Nothing like a good old-fashioned gothic horror tale! This one had all the elements. The sound effects were very good - I'm paying more attention to these after reading comments about some of the other Shows of the Week - and especially creepy music. EG Marshall's final comment before wrapping up - about feeding the cat - put this one over the top for me.
And now ... something pretty cool. Back in the '70's, I listened to the series for several months before deciding to write down all the episodes I could remember (and thereafter). I wrote down titles, then a list of shows for which I had no title - had dozed off for part of the show, etc. I had looked back at this list several times in the decades since. One of the untitled ones, I had written "don't go in the ballroom". When I saw the title of this show, I had a strange feeling ... any title of fiction involving a cottage, mansion etc. often suggests a tale of the supernatural. Along with "The Laughing Maiden" several weeks back, this week's show has really taken me back. Yet another good show.