With its oak beams and postcard perfect views, the cottage seemed idyllic. The couple woke to waves lapping against the thick whitewashed walls and the sun beaming from a cloudless sky.

But there was an icy chill inside. In the visitors’ book they read, “Lovely holiday. Intresting to meet the ghost.”

When the lights flickered and the ceiling creaked they were terrified. Three days in, they left.

On changeover day, the cleaner arrived with her young daughter. “Play by yourself for a bit,” she told her, switching on the hoover.

With an impish grin, the girl picked up the visitors’ book and a pen.

Dr. Amanda Barton is a freelance writer and educational consultant.

Her novel ‘Car Keys in the Freezer’ was shortlisted for the Trapeze Orion novel competition in 2018

Twitter: @amandabook2