CHILLINGHAM CASTLE

Deep in the English countryside, nestled between Newcastle to the south and Edinburgh to the north, there's a place where fairy tales are born. An eclectic mix of historical and pop culture, Northumberland is host to haunted medieval fortresses and film sites for Quidditch matches. he five!hour drive north from "ambridge was li#e any interstate drive until $ glimpsed a giant iron angel perched on a hillside, welcoming me into Newcastle, %city of lights.% As $ continued my tre# and the city lights flic#ered in my rear!view mirror, $ plunged bac# into dar#ness and wondered if $ had ta#en a wrong turn towards &leepy 'ollow. he road narrowed and wound, and traffic became as sparse as the landscape. Around (( p.m. $ pulled through the gates and up the lonely drive to "hillingham "astle. hough closed for the winter to tourists, a pre! boo#ing and )(** a night made this strange %vacation% spot my home for the wee#end. +y apartment in one of the castle towers, aptly dubbed the %,oo#out ower -oom,% came e.uipped with a modern #itchen, living room, and could comfortably sleep a family of five. At first a (/th "entury stronghold, "hillingham became a fully fortified castle in the (0th "entury. he family of the Earls 1rey and their relations have continuously owned and inhabited the castle since the (/**s. he current owners of "hillingham are &ir 'umphrey and the 'onorable ,ady 2a#efield. &ir 'umphrey's family has lived in the ,a#e District for 0** years, and ,ady 2a#efield is descended from the family of the Earls 1rey.

he castle was often besieged during Northumberland's bloody 3order 2ars due to its strategic position, and it is steeped in royal history. he most famous resident of "hillingham, however, is a nameless child. -esidents and visitors of the castle's %4in# -oom% have reported that, as the cloc# struc# midnight, terrible cries of a child in pain could be heard echoing from a passage cut through the (*!foot thic# wall into the ad5oining tower. As the cries faded, a halo of light would appear and the figure of a boy dressed in blue began to approach the four! poster bed. During some refurbishing in later years, the bones of a young boy and fragments of a blue dress were discovered in the bedroom wall. he %blue boy% was given a proper burial, though no one ever #new whom he was. Another well!#nown inhabitant of the castle is ,ady +ary 3er#eley, wife of ,ord 1rey of 2ar# and "hillingham and Earl of an#erville. ,ord 1rey disappeared with ,ady +ary's sister, 'enrietta, which resulted in a huge scandal during the reign of "harles $$. his scandal left ,ady +ary alone in the castle, with only their baby daughter for company, and to this day legend has it that the sil#y rustle of her dress can be heard as the tragic figure searches for her husband along the corridors. As $ pondered these tales on my drive bac# from dinner one night at a local village pub, my thoughts were punctuated by loud, repeated wails from the dar#ness surrounding me. $ stopped my car and rolled the window down so $ could hear them better, but still couldn't find the source of the unearthly noises. he answer, however, literally appeared in my headlights as $ neared the castle walls ! %wild cattle.% "hillingham is one of the only places in the 6nited 7ingdom where cattle are allowed to roam the local area freely. $ wondered if shrie#ing cows, a long and gory history and overactive imaginations hadn't combined to create the ghost stories that lingered here, but my tour of the dungeon and torture chamber made me consider otherwise. At the turn of the last century wor#men discovered numerous bones buried in the dungeon. he most terrifying, though, was a perfectly preserved seated figure, which crumbled to dust as the air rushed in. he dungeon's walls bear the scratched lines and initials of prisoners captured during the 3order 2ars, and an eerie feeling fills the gloomy vaults.

hough the gloom and doom were fascinating, the castle grounds also offered woodland wal#s, a private la#e and an $talian topiary garden, which could also be viewed from my apartment. After a bris# wal# around the grounds, $ rewarded myself in one of the medieval ban.uet halls with some fresh bread and hot soup by the roaring fireplace. he most pleasant treat of the wee#end, however, was the anti.ues auction held at the castle. hough the castle has regular traditional crafts displays, this was the big annual event. $ would li#e to say that $ only observed the auction, but $ left with my poc#etboo# considerably lighter and with some fantastic bargains and gifts. Northumberland also features a castle that most tourists may not have heard of, though they have seen it many times. Alnwic# "astle 8pronounced %Annic#%9 can currently be seen in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone as scenery for the 'ogwarts &chool of 2itchcraft and 2i:ardry 'ouse "up Quidditch matches. "hildren from local ,indisfarne +iddle &chool were cast to round out the class, complete with scholarly wi:ard robes and practice broomstic#s for flying, but film crews are not new to the townspeople of Alnwic#. he castle has provided locations for %Dracula,% %Robin Hood Prince of Thieves,% %Ivanhoe,% and %Eli:abeth,% which also featured "hillingham "astle. Alnwic# "astle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, the first being 2indsor "astle, and has been the home of the 4ercys, Earls and Du#es of Northumberland since (;*<. he District of Alnwic# stretches from the wilds of Northumberland National 4ar# to the beautiful 'eritage "oast and, li#e the rest of Northumbria, offers rolling countryside, long sandy beaches, ancient abbeys, .uaint villages, historic mar#et towns, and other castles and ruins in unspoiled surroundings.

