True Story of The Nun: The Haunting of Borley Rectory

[Music] foreign this week sees the release of the new film the nun too when this character first appeared in the second Conjuring movie I along with many others loved it the scene in which its shadow moves across the room before joining up with the painted image of itself is one of my favorite sequences in modern horror although a lot of The Conjuring series is based on real life cases many of which we have covered on the tape library before I have been under the impression that the nun were to give it its demonic name valak

was simply a fictional creation for the series but seemingly that is not entirely true it actually takes its inspiration from two incidents in Ed and Lorraine Warren's life and a big part happens to include one of the most haunted buildings in Great Britain in fact the location is fairly local to me so for the first time in a while I was able to visit the site of this haunting and record at this creepy location for this entry this is the story of the bowling on [Applause] I'm quite convinced Beyond any Shadow of Doubt that the

house that stood just across the road was and fully lived up to its name as the most haunted house in England the character of valik famously featured in The Conjuring movie universe as its Origins rooted in demonology in historical demonology texts like the Lesser key of Solomon phallic is listed as a 60-second demon in the hierarchy and is primarily associated with locating hidden treasure and revealing the locations of serpents but we're not exploring demonology tonight instead we're headed to a small village in the southeast of England to find out where the nun originally came from

the Allure of the barley rectories haunting has captivated Generations eckoning nose drawn to the mysteries of the Beyond in the darkness there's a sensation an electrical charge that runs down your spine igniting your curiosity and fear in equal measure it's the same Sensation that compelled the curious and the courageous to step into the Gloom of barley rectory armed with nothing but their resolve and hunger for answers in the annals of History certain places acquire a reputation that transcends their physical presence all erectory was one such place a manifestation of both architectural grandeur and Supernatural infamy

constructed by the bull family in 1862 the rectory's initial purpose was far from the Sinister Aura it would later cultivate it was intended to serve as a dwelling for the Reverend and his congregation a Haven where Faith could flourish and souls could find Solace but this wasn't a new place as such the rectory was being constructed to replace the previous one that stood on their site the fire in 1841 had completely destroyed the former rectory and it had taken over 20 years for a new one to be constructed Ali has always been a refuge for

Christianity monks have been stationed here since 1360. and of course over the years the area has seen its fair share of dark history but it is one particular legend that seems to be the basis for everything that would happen in the Bali rectory at some point it is said that a monk started having a secret affair with a nun from a nearby Convent their crimes against God would not go unnoticed however and soon they were found out and brought before the Elders of the monastery for punishment and that punishment would be extreme unbitingly cruel both

were sentenced to death the monk was hung on the sights and it was said that the nun was bricked up alive in the walls of the rectory although she was apparently locked up alive left to go insane and ultimately starved to death the actual location of where she was kept would later be discovered soon after its completion Whispers began to circulate about the bull family's strange encounters visitors to the rectory recounted hearing disembodied footsteps echoing through the Halls as if some unseen presence roamed the corridors the air grew thick with palpable unease and parishioners often

spoke in hush tones of glimpses of figures that flickered and vanished in the blink of an eye had the Reconstruction kicked up some sort of energy that lay dormant in the grounds of warley or had it always been there just waiting for new visitors but it would be one year after the completion of the new rectory that the legend would properly take root the rectory was often used as a place for local children to come and play after school one afternoon the Rector was in his study writing he could hear the sounds of one group

of children running around the house laughing and talking with each other he had wanted to shoe them back out into the courtyard but 40 should finish his work first suddenly the voices dropped to hush tones peaking the interest of the Rector the children had entered the drawing room in the East wing of the house the room was shrouded in darkness and as soon as the children entered they were hit with an uneasy feeling curiosity or misplaced bravado got the better of them however and the children edged deeper into the dark room it didn't take them

long to notice it at the far end of the room by the Wardrobe there was a figure moving back and forth barely visible in the shadows the children all became Frozen to the spot just watching this figure Pace back and forth in front of the Wardrobe until it stopped the figure turned to face the children and in one smooth motion began to move towards where they were standing as he drew close its face was illuminated far from being a shadow it appeared to be an older woman her eyes shrunken and dark her features pointed skinny

to the point of almost being skeletal she wore the Robes of a nun a hung loose over her frail body it was only when they realized she had no feet and was gliding across the floor to them that the screaming started the Rector came running to the drawing room and discovered that children huddled together terrified they told the Rector what they had seen and were convinced that she must have been a ghost the Rector did his best to comfort the children that there was no such fingers ghosts and sent them on their way but something

about the experience left director with a niggling Feeling he headed back into the drawing room to look for himself but of course the room was empty leaving the door ajar he turned and started walking back to his office only to hear the door slammed shut as he did and that was it for 37 years the Rector lived a peaceful life within the walls of the Ball lyrics but then just days before he was due to retire in the shadows of his past came creeping back once again he was working in his office when he heard

