The Cage

Vaunted as the most haunted house in Essex, The Cage is a former village lockup where drunks and villains would be kept overnight. But is it best known for holding Ursula Kempe, one of the St Osyth women accused and found guilty of witchcraft. Ursula was hanged in Chelmsford together with another St Osyth woman Elizabeth Bennett.

The Cage today

The building has been reconstructed and has had an extra floor added.

The Cage before alterations and additions

The Cage was recently sold and the estate agent described it as “one of the most notorious and well-documented haunted 16th Century cottages in Britain”. It has certainly featured on television programmes and has been visited by ghost hunters from across the world.

The previous owner claims she was forced out by paranormal activity. She was pushed over by spirits while pregnant and spanked on the bottom by a ghost. She has written a book on her experiences called The Spirit of the Cage.

Cage Notice