Castle Window Ghosts: &hadows from the netherworld or manne.uins amidst the clutter= -ooms filled with #nic#!#nac#s and memories of centuries past create strange illusions to the outside observer.

Chillingham Dungeon: A brighter view of the dar#est room in "hillingham. ,egend has it that, once upon a time, <* percent of those who entered the castle never came out again... alive.

Chillingham Banquet Hall: >ne of "hillingham's many medieval ban.uet halls, where diners will be whis#ed bac# in time

esti!e Hall Bal"on# $iew: "astle visitors ta#e a brea# from the annual auction to get a bite to eat and warm themselves by the fire

Alnwi"% Castle on the Hill: 4erched atop its hill at the heart of the town, Alnwic# "astle has a perfect vantage point to spot onslaughts, especially from a broomstic# aloft, or to simply en5oy the view of Northumberland National 4ar#.

Castle Ghosts In England

2hat story would be complete without a haunted castle. 'ere you will find a listing of some of the castles that are reportedly haunted in 1reat 3ritain.

Wales
Cae&'hill# Castle, nr "ardiff
A green lady flits from turret to turret so fearlessly that on one occasion some of the town boys almost caught her. 1hostly soldiers also patrol the battlements. +odern day security personnel will not venture up to the flag tower because they can smell perfume at all times.

Ca&di(( Castle, "ardiff

he second +ar.uess of 3ute began restoration of "ardiff "astle but died in (?0?. 'e is said to appear by wal#ing through the fireplace of the library. 'e leaves this room by passing through a six!foot!thic# wall into a corridor, then passes through the wall of the chapel into the room in which he died. he main dining!hall of the castle is also disturbed. At precisely ;@0Aam heavy doors open and shut by themselves and the lights flash on and off. A %faceless vision in a flowing grayish!white s#irt% has also appeared in a stoc#room close by, where things get disarranged.

Castell Co"h, nr "ardiff

he young son of Dame 1riffiths fell into a bottomless pool of dar# water within the precincts and was never seen again. 'is mother was inconsolable and soon died from her grief. 'er ghost restlessly continues to wander about the castle and its surrounding woods.

Conw# Castle, "onwy

>ne of -obert 2ynn's successors at 4las +awr had to leave "onwy to fight in a distant war. 2hen the time was near for his return, his wife and child climbed the steep stair to the loo#out tower. 'e was late, and the wife and child had to leave the tower because of dar#ness. >n the way down she slipped, and, along with her child, fell to the bottom of the tower. hey were ta#en to the lantern room. Doctor Dic was summoned but stated he could do nothing to save them. Bearing the wrath of the lord upon his return, the servant loc#ed Dr. Dic inside the lantern room with the dying family. 6pon the +aster's return, the door was unloc#ed. 'e found the dead bodies of his wife and child, but not Dr. Dic. he Doctor was never seen again. he bereaved husband eventually went mad with grief and died soon after. 'is ghost still see#s the missing doctor in the lantern room and will continue to do so until he is found.

Dun&a!en Castle, 1lamorgan

he castle was demolished after 2orld 2ar $$. $t was haunted by a little old lady in a blue dress who left behind her the smell of mimosa.

)o"h Castle, 4embro#eshire

he ghost is the shade of ,ucy 2alters, first mistress of "harles $$, who was born in (C;*. &he floats through loc#ed rooms in a white dress and may be the cause of the noisy running footsteps which mysteriously disturb the sleep of guests on occasions.

)uthin Castle, Denbighshire

here is a ghostly figure of a man in armor wearing only one gauntlet. here is also a strange glowing ball of light. he ghost of ,ady 1rey has been seen wandering the hallways of the castle.

England
A&undel Castle, &ussex
A ghost from 7ing "harles $$'s time browses boo#s in the library. 'e is #nown as the %3lue +an%.

Be&&# *ome&o# Castle, Devon

&aid to be haunted by the daughter of a wic#ed baron who, as a conse.uence of an enforced relationship with her father, bore him a child, which he strangled.

B&am+e& Castle, &ussex

2illiam De 3raose angered 7ing Dohn. 'e escaped to $reland with his children, only to to captured. he #ing ordered that his children be held hostage for 2illiam's future good behavior at 2indsor "astle. he children were starved to death. heir ghosts returned to 3ramber "astle and have been seen.