the terrifying screams of a dozen children this time from outside in the courtyard he looked out his window to see them all sprinting away from the building in different directions he rushed down the stairs and out the front door managing to just grab the last couple of children as they try to escape once again just as had happened 37 years prior the children claimed to see the spectral presence of a nun in The Gardens of the rectory then this time she disappeared before their very eyes the tales that swelled Around The Barley nun were like

tendrils of mist had once Elusive and intoxicating she was said to appear in fleeting moments her ethereal form framed by the cold glass of the window a silent Sentinel trapped between realms some whispered that she was the Relentless Spirit of a tragic nun who had found her final Refuge within the rectory's walls While others believed her to be a messenger from the great beyond a harbinger of Fortunes and misfortunes yet to unfold a sense of unease settled upon those who dared to call the rectory home gnawing at the edges of their sanity like an insatiable

hunger Shadows danced in the periphery of vision and a boundary between reality and Supernatural blurred casting doubt upon what could be trusted the veil between the worlds grew thin allowing the past to bleed into the present a merging of timelines that played out in Whispers and shadows it wasn't long before the rectory found its next occupants once the Rector Departed Reverend Gaia Smith and his wife Mabel moved in shortly after they moved in Mabel was cleaning in the drawing room she opened the old wardrobe that was located at the back of the dimly lit room

and was horrified by what she discovered there hidden in the back of the Wardrobe was a human skull the couple contacted the authorities at once they were never able to identify who the skull had belonged to but they were able to figure out that it was around 100 years old and seemingly was a skull of a young woman it was only once this skull was taken off the property that the Smiths began to encounter the strange happenings it seems times of upheaval new owners Construction Sparks was her power is located on the site the couple

began to hear strange footsteps around the property in the middle of the night odd lights would be seen in Windows and most disturbingly they claim to see The Apparition of a horse-drawn carriage moving through the courtyard much like the case of the Enfield haunting we covered recently couple contacted the newspaper the Daily Mirror in the hope of gaining interest in the case as we've said before on the tape Library it often feels like in these circumstances people don't know where to turn so they tried to get their story out there in the hope that someone

will come to help it worked the mirror Center reported to the property and that reporter brought with him a man by the name of Harry price one of the most famous paranormal researchers in the country and a member for the society for psychical research Harry's Research into the case was so thorough that we could likely dedicate a whole episode to his involvement at a later date adoni's first visit he was simply there to Aid the reporter and on that short visit the report there was witness to a whole host of paranormal events he reported seeing

a dark shadowy figure moving through the courtyard but when he attempted to follow it he could find no trace of the person he then decided to head back to the rectory but just as he was about to step inside a pane of glass fell from one of the upstairs windows just missing him when price And the reporter rushed upstairs to try and find where the pain had fallen from avar's whizzed past the reporter's head again just narrowly missing him the Paranormal Activity grew and grew over the Smith's time in the rectory they would only last

three years before deciding they couldn't handle it any longer and move out the tale of the ball erectory spectral inhabitants grew so did the fascination with the Enigma that gripped the old house The Haunting wasn't confined to Mere apparitions it extended its ethereal fingers into the realm of the living leaving an indelible mark on the experiences of those who resided within its ominous Embrace directory's reputation as a den of Paranormal Activity reached a new Zenith when Lionel and Marianne feuster moved into its dimly lit Chambers the Foresters would become the unwitting protagonists in The Haunting

their presence awakened the dormant forces that lurked within the walls Marianne with her quiet demeanor an introspective nature seemed particularly susceptible to the rectory's influence she reported encounters that defied logic an unseen hand that tugged to her clothing this embody Whispers that echoed in the corridors and objects that moved of their own volition yet it was a spirit Sensational need for communication that sent shivers down her spine messages sometimes written in archaic script began to materialize on the walls Lionel once a skeptic was gradually drawn into the web of the supernatural he documented the experiences

with a mix of Fascination and unease capturing the events as they unfolded objects levitated photographs revealed strange spectral forms and the rectory itself seemed to be a portal to the unknown a Gateway through which the living and dead could intertwine more so than any other residents the foisters and particularly Marianne seem to experience increasingly violent activity during the five years they lived there objects were thrown by an unseen Force windows were broken and their daughter found herself locked in a room they did not even have a lock on it the writing that would appear on

the walls appeared in multiple different handwriting styles and seemed to constantly be making references the Marianne it has been suggested that the reason Marianne was singled out was because once again in Bali history was repeating itself the reverend's wife emitted to having an affair with their lodger at the rectory muddying the facts here further she claimed she used a Paranormal Activity to help cover up her own nighttime extramarital activities after five years the family left barley in shame but Marianne's confession did nothing to dissuade the Paranormal Community as the tendrils of the rectory's supernatural reputation

continue to spread drawing in the Curious the Brave and the incredulous it became apparent that the ball erectory was more than just a haunted house it was a realm unto itself a realm where the past and present collided in a symphony of inexplicable occurrences this increase in activities saw the return of Harry price a name that would become forever entwined With The Ball lyrics Saga a controversial figure in the field of paranormal research Price's involvement added an element of intrigue and skepticism to the unfolding drama he arrived armed with scientific instruments and a determination to

