The Graveyard of Mistley Towers

We’re kicking off the graveyard series with one of my favourites, the Mistley Towers. If you are a fan of old graveyards and churches, then I really hope you enjoy this little passion project of mine.

I’ve been exploring graveyards from a young age, which does sound rather morbid! But I’ve always found the history surrounding them to be fascinating, and the closeness to death strangely appealing in a macabre way.

This beautiful churchyard is in the village of Mistley in Essex, and is a 5-10 minute walk from Manningtree (which was originally Britain’s smallest town). If you are unaware of the history, the infamous Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins used to live here, and owned the Mistley Thorn pub down the road. This is the area where he began his notorious witch trials, in the 17th century.

This Georgian church was built around 1776 by architect Robert Adams, and was commissioned by Richard Rigby of Mistley Hall.

Richard Rigby had an idea of turning Mistley to a spa town, and had originally commissioned Robert Adams to build a saltwater bath by the river, but this plan was never carried out and this church was built instead.

The church was designed differently than the typical 18th century churches at the time, and was built with two towers at each end, with semi circular porticos in between. Unfortunately the main body of the church was demolished in 1870, and only the two towers remain standing today.

It was once believed that Matthew Hopkins was buried here, but I’ve since found his real alleged gravesite, which I will share with you in a future post.

We went on a ghost tour here a few years ago, and walked down the wooded footpath behind this church, where the ghost of Matthew Hopkins is reported to be seen walking down on the night of a full moon. I may have to test this theory later this year!

When we stopped behind the church, the ladies who ran the tour said that one night guests noticed a dark figure of a man standing at the railings at the back of this graveyard, looking down at them. Very spooky indeed!

One of my favourite parts of old graveyards is the wildflowers that grow there, in amongst the headstones.

I’m a huge advocate for biodiversity and naturalistic plants, and this way of gardening has become increasingly popular over recent years. I feel like graveyards have been doing this for many years before it’s become mainstream.

If you ever visit one of these old graveyards, and sit for a little while, you will begin to notice the abundance of wildlife that make these places their home.

The highlight from this visit had to be the beautiful black cat that joined us towards the end of the evening.

My partner and I noticed this cat begin to walk into the cemetery, and I couldn’t believe my luck when it seemed to pose for these images.

Whether you believe in the spirit world or not, it’s hard not to see this as a sign from the other side. Have you had any spooky experiences like this yourself?

I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of the graveyard of Mistley Towers. There’s so much history and inspiration to be found in these churchyards, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!

Is there a particular graveyard you would like me to visit next?