ARGUMENT3 ENGLAND: The Tower of London..........4 Windsor Castle.....................6 Chillingham Castle...7 SCOTLAND: Edinburgh Castle.

9 Finavon Castle10 Inverary Castle11 WALES: Caerphilly Castle.12 Conwy Castle...13 Ruthin Castle14 BIBLIOGRAPHY.15

Each time a person hears something about haunted places or ghosts, he becomes suddenly very interested. Most of us are quite suspicious and curious about everything that is unusual or strange, and we dont believe it until we see with our own eyes. Of course there had to be someone to take advantage of this weakness we have, and that someone are the travel agencies. In attracting their tourists, travel agencies emphasize even more the stories that are heard about those places and they practically forget to mention the cultural and historical importance. Doors that crunch without being touched, footsteps heard at midnight, the smell of a ladys perfume, although no one lives there, are only some examples of stories which have become famous along time, especially because of or for the tourists. If all these are true or they are just scams, well probably never find out, also because of the advanced technology nowadays, which makes almost everything possible. Until the mystery is solved, well enjoy the amazing stories of events that took place many years ago, but which seem to have consequences in the present. Set your mind free and discover the hidden part of the history from the amazing castles of Great Britain. Perhaps there is something in the nature of borderlands like England, Scotland, Wales, which makes them particularly prone to the supernatural.

Location: London, England With a long history of execution, murder and torture, is there any wonder the "Tower of London" ranks as one of the most haunted Castles in Britain? Its history begins in the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius. He chose the site to build a fort on. Over 1000 years later, William the Conqueror chose the same site on which to build the Tower of London. It is the oldest fortress, palace and prison of its type anywhere in Europe, with a 400 years history of executions: these ranged from hanging, beheading, to being hung or drawn and quartered, it was the perfect recipe for a haunted history. To give you an idea of how many souls could be haunting the Tower of London here is a short list of just some of the people (also called enemies of the Crown) who were