted in…”, this building’s long and turbulent history and a number of vortexs said to be sited on the second floor (through which a number of ‘non-grounded’ spirits are said to visit regularly), as well as paranormal activity reported to us on a daily basis, it is understandable that the Shrieve’s House has been given the reputation as being “…the most haunted building in England”. This is not the claim of the owners but of Terry Deary of Horrible Histories fame, who dedicated his latest book ‘Stratford-Upon-Avon’ to the Shrieve’s House and a certificate from the Wiccan Insitute “in recognition of a greater amount of paranormal and spirit activity than any other building/site”.

Fiona Broome, an American paranormal journalist (recognised by Haunted Times) who has visited properties all over the world goes one further and has pronounced on a recent podcast that she considers the property “…the most unique and haunted in the world”.

The Most Haunted team, filming for Living TV, investigated the property in 2004, during which Derek Acorah became possessed while within the building. Please click here to see clip of Most Haunted.

Derek later wrote us this letter:

Dear Sir,

My personal experience at Shrieves House Barn, in Stratford- Upon-Avon, was a truly unforgettable one and one of the most frightening I have ever encountered.

From the moment I entered the building, I felt an overwhelming sense of anguish and dread, with many, many souls present in the atmosphere. There was certainly evidence of sorcery and witchcraft present everywhere with an almighty stench of rotting flesh all around me.

As I made my way upstairs, I was aware of a particular bad soul, trying desperately to unnerve me. What happened next will stay with to this very day. A gruesome experience of consummation and torture surrounded my whole body, leading me to the point of collapse. Fortunately, due to the quick thinking and response of my production crew, I was helped out of the building and to safety.

To this day, I have not since returned inside Shrieves House barn, to revisit the Spirit energy that resides within and although very scary and frightening at the time, it was undoubtedly one very special encounter to remember.

Although I do not relish the thought, I firmly believe that I shall once again return to the Shrieves House to reacquaint myself with what or who lurks inside.

Yours sincerely,

Derek Acorah

*These are just a few of the reported sightings of ghosts and spirits within the very haunted building, the stories of which are too numerous to record here.

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