The Ghosts of Chillingham Castle, Northumberland

Ghosts of Chillingham Castle – The Most Haunted Castle in Northumberland

The Blue boy, poor, wandering, Lady Mary, a tortured child, the Royal procession and so many other famous stories. Chillingham retains them all because the Castle stays calm and unaltered ever since ancient battling days. With all its beauty and calm, Chillingham Castle has many ghosts…. Of course, it has. Quite apart from Lady Mary and her friends, the Castle family lived exciting and romantic lives, they served Kings, but then, as William Shakespeare notes, they rebelled, too.

With a record eighteen Knights of the Garter, the family also had no less than eight famous, well recorded, executions. Some were hanged, drawn and quartered. While alive, they were cut down from the Gallows to have their entrails removed. Still living, the failing body was cut into quarters. The head was displayed on city gates, as a warning. Other members of the family, more fortunate, simply had their heads chopped off.

The White Pantry Ghost In what is called ‘The inner Pantry’ a frail figure in white still appears. The silver was stored here and a footman employed to sleep here and guard it. Historically, one night, when the footman had turned in to sleep, he was accosted by this lady in white Very pale, she begged him for water. Thinking it was one of the Castle guests he turned to obey. Suddenly he remembered he was locked in and no visitor could have possibly entered. This same pale figure is seen today, and it is thought the longing for water suggests poisoning.

Not all of Chillingham Castle’s ghosts are those we see. Some are merely felt as ‘Impalpable impressions on the air,’ as the poet Tennyson says. There is this sense of something unseen yet distinctly moving, it can be a chill dark creeping sensation, or maybe just an oppressive atmosphere. Besides the Great Hall, the voices of two men are often heard talking. It is never possible to follow their words, and they stop talking if one makes serious efforts to trace them.

The moonlight casts the shadows of the battlements across the worn flagstones, and it is positively hard not to see the shades and shadows come to life.

About

A glorious and secluded setting in Northumberland’s famously beautiful countryside, Chillingham Castle offers holidaymakers the unbelievable experience of staying in a medieval fortress. Part of the Castle and the coach house have been converted into comfortable holiday apartments, offering the opportunity for a memorable holiday.

The Castle is surrounded by lawns and formal gardens, including a topiary garden, with interesting clipped hedges. The woodland can be carpeted with flowers in the spring and early summer, making the walk to the lake an extraordinary experience. The home of Sir Humphry and the Hon. Lady Wakefield whose ancestors, the Grey family, have lived in the castle since the twelve hundreds.

The Castle has survived many sieges and hosted many kings from Henry III in 1255 and Edward I in 1298 to Edward, Prince of Wales in 1872 to members of the Royal Family today. The Chillingham estate is alive with Wildlife from foxes and badgers to red squirrels and deer. In the Park, the famous and only true wild herd of white cattle can be visited

Features

Colour television, microwave, fridge and electric cooker
Laundry facilities are available at a small extra charge
Electric blankets and extra blankets provided
Cots, highchairs and fold-up beds are available
Portable electric panel heaters on request
Except for the Coaching Rooms, all apartments are heated by electric storage heaters and this is charged separately after meter readings
Logs and kindling for fires and stoves at small extra charge

Things to do

The extensive grounds are accessible to holidaymakers. Fishing is also available on the River Till. Within a few miles of the coast and being in close proximity to several golf courses, Chillingham is ideally situated for a unique holiday, with fishing, golf and stately home visits