BEAULIEU ABBEY is to be the focal point of a major paranormal TV investigation this Hallowe'en.

The remains of the 13th century Abbey, part of Lord Montagu's New Forest estate, will play host to a three and a half hour live edition of the cult TV show Most Haunted.

The programme, to be transmitted live on Living TV on October 31, will put to the test a host of paranormal mysteries surrounding the historic abbey, most of which was destroyed in the 16th century during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.

Celebrity medium Derek Acorah will be joined by presenters Yvette Fielding and David Bull as he attempts to make contact with the spirits of the long-dead.

There have been several sightings of ghostly monks over the years. People have also heard mysterious Gregorian chanting and caught the smell of incense. Beaulieu house is also said to be haunted by one of Lord Montagu's ancestors, Countess Isabella, who died in 1786.

"There has been a lot of interest in Beaulieu's ghosts in recent years, probably because of this sort of programme. We get a lot of inquiries from groups wanting to do overnight investigations," said Beaulieu spokesman Margaret Rowles.

One of the strangest paranormal incidents was that experienced by Lord Montagu's half-sister, Elizabeth Varley.

"When she was quite young she heard what she thought was a band of travelling gypsies one night, but then discovered there was no one around.

"Somebody asked her to hum what she had heard, and it was a Gregorian chant."

Fittingly enough, the broadcast will open with Mr Acorah being driven into the grounds of the Abbey In a Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce - one of the star exhibits at Beaulieu's National Motor Museum - by Lord Montagu, owner of the Beaulieu estate and a paranormal enthusiast.

More than 1,000 invited guests will watch transfixed as Acorah goes in quest of restless spirits on what, according to legend, is the most haunted night of the year.

Most Haunted Live - Hallowe'en is Living TV's fifth live paranormal investigation and will include viewer experiments in automatic handwriting and remote viewing activities. The Cistercian Abbey at Beaulieu - the biggest in the UK - was built in 1204 after King John made a gift of land to the monks.

According to legend, he was driven to make the gesture after having a nightmare in which he was beaten by a group of monks angered by his oppression of their community.

You can see Most Haunted Live - Hallowe'en on Living TV on October 31 from 9pm.