Check in. Relax. Take a shower.: Oakley Court

Oakley Court....a beautiful and tranquil hotel with eclectic architecture, never-ending lawns, a tasty restaurant and footpaths that lead you alongside the River Thames. When standing on the lawn gazing up at the hotel you get the sense that you've stepped into a place from another era. But despite the gargoyles that leer down at you from every surface, and the one tiny hallway scattered with horror movie posters, you'd have no idea that this is ground zero for some of the best horror movies of all time.

This year I visited Oakley Court and stayed the night to experience the incredible hotel for itself and wallow in its' incredible history.

Built in 1859 for Sir Richard Hall-Say in the style of a French Chateau to comfort his homesick young French wife, it had many owners until 1919 when Ernest Olivier bought it. He was a Turkish consul and used the Court as a place to impress and entertain foreign diplomats. During World War 2 it was rumored that Charles de Gaulle had an office there and there's a room there now that is named in his honor. But it wasn't until post World War 2 that Oakley Court became a horror Mecca when Olivier decided to rent the building out as a filming location.

In 1949 Hammer/Exclusive Films started using the building and for twelve months the Court was used to make 5 films. Over the next few decades Oakley Court became the go-to location for British productions to use as an exterior for haunted houses and castles. You can find the Court in films like The Brides of Dracula (1960), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and Vampyres (1974).

But in 1965 when Olivier passed away the house was divided up and used as shelter for young, local families in need. They could rent rooms and cottages and it stayed that way through the 70's. But because of this it allowed productions to film inside the now dilapidated Court. And so next up were Girly (1970), The Night Digger (1971), and The Man From Nowhere (1975).

There's also a rumor that in the late 60's, shortly after Olivier's death, there were satanic cults that would use the grounds for their Sabbaths. There's an old crumbled structure near the riverfront that was rumored to be the site. The local historian, Jake Roche, believes witches used to meet on the grounds.

Of course, what is an old, spooky Court without its' ghost stories? There are many stories of ghostly presences and events that have filled Oakley Court including in 1972 when a woman claimed her two children drowned after seeing white-hooded figures roaming the grounds late at night. Even just reading the modern day reviews of the hotel you'll find a couple of ghostly experiences thrown in among glowing reviews of the restaurant. Unfortunately, I didn't experience anything myself, but it was absolutely very spooky walking through the hotel's many twisted staircases and long hallways by myself.

In the 1970's as residents began to leave, the building was purchased by the Muggleston family to convert it into a resort. They restored Oakley Court to its former glory spending $5 million to do so. They also included additional wings to accommodate more guests.

Now Oakley Court sits as a proud, well reviewed hotel, but keeps its' horror history pretty quiet. Every year they host the Time Warp Picnic where fans of Rocky Horror gather to watch the Transylvanian flag raise from the tower and then watch a screening of the film together in costume. But let's just call ourselves lucky that Oakley Court is still standing and being carefully and lovingly restored, and a tiny but important piece of horror history is kept in tact.

My stay there was wonderful, and as you can see littered throughout this article are photos I took during my stay. The room was great, the food was great, and I loved just wandering around the grounds and discovering so many different buildings and strange artwork like an entire suit of armor placed in a corner for seemingly no reason. Or an entire room of giant mirrors. Or a neon light sign that reads "The Butler Did It'.