With the most wonderful time of the year approaching, the ghosts are gathering and the spirits are stirring. What better time to dive into three of the most horrifying haunted houses in the world.

The Monte Cristo Homestead, New South Wales, Australia

Situated in Junee, New South Wales, the Monte Cristo Homestead is said to be the most haunted house in Australia. 

The late-Victorian style house was built in 1885 by Christopher Crawley with the intention of becoming a railway hotel, to host travellers from the newly opened Great Southern Railway Line.

This venture made Crawley a very wealthy man and helped the little village of Junee grow from village to small town.

Crawley died in December of 1910, a result of an infected boil on his neck, and his devastated wife, Elizabeth, became a recluse, going one to spend her days in the attic of the house, where she’d built a small chapel. She is said to have only left the house twice before her death in 1933 at the age of 92.

By 1948, the last Crawley vacated the house and it remained empty for years, and under the care of several caretakers until it was purchased by the Ryan family in 1963.

It’s here that the hauntings are said to have begun, with the new owners finding their pets weary of the house and refusing to go inside. In fact, it seems that at least some of the house’s 10 supposed ghosts have a strong hatred for animals with the Ryan’s chickens, parrots and kittens all supposedly falling victim to paranormal forces. 

There are said to be 10 separate spirits in residence at the house, and alongside Christopher and Elizabeth they include the following spectres.

Two maids, who Christopher is said to have gotten pregnant: One flung herself from the balcony and now haunts the veranda. The other is said to have given birth to a son, named Harold, who was hit by a coach and left disabled. The story goes that poor Harold was confined to chains and eventually moved to an asylum after his mother’s death. His spirit is supposed to rattle these chains at unsuspecting visitors.

Ethel Crawley:  the infant granddaughter of the Crawley’s who was accidentally dropped down the stairs by a nursemaid (who said she was pushed).

Morris the Stable boy: who was taken ill one day, at the disapproval of his master. The master lit Morris’s mattress on fire, thinking it would wake him quickly and teach him a harsh lesson about work ethics, but poor Morris died in the blaze, too ill to save himself. His screams continue to this day.

Jack Simpson: One of the homes former caretakers who was shot in the 1960s and died on the front porch. Strangely, the phrase “Die Jack, ha ha” was carved into the shed door, where it still remains. 

The Monte Cristo Homestead now operates as a museum and antique store and hosts regular Ghost Tours.

Plas Teg, Flintshire, North Wales, UK

Plus Teg house sits near the village of Pontblyddyn, North Wales, and is not only considered an excellent example of Jacobean architecture, but is also known as one of the most haunted houses in Wales.

The house was built by Sir John Trevor I in 1610, and one of the house’s supposed spirits is that of his daughter, Dorothy.

Dorothy was said to have fallen in love with local farmer, but her father disapproved of a man with such low status. As is often the way, the lovebirds intended to elope, and Dorothy prepared by burying her jewellery near a well on the property, to fund their new life together. 

On the night of their elopement, Dorothy went to retrieve her jewels, but, in the darkness, slipped and well down the well to her death. Her body was found two months later, but her jewels were never recovered. Her lover, distraught and terrified he’d be accused of her murder, hanged himself.

It’s believed that her ghost has been seen running across what is now the A541, and her lover also haunts the grounds, unable to find each other, even in death. The ghosts of armoured knights are also said to haunt the same section of road.

It’s said that people venturing close to the well often feel hands grabbing at them, trying to pull them into the water below.

Additionally, wailing is often heard through the house, though to be the ghost of John Trevor V, who’s wife was found mysteriously dead after her affair was discovered. This John Trevor later died after crashing his carriage in a supposedly drunken state.

By some accounts, up to 15 spirits reside in the house, with phenomena ranging from apparitions of phantom horsemen to strange lights and ghostly presences in the bedrooms.

Plas Teg has been featured on a handful of paranormal reality programs, but at theme of writing, is no longer open to the public due to its need for structural repairs. 

Lizzie Borden House, Massachusetts, USA

We’ve already delved into the story of Lizzie Borden and the Fall River Axe Murders, and it’s no surprise that a house with such a fascinatingly macabre history is more than a little bit haunted.

When Lizzie Borden (allegedly) took an axe and gave her (step) mother 40 whacks, she couldn’t have predicted that over 100 years later, Abby Borden’s spirit would be seemingly locked in the routine of making beds and going about her business in the same way she did one the day of her murder. 

Recent visitors to the house – now operating as a bed and breakfast – have reported catching glimpses of Mrs Borden in the second floor hallway and guest room, where she tucks guests into bed.

Additionally, the sound of a women crying has been heard and dark figures have been seen, as well as a pattern of the fire alarm inexplicably going off around 3am. With the entire house set up to mirror its exact state on the day of the murders, is it really any surprise that the house is brimming with spiritual energy?

Don’t take my word for it, visit The Historic Lizzie Borden House yourself.

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