unlock the mysteries of the rectory his investigations while comprehensive were met with both Acclaim and criticism as he often faced accusations of sensationalism and manipulation in 1937 Harry price lived in the rectory for a full year hiring dozens of people to Aid him in his extensive research into the phenomena prices seances within the rectory walls served as a catalyst for intensified Activity The Veil between the living and the dead appeared to fend further and the house responded with a cacophony of Knox unexplained phenomena and messages communicated through writings on the walls at one point the

message well appeared on the walls of the rectory which led prices team to dig up an old well that lay on the grounds incredibly this led to them finding human remains supposedly the remains of a long forgotten nun who had been left at the bottom of this world the nun was a constant that appeared throughout the investigation with mediums who visited the site claiming to see the nun and one even making contact with her the nun seemingly told the medium that the rectory would once again be destroyed by a fire sure enough one year after

price and his team left directory the newest resident of the house accidentally kicked over an oil lamp burning the rectory to the ground the building was then demolished as World War II came to a close in 1944. but seemingly the activity wasn't done the construction crew who tore it down claimed to experience a host of activity to this day there are reports of sightings and strange events at the former site of the rectory the activity is seemingly also spread to the church itself with many paranormal investigators over the years making the pilgrimage to Bali and

making the church the center of their research with many becoming Witnesses themselves to the continued presence of the nun in this is where the Warrens come in the annals of paranormal investigation few names hold the weight of Ed and Lorraine Warren renowned for their work in exploring the Unexplained they ventured Into the Heart of the barley rectory mystery with a blend of curiosity and caution their visit to the Bali Church where remnants of The rectories Haunting still lingered would add yet another layer of intrigue for the already mystifying history adjacent to directory's former site stood

barley Church it was within the shadow of its ancient walls the Warren stepped Guided by The Whispers of the supernatural the first experience for me it's phenomenal it was really phenomenal it's about the only place Tony other than going into a home where Poltergeist activity is permanent that everything happened as soon as you get involved as soon as you walk in as soon as you get involved in going into this church and beginning your research something is bound to happen the pair would make multiple visits to the church and surrounding areas over the years dubbing

it the most haunted place in Great Britain the church steeped in history and law held Secrets it intertwined with those of the rectory creating a tapestry of the unknown Ed and Lorraine were determined to unravel as they explore the churchyard the Warrens were greeted by an atmosphere thick with the weight of time tombstones worn by centuries of weathering stood like silent Sentinels witnesses to the passages of generations in The Echoes of stories long forgotten the church's Bell Tower reached for the heavens a connection between the Earthly and the divine while its time worn pews bore

the marks of countless congregations that had sought Solace within its walls within the hollowed confines of the church the Warrens experienced an encounter that defied their expectations as seasoned investigators of the supernatural there were no strangers to the Eerie in The Uncanny yet what transpired within the church's Sacred Space left even the seasoned veterans awestruck and humbled Lorraine Warren known for her psychic sensitivities reported filling a profound energy an energy that she felt the moment she stepped into the church late one night in the early 70s the Warren's son-in-law spoke in a later interview about

Bali he claimed that as soon as Lorraine entered the church she was hit but the presence of the nun leaving a powerful imprint on her that with all the Warrens witnessed over the years still shook her to her core Ed Warren typically a steady and pragmatic presence described in otherwildly chill it seemed to seep into his very bones he recounted hearing faint Whispers that seemed to emanate from the air itself whispers are carried with the mechos of bygone conversations the laughter of children as he stood within the church he felt a connection a thread that

linked the present to the past the living to The Departed and the tangible to the ethereal but it wasn't just this encounter with the nun that inspired the character from The Conjuring however a few years later Lorraine was at home reading a book when she felt a familiar presence she looked up to see what she described as a black mass entering her room she said it was like a vortex blacker than the Knight she commanded it to leave and go back to where it came from and seemingly it did whether this was in fact the

poorly nun some other entity or something else entirely is something that is Up For Debate but both these incidents seem to have been a key part behind the inspiration of the non-character Ed and Lorraine's encounter with the Bali Church added another layer of complexity that is already intricate tapestry of The rectory's Haunting their experience like those of the witnesses and investigators before them raised questions that seemed to have no definitive answers did they truly commune with the spirits of the past where their impressions are product of their own psychic sensitivities or were they tapping into

something greater Collective consciousness that lingers within places steeped in history whatever the case may be the warrant left their mark on the legacy of Bali rectory a legacy that spans centuries and continues to Captivate the curious and the courageous their encounter serves as a testament in the enduring Allure of the supernatural reminding us that even within the seemingly mundane there exists a realm of The Unexplained a realm that tugs at our curiosity and beckons us to peer Beyond the Veil that's all for this entry into the tape Library I hope you've enjoyed this dive into

the tale of the Bali nun [Music] if you have please be sure to like the video and subscribe we'll be back very soon with more terrifying Tales From The Darkness so I'd love to have you join our growing community of archivists until next time pleasant dreams