Papillon Hall and the Curse of the Slippers

About a mile west of Lubenham on the Market Harborough to Lutterworth Road is the site of Papillon Hall demolished in 1950.

The Hall was built in 1622 by the Papillon family and was the subject of many strange goings on , curious tales of ghosts, haunting pictures, curses and misfortunes. The large stone house was surrounded by a moat with a secret passage that ran for about a mile from the house and ended at the river Welland.

The house had four attics one of which was approached through a very low opening, so low that you could only gain access by crawling through or bending double. This was later known as ‘Pamps’ attic. At each side of the gables were flat roofs paved with lead.

The mystery began when David Papillon (1691-1762) known by local people as Pamp occupied the Hall. He was a handsome young man but appeared to have terrifyingly hypnotic powers and local people were in fear of him. It is said that before his marriage he had a mistress who was not allowed to leave the house and took her exercise by walking on the leaded areas of the roof. She died in 1715 but there is no record of her death or her burial. Legend has it that upon her death she put a curse on her shoes that disaster would strike if anyone removed them from the Hall. For many years the shoes were handed on with the title deeds to the Hall but on many occasions they were removed with disastrous consequences.

One new owner and his family were constantly awakened at night by unexplained knockings incidents and misfortunes. Having never heard of the curse they had paid no heed to local gossip but one night the noises and disturbance was so servere as to have the whole household quaking with fear. The local Rector traced the shoes and they were brought back to the Hall whereupon the disturbance ceased.

Another owner sent the slippers to the Paris Exhibition. Life in the house became intolerable but when they tried to get the slippers back they were told that they could not be removed until the end of the exhibition so the family were forced to move out until the slippers could be returned.

The slippers were then stored in a small fireproof safe built into the wall over the Hall fireplace secured by a metal grille and padlock.

During alterations being carried out (1903) by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the famous architect, for Sir Frank Belville it is said that the skeleton of a woman was found within the walls.

During the alterations he had the slippers removed to his solicitors for safekeeping and accidents befell the workers which caused them to refuse to work (one having been killed by a falling brick) . Captain Belville himself sustained a broken skull in a fall from his pony and trap and the slippers were hurriedly brought back and stored in a glass case. On a further occasion it is understood the shoes were either stolen or loaned to a museum in Leicester,. While they were away further damage was caused, not only to the house in a fire, but also to Captain Belville’s horses. The shoes were brought back and this time locked securely in the cabinet whereupon the Captain threw the key into the pond.

To Be continued……………….