Soul Seeking in Bedford, VA

I was followed by a ghost. Soul seeking in Bedford, Virginia, at the famous Avenel House, was a fantastic day. I was there in support of my friend Amy, who is writing a regional ghost story book, but I was also there because I love ghost hunting! We were allowed free access to the house, which stands alone and is renovated beautifully. For history of the place, go here: http://www.historicavenel.com/


Upon entering, we were given a tour but I asked initially that any ghost stories be kept from me. I wanted to pick up what I felt on my own without any prior knowledge of the activity there. Apparently there has been quite a lot of activity too! This house has been investigated several times by professional psychics, including local Deborah Carvelli, http://www.deborahcarvelli.com/. I have heard a television paranormal show did a taping there though I haven’t seen that yet.


After our tour, Amy went downstairs to get her camera to set up in a bedroom, and I wandered around upstairs waiting for her. I felt drawn to a door in the one bedroom and wanted to feel what I could, hands on. This door leads to a covered porch on the second floor and was locked, but I felt there was something important about that area. Then I was drawn to leave that bedroom and enter another across a foyer. There, I felt an energy near one window; it felt positive and friendly. From that room I entered another hallway and hesitated by a window that overlooks the front walkway. It was there that I felt a presence behind me. I always get this pulling sensation on the back of my neck when I am near spirits, and this time it was very intense. I debated going toward the main stairway but felt I shouldn’t for some reason and yet I hesitated going down the back stair. The spirit was still with me, tapping into my energy at my neck and seemingly getting a piggyback ride down the stairs and through to the main entryway of the house right to the front door. I felt I needed to peek out the window on the side of the door, and the spirit was with me yet. Everyone asked if I was okay; I suppose I looked a bit shaken and I was holding the back of my neck. I let them know I was being followed and asked the spirit to leave me alone just then. We went back upstairs then to set the camera and the bedroom was lighter feeling. Amy joked that I had led the ghost out. Well, maybe so!


We wandered around more and for a little while we were standing outside the prep kitchen listening to our guide tell us more about the house. I was on the grass looking up at the covered porch I’d felt there was something to and I felt a gentle touch on the top of my head, like a grandmother caressing a child’s hair. It happened just twice but it was distinct. There was no wind to speak of. We went back inside.


In an upstairs bedroom I sensed a strong energy by a window. My hand on the sill tingled with energy and I had Amy stand there to see what she could feel. Later I took a photo that shows a light form standing in that same spot. There is a large wardrobe in the room, blocking a back window and I felt the spirit really didn’t like it there. I felt she was asking us to please move it so she could look out the window. Of course we couldn’t. This same room has a small bathroom which is closed in from a portion of that covered porch. I couldn’t go into it at first; I felt a negativity about it that made me want to run away. Again, there has to be something about that porch.


Winding down, three of us sat in a lower room for a bit. This would have been an important, well used room in the house, with a family feel. The hearth was well worn and had obviously been an integral part of the room for warmth and gathering. A small door in this room leads to a closet under the back stairway, and shows some smoke damage inside. There was another door out of the closet at the other end but was barred shut with a wooden closure. On the outside of this “door” it was all sealed up as to not indicate a door at all. I feel the children must surely have played there and I wondered if one child hadn’t been trapped. Back in the room, I sat on the hearth with hands on to feel any energy I could pick up. We spoke for a while and then were silent, and I distinctly heard a rustling of fabric to my right. I turned around to see if the drapes were moving and they were not. It was as clear as anything, right in my ear. No one was sitting to that side of me, as they were on the other side of the room. I looked at Amy and asked if she heard anything, and she responded yes, she heard fabric moving but thought it was me. Later on I read an old newspaper article of a reporter who had heard the rustling of hoop skirts there.

Looking at my digital photos back at home, I was surprised to find the faces of children in the one window where I felt I had "picked up" my ghost. Amy had an experience in that same spot as well. It was an eventful investigation and one that I hope to continue on an evening visit sometime soon.