Hello, it's Richard McClain Smith here. Before we begin this week's episode, I just wanted to

tell you about a new podcast of mine. The show is called Rescue and is hosted by survival expert

Donnie Dust. With each episode, Rescue takes you deep into the heart of the world's most

astonishing rescue stories, told by the people who were there. It's a little different to unexplained,

but I hope that you will enjoy it nonetheless. Rescue is out now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Now, continuing with unexplained, please be advised that this episode contains themes of slavery

and torture that some may find disturbing.

It's 1905, a small party of maids are sent from England to the Caribbean to cast their

eyes over the crumbling great house that their employers have recently purchased. Located roughly

10 miles from Montego Bay, the Jamaican Georgian house Rose Hall overlooks the north coast of the

island. The view is panoramic, spectacular, but the wide blue sky and golden sun cannot compete

with the heaviness that lurks in the air. In the 70 years prior to the maids arrival at Rose Hall,

the house has fallen into disrepair after the abrupt exit of its former owners.

The once impressive Mahogany Gateway is nothing but crumbling stone defaced by those who fear

and ignore the place. The ornaments that once decorated the tops of the pillars have been stolen.

Now rust and decay are its only adornments. Once a grand avenue of trees of infinite variety

lined the half mile up to the property, far reaching palms, giant Mahogany, the sweet smelling tang

of orange trees. Now though, the maids horses shy away from the foreboding place and the carriages

unable to proceed along the old road, so covered is it by weeds and bushes, and so they continue on

foot. The mansion emerges pulled into their view through a dense thicket as if by some invisible

hand. The first thing that surely strikes them is how huge the place is. The flight of steps up

to the vast front door are over 15 feet high. The landing place at the top is a portico about 20

...