Cad+u&# Castle, &omerset Co&(e Castle, Dorset Do!e& Castle, 7ent

1hostly horsemen carrying torches have been seen at the castle.

he ghost of a headless woman has been seen next to the walls of the castle.

Dover "astle is associated with numerous ghosts and strange sounds. $n the 7ing's bedroom, the lower half of a man has been seen wal#ing through the doorway. he specter of a woman dressed in a red dress has been seen at the west stairway of the #eep. he sounds of a crea#ing doorway opening and closing where a door used to be, but isn't anymore, have been heard.

he castle is associated with a ghostly bridal party. 3aron Beatherstonehaugh had arranged for his daughter to marry a relative of his choice, even though the daughter was in love with someone else. he wedding party left for the %traditional hunt% after the wedding, leaving the baron behind to ma#e arrangements for the ban.uet. 2hen the party failed to return by midnight, the baron began to fear the worst. &itting alone at the table, he heard horses crossing the drawbridge. he door opened and the party entered. 3ut, they made no sound and passed through furniture. he wedding party had been ambushed and #illed. >n the anniversary of the wedding, the party can still be seen heading towards the castle.

eathe&stone Castle, Northumberland

He&stmon"eu, Castle, &ussex

+any different ghosts have been seen here. he %2hite ,ady,% the %1rey ,ady% and a woman on a white don#ey.

He!e& Castle, 7ent

he ghostly figure of Anne 3oleyn has been seen gliding over the bridge.

Hu&st Castle, 'ampshire

A ghostly mon# haunts the castle.

Lowthe& Castle, "umbria

'aunted by &ir Dames ,owther. 'e was very unhappy with a prearranged marriage, and fell in love with a farmer's daughter. 2hen she suddenly grew ill and died, &ir Dames refused to believe she was dead and left her on the bed. &he was finally moved and placed in a coffin with a glass lid, which he set in a cupboard where he could loo# at her. &he was finally buried, and &ir Dames died unloved and unmourned. At his funeral his coffin began to sway as it was lowered into the ground. 'is spectral coach and ungroomed horses can be seen being driven through the par#lands of the castle.

-%eham'ton Castle, Devon

A specter of a blac# dog can be seen at the castle.

-ld Wa&dou& Castle, 2iltshire

,ady Arundel's ghost haunts the castle grounds. &he was executed after a siege by the -oundheads.

*enge&si"% Castle, "ornwall

A specter of a man haunts the castle. 'e tried to poison his wife, but the wife poisoned him first.

*e!ense# Castle, &ussex

3elow the castle walls a spectral army can be seen and heard.

)o"heste& Castle, 7ent

he ghost of ,ady 3lanche de 2arenne has been seen wal#ing the castle battlements.

S"otne# Castle, 7ent

A dripping wet ghost haunts the castle. $t is said that the man was a -evenue >fficer murdered by smugglers.

She&+o&ne -ld Castle, Dorset

&ir 2alter -aleigh's ghost sits on the castle masonry.

Towe& o( London, ,ondon

$n (?(C, a guard saw what he described afterwards as %a shadowy bear wal#ing up the stairs in the twilight.% 'e lunged at it with his bayonet, which shattered against

the wall. he ghostly presence wal#ed on unaffected and the guard, having told his unli#ely story to others, died of shoc# a few days later.

$e&dle# Castle, &ussex

he last wild bear #illed in England haunts the castle.

Windso& Castle, 3er#shire

Queen Eli:abeth $'s ghost has been seen in the library. A young guard shot and #illed himself and another guard on duty saw him afterwards.

S"otland
Aldou&ie Castle, $nverness E Nairn
he castle is said to be haunted by a 1ray ,ady.

Ba&"aldine Castle, Argyll E Dunbartonshire

Donald "ampbell was murdered on the castle grounds, and his ghost has been seen at the castle. $t is believed that he is wandering in search of his #iller.

Dun&o+in Castle, &utherland E "aithness

he upper floor of the castle is said to be haunted by the daughter of the (0th Earl. &he had been imprisoned in the attic by her father for her wrong doings. &he tried to escape from a window, but fell to her death.

Dunt&une Castle, Argyll E Dunbartonshire

"oll +acdonnell had a personal score to settle with the "ampbells of Duntrune. As "oll approached the castle, a piper played a warning tune. "oll turned bac#. he "ampbells cut off the piper's hands. A handless s#eleton was later found at the castle, and pipe music can still be heard in the castle.

He&mitage Castle, 3orders

A neighboring chief sent a group of goodwill ambassadors to 'ermitage to propose cessation of their long feud. he lord promptly put the men into a small room without food or water. All the men died and their ghosts still stal# the ruins.