Castle History
At first a 12th century stronghold, Chillingham became a fully fortified Castle in 1344. The castle is steeped in local and national history, often besieged and always winning through. The family were made Dukes and Earls in their early warrior days. They achieve many mentions in Shakespeare’s History plays and in Royal archives. The many Grey commanding generals, eighteen Knights of the Garter and royal appointments were balanced by no less than eight Executions, invariably for high treason. So, family members did espouse a losing cause? But other family members chose different sides so the Chillingham estate survived.
Chillingham occupied a strategic position during Northumberland's bloody border feuds, as often under attack as basking in the patronage of Royal visitors, a tradition that remains to this day. Sir Henry Wakefield was Treasurer of England to King Edward 1V and, in the last century, Sir Humphry’s father, Sir Edward Wakefield, was both Treasurer and Comptroller of the Queen’s Household. In 1245, King Henry111 came to Chillingham as did the Kings Edward 1 and James 1. Charles 1 stayed here for three frantic nights before he was imprisoned, Edward V111 came to hunt here, and members of today’s Royal family continue the tradition with private visits to the Castle this century.
There have been very few architectural additions since those early days, apart from elaborate galleries added in Tudor days. These were in preparation for the visit of James V1, en route to his English coronation. The commanding Grey of that day was Queen Elizabeth’s godchild, and the trusted ‘go-between’ for the English/Scottish courts during those difficult times of the royal succession.
The 18th century saw landscape refinements by Capability Brown and Robert Adam’s pupil Paterson in action on the East wing. In 1828 came the extravagant gardens and avenues laid out by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville, fresh from his triumphs at Windsor Castle.
Throughout the centuries the architectural detail and massive walls have remained largely unchanged with its same underlying medieval strength and character.
Chillingham's ghosts
Its current owners market the castle as being the most haunted castle in Britain. It has been investigated on television and radio (namely, Most Haunted, I'm Famous and Frightened!, Scariest Places On Earth, Holiday Showdown, Alan Robson's Nightowls) and now Ghost Hunters International.
The most famous ghost of the castle is the "blue (or radiant) boy", who according to the owners used to haunt the Pink Room in the castle. Guests supposedly reported seeing blue flashes and a blue "halo" of light above their beds after a loud wail. It is claimed that the hauntings ceased after renovation work revealed the bodies of a man and a young boy bricked inside a 10-foot-thick wall. The owners also claim that the ghosts of John Sage, a former torturer, and of Lady Mary Berkeley haunt the castle. Guests have reported hearing screams for help and doors slamming mysteriously.
Most Haunted - Chillingham Castle Unseen
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Showing posts with label Ghosts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ghosts. Show all posts
Chillingham Castle Ghosts
The Headless Queen
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII. He was already married to Catherine of Aragon and could not get a divorce from the Roman Catholic Church. In order to get his divorce he created a reformed version of the Church, putting himself at the head - a direct challenge of authority to the Pope.
Having obtained his divorce and married Anne, the king's most driving need was a son. His former queen had only given him a female child (Princess Mary). On 7 September 1533 Anne Boleyn gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth (who was to become Queen Elizabeth I). The relationship between the king and Anne Boleyn deteriorated; he began to court Jane Seymour.
However, Anne became pregnant again, and there was a reconciliation, but the child was born dead. Henry determined to get rid of Anne and trumped up a charge of treason, arresting and confining her to the Tower of London. Her execution had been scheduled for 18 May 1536 but in fact took place the following day as there had been a delay while a skilled executioner was brought in from Calais.
Anne Boleyn's ghost is a prolific one and there are many reports of her appearances. Undoubtedly many reports arise because ghosts seen will be attributable to the most 'famous' source when that may be inappropriate; however, some have the suggestion of a little more substance.
Among the more hysterical there are the stories of headless horses galloping to Blickling Hall in Norfolk, her family home, ridden by a headless horseman and of course the headless young woman herself. Traditionally the apparition appears on the anniversary of her death. Further elaborations of the tale include a severed head in her lap.
Anne's ghost has been seen by several people in the corridors of Blickling Hall although the present building dates from virtually one hundred years after her death. Nonetheless, it is on the same site as the original building and there are many accounts of ghosts which do seem attracted to particular locations.
The administrator of the building, Mr Steve Ingram, had an experience of a more specific nature in 1985. Mr Ingram and his wife share a flat in BlicklingHall. One night he was awakened at 1.30am by the sound of footsteps in the passageway outside the bedroom. The sound was of light female footsteps on rush matting, changing briefly to someone stepping on thinner material, then back onto the carpet. Mr Ingram worked out the path of the footsteps, down the rush matting in the corridor outside, across the thin mat by the doorway and across the carpet of the bedroom. Evidently the person causing footsteps was now standing at the foot of the bed and Mr Ingram merely assumed it was his wife returning from the bathroom.
