A brief history
St. Mary’s Guildhall is located in Coventry and is only a 2-minute walk from the Cathedral.
The original hall was constructed in the early 1340s. It may have consisted of a timber-framed building that sat upon the stone undercroft. The undercroft is the only surviving part of this original building.
The building we see today dates back to the latter part of the 15th century.
A famous prisoner and the devastation of World War Two
Mary Queen of Scots found herself prisoner at St Marys from November 1569 for three months, under the orders of Queen Elizabeth.
During World War II, Coventry saw heavy bombing. The most devastating of these attacks happened on the evening of 14th November 1940, and continued well into the morning. This one-night attack saw much of Coventry destroyed, including the cathedral, which was sadly left a ruin. Luckily, St. Mary only saw some minor damage.
Given its long history and famous visitors,is it haunted?
Haunted Location.
St. Mary’s has a long history of hauntings, from poltergeist activity in the undercroft to ghostly monks chanting.
The guildhall has its very own unidentified grey lady. Although many believe this could be none other than Mary Queen of Scots, She does seem to get about a bit in the afterlife!
Other apparitions include a man in a skull cap, a young girl, and people dressed in Elizabethan clothing.
The Draper’s room (the Mayoress’ Parlour) has what has been described as having an emotional atmosphere. Many visitors have strong feelings of sadness, and some have even burst into tears on entering. Interestingly, it is believed that Mary Queen of Scots occupied this room during her imprisonment.
The most well-known ghost is that of the hooded monk. This figure made an appearance in a photo taken on January 22nd 1985. That evening, an annual dinner held by the City of Coventry Freemen’s organisation was taking place. The photo captures the moment the guest stood to prey.
The photo appears to show a hooded figure. This led to much speculation that it is a hooded monk. Nobody in attendance remembered anyone standing in this area. Nobody was in costume at the event. I am sure someone would have noticed if there was!
What are your thoughts on the photo? Was the hooded monk captured? Do you think St.Mary’s is haunted?
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