Ghost Monkey - Athelhampton Hall, Dorset

This must be one of Britain's most exotic animal ghosts.Athelhampton House boasts a ghost monkey. The house was originally built by the Martyn family who's family crest was a monkey sitting on a tree stump and their motto was, "He who looks at Martyn's ape, Martyn's ape will look at him". And it is Martyn's ape who haunts the hall.

The tragic story is as follows. The ape had freedom of the house and could wander as it chose. One of the daughters of the Martyn family had an unhappy love-affair and determined to kill herself. Maybe the ape sensed something had upset the girl, as pets often able to do. Whatever, as the girl climbed the hidden stairs to the secret room, the ape followed her unobserved. The poor girl put an end to her life feeling, no-doubt, that she was totally alone in the world.
But she was not alone, the ape was with her. What frantic attempts were made to find the girl or how long it was before she was found, we are not told. However, by that time, the poor monkey had starved to death. The ghost monkey is never seen but its spirit can be heard vainly scratching at the panelling of the secret room and staircase in an eternal, frantic attempt to escape.