When he switched on the bedroom light he discovered his wife asleep next to him and the bedroom door shut; noone else could be seen in the room. It was the following morning when someone pointed out that this incident had occured on the anniversary of Anne Boleyn's execution.
The National Trust took over Blickling Hall in 1946; one of it's administrators was Mr. Sidney Hancock. One one occasion Mr Hancock looked out of the kitchen window of thehall towards the lake and saw a woman walking down towards the lakeside. She was wearing a long grey gown with a white lace collar and a white cap. Hancock was concerned that she was either lost or trespassing and went out to ask if he could help or if she was looking for someone. The lady apparently replied "that for which I seek has long since gone". Hancock briefly turned away and on looking back discovered that there was no one there and nowhere she could have gone to. Although the description of the clothes worn by the figure did not match those whichAnne wore to her execution, they would well have been the clothes she might have been wearing in the days leading up to it.
Anne Boleyn is also reputed to haunt Hampton Court - along with most of Henry VIII's wives in fact- although there she apparently wears the blue dress in which she appears in a portrait in that building. Predictably, she is also said to haunt theTower of London where she was executed. She is traditionally seen, again, predictably as a headless female figure identified by her clothing.
Having obtained his divorce and married Anne, the king's most driving need was a son. His former queen had only given him a female child (Princess Mary). On 7 September 1533 Anne Boleyn gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth (who was to become Queen Elizabeth I). The relationship between the king and Anne Boleyn deteriorated; he began to court Jane Seymour.
However, Anne became pregnant again, and there was a reconciliation, but the child was born dead. Henry determined to get rid of Anne and trumped up a charge of treason, arresting and confining her to the Tower of London. Her execution had been scheduled for 18 May 1536 but in fact took place the following day as there had been a delay while a skilled executioner was brought in from Calais.
Anne Boleyn's ghost is a prolific one and there are many reports of her appearances. Undoubtedly many reports arise because ghosts seen will be attributable to the most 'famous' source when that may be inappropriate; however, some have the suggestion of a little more substance.
Among the more hysterical there are the stories of headless horses galloping to Blickling Hall in Norfolk, her family home, ridden by a headless horseman and of course the headless young woman herself. Traditionally the apparition appears on the anniversary of her death. Further elaborations of the tale include a severed head in her lap.
Anne's ghost has been seen by several people in the corridors of Blickling Hall although the present building dates from virtually one hundred years after her death. Nonetheless, it is on the same site as the original building and there are many accounts of ghosts which do seem attracted to particular locations.
The administrator of the building, Mr Steve Ingram, had an experience of a more specific nature in 1985. Mr Ingram and his wife share a flat in BlicklingHall. One night he was awakened at 1.30am by the sound of footsteps in the passageway outside the bedroom. The sound was of light female footsteps on rush matting, changing briefly to someone stepping on thinner material, then back onto the carpet. Mr Ingram worked out the path of the footsteps, down the rush matting in the corridor outside, across the thin mat by the doorway and across the carpet of the bedroom. Evidently the person causing footsteps was now standing at the foot of the bed and Mr Ingram merely assumed it was his wife returning from the bathroom.
When he switched on the bedroom light he discovered his wife asleep next to him and the bedroom door shut; noone else could be seen in the room. It was the following morning when someone pointed out that this incident had occured on the anniversary of Anne Boleyn's execution.
The National Trust took over Blickling Hall in 1946; one of it's administrators was Mr. Sidney Hancock. One one occasion Mr Hancock looked out of the kitchen window of thehall towards the lake and saw a woman walking down towards the lakeside. She was wearing a long grey gown with a white lace collar and a white cap. Hancock was concerned that she was either lost or trespassing and went out to ask if he could help or if she was looking for someone. The lady apparently replied "that for which I seek has long since gone". Hancock briefly turned away and on looking back discovered that there was no one there and nowhere she could have gone to. Although the description of the clothes worn by the figure did not match those whichAnne wore to her execution, they would well have been the clothes she might have been wearing in the days leading up to it.
Anne Boleyn is also reputed to haunt Hampton Court - along with most of Henry VIII's wives in fact- although there she apparently wears the blue dress in which she appears in a portrait in that building. Predictably, she is also said to haunt theTower of London where she was executed. She is traditionally seen, again, predictably as a headless female figure identified by her clothing.
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