Bizarre as it might seem, the supposed presence of a ‘ghost’ at one particular hotel has decidedly added to its attractions.



The ‘haunted hotel’ apparently draws people in their hundreds. And, it’s claimed that overseas visitors in particular are fascinated by the fact that a ghost supposedly lurks within the hotel’s confines!

In my role of journalist I was actually invited to the hotel to spend a night there – equipped with a camera – to see if I could actually photograph the ghost ‘in action’! But maybe the ghost was taking a ‘night off’, or maybe the ‘fine fare’ and the accompanying fine wine which was lavished on me prior to my night’s schedule had a soporific effect!

Sufficient to say, I did not meet the ghost that was purported to haunt the hotel...

The hotel that lays claim to this ghost is The Berystede Hotel in Ascot, which is one of the favourite ‘haunts’ of race-goers – particularly during Royal Ascot Week.

‘Royal Ascot’ and ‘The Berystede’ – for decades the two names have been synonomous.

And it’s also the hotel which made its name as ‘The Retreat of Kings’.

And in the not too distant past, The Berystede was the particular retreat of one particular ‘royal’ personage, namely the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII.

And his image still presides over the residence – in the form of an oil painting hanging in the hotel hallway.

The Berystede came into being directly as the result of a friendship that existed in the 1870s between the Prince and Princess of Wales and one Henry Noailles Widdington Standish, who had just married Helene de Perusse, daughter of the French Compte De Cars.

The couple already had estates in both France and England, but because of their close friendship with the Prince and Princess of Wales, they wanted a country residence within easy reach of both Windsor and London, where they could entertain their royal friends.

Henry and Helene Standish were also friends of the Barnetts, who lived at Kings Beeches, a property situated on the eastern side of Bagshot Road, and it is probable that it was as a result of their connection with them that they chose the Berystede site for their country house.

The site itself was already steeped in history. Following the Saxon invasion, the whole of the area had been occupied by the Sunnigas tribe, who gave their name to both the villages of Sunninghill and Sunningdale.

In 1362 the Berystede site is recorded as being part of Sunninghill Manor, which had been settled by John de Sunninghill on his wife, Joan.

Over the centuries the property came under numerous ownerships, including Elizabeth Woodville, who became the wife of Edward IV, and also the Abbots of Chertsey.

By the end of the 18th century, however, ‘Sunninghill Manor’ had been divided in order to provide land where houses could be built in close proximity to ‘fashionable’ Windsor. The ‘Berystede site’ itself at this time constituted ‘rough pasture-land’ and belonged to the Elibank family.

And it was the 10th Lord Elibank who leased 30 acres of land to the Standish family to enable them to build their ‘Ascot’ country house.

Henry and Helene Standish chose to name their new house ‘Bery Stede’ – originally two words – because the land on which the property was being built was ‘pastureland’, and the old English word ‘bere’ means ‘corn’ or ‘pastureland’, while ‘stede’ means the site of a dwelling.

Built in a location that emanated an aura of ‘being forever England’, the appearance of the Standish family’s new house must have astonished a number of local residents.

For the building conjured up an image of a French chateau. The house was built in a mixture of Gothic and Tudor styles, and adorned with conical turrets. And it was the inclusion of these turrets as part of the architecture that lent the building an air of elegant distinction that was reminiscent of a Loire Chateau.

For not only was Helene Standish of French origins, but Henry Standish’s family too had French connections, his maternal grandfather being the Duc de Poix. For the couple, therefore, the Bery Stede – despite its Saxon name and English location – also had some French connections.

The Bery Stede of the 1870s was described as being well staffed ‘with butler, valet, cook, housekeeper, maidservant, a lady’s maid and a night watchman’. It was also recorded that ‘a small army of gardeners tended the newly landscaped grounds, and that the stables housed grooms, footmen, coachmen, fine horses and splendid carriages emblazoned with the Standish crest of an owl with a rat in its talons.

For those who both visited and were visited by royalty only the best would suffice!

The lifestyle of the establishment had therefore been founded on lines typical of those prevailing at other English country houses. Apart from its French appearance, the Bery Stede was expected to merge into its landscape, and to house future generations of the English aristocracy.

But in the early hours of October 27, 1886, disaster struck!

A fire broke out in the building, which spread across the length and breadth of the house, wreaking total destruction!

And not only was the house burnt to the ground, but Helene Standish’s lady’s maid, Eliza Kleinger, died in the fire!

She burnt to death trying to salvage jewellery which she kept in her bedroom. And later, her charred bones were discovered at the foot of the staircase – beside the scattered jewellery that she had been attempting to retrieve from the burning building...

The jewels were gifts that she had received from past employers, and they represented her ‘insurance for the future’...

And it is her ghost that is said to haunt the present day ‘Berystede Hotel’ as she continues to try and retrieve her jewellery in the middle of the night at the foot of the staircase...

Staff and members of the Standish family were injured in the fire, but apart from Eliza Kleinger, all were evacuated out of the burning building.

Neighbours had rushed to the scene of the fire, but running water was not a common commodity in the 1880s, and there was little that they could do to put it out. The nearest fire services were at Windsor, Egham and Staines – and at that time, both messengers and appliances were horse-drawn!

The next morning , having been told about the fire, the Prince of Wales himself came over from Windsor to comfort the family and inspect what remained of the building.

For a number of years the site remained derelict, but towards the end of the century the ruins were rebuilt.

And The Berystede Hotel came into being!

In the 1930s the building suffered another disastrous fire, when one of the turrets was destroyed, but after a period of refurbishment, the hotel was made larger – although it now had one odd turret!

During the Second World War the property was requisitioned for war service. And when the Courts of Justice were bombed, they were temporarily set up a The Berystede. During this period more than 180 cases were dealt with on the premises, and prisoners were brought down daily from London to stand trial.

Later, Woolwich Arsenal was moved to Ascot Race Course, and the officers of the Royal Artillery were billeted at The Berystede. And during the last two years of the war, part of The Berystede became accommodation for 30 American officers, who were then stationed at Silwood Park.

In the course of the last century The Berystede has assumed numerous roles. But throughout the time one factor has remained consistent. Ever since the 1870s the establishment has been closely affiliated with Royal Ascot.

Over a hundred years ago during royal Ascot Week, the Bery Stede would have been the venue for a succession of house parties hosted by the Standish family, with the Prince and Princess of Wales and their racing friends as their honoured guests.

And in recent years during royal Ascot Week the scenes at The Berystede have not been so very dissimilar, for although the racing guests have been ‘paying guests’, the house party atmosphere has continued to prevail, and the hotel staff have always been totally committed to the task of running the nightly Ascot Week celebrations.

Furthermore, to coincide with the newly established Royal Ascot Racecourse, a new Berystede Hotel has also been established - now known as the Macdonald Berystede Hotel.

The hotel was refurbished in April 2006 and now has facilities that include an 18 metre swimming pool, a 150 sq. metre Technogym, six Beauty Treatment Rooms, a Relaxation Suite and a Refreshment Area.

But the image of Edward VII continues to preside over the residence – still in the form of an oil painting hanging in the hallway.

And several guests continue to hope to catch a glimpse of the legendary ghost of Eliza Kleinger...