GHOSTS SPOOKED 'X-MEN- FIRST CLASS' CAST AT ANCIENT COUNTRY HOUSE

The cast and crew of X-Men- First Class has revealed that the (actually Englefield House) Anglefield House in Berkshire, England where they were stationed for the shoot, was haunted.
Narrating spooky incidents, actor James MCAvoy revealed that he and his cast mates spent almost five weeks on location at the mansion living with the ghosts of past residents.
"The oldest part of that house goes back to 800 Ad... There was a hell of a lot of ghosties running about in there, but the only ghost I actually came across was the ghost of Sir Patrick Stewart haunting me for playing his character badly," Contactmusic quoted him as saying.
The Scottish actor plays the role of 'Professor X' in the X-Men film trilogy. (ANI)

• Englefield House is a Tudor mansion in mid-Berkshire. It is near Reading.
• It was built for Sir Francis Englefield in 1558. It is an Elizabethan E-plan house.
• Sir Francis' family was the oldest in Berkshire. they had lived at Englefield since Saxon times.
• He was the last to live there. He was a Roman Catholic. He would not become a Protestant during the Reformation of the Church. So he had to flee abroad.
• The Marquis of Winchester retired to Englefield House after the English Civil War. He had had a huge palace near Basingstoke in Hampshire before. He had defended it for the King during a 3 year siege. Parliament had it pulled down.
• Englefield House is now a private home. The Benyon family live there. There are still deer in the park and the gardens are open to the public.

 The ghost of one of the past owners of Englefield House, Powlett Wright Esq., is reputed to haunt the building and the now blocked tunnel under the back region of the house, as well as walking from the house to his wife’s grave at the church. 

Horses will not enter the port cochère. Powlett had gone to sea, while his brother remained at home, trying to convince the locals that the Lord of the Manor was dead. Eventually, the lies became the truth though, and Powlett’s apparition was seen at the window of the house. 

Since then, many bygone villagers have reputedly given evidence to this effect and with a house so steeped in history, it is small wonder, perhaps, that it should still be visited in spiritual form by one or other of its colourful owners.