| One mile from Wicken Fen, in the heart of Fen Country, stands a farmhouse called Spinney Abbey. The name was derived from the old priory which once stood on the site. It is haunted by phantom monks, who are heard singing, and one has been seen walking along a pathway in the grounds. Mysterious lights and a female figure have also been reported. Spinney Abbey was built by Mary de Bassingbourne and Beatrix Malebise for Augustinian Friars in 1217. In 1406, the then Abbot of Spinney was murdered by one of his monks, and Oliver Cromwell’s son, Henry, farmed here immediately after the Restoration of the Monarchy, and was said to have been murdered by one of Charles II’s men with a pitchfork, whilst they were traveling throughout the area on their way from Newmarket. There are still some fragments of the original abbey to be found. The pig sty is said to be built in the old ruins, and although the pigs are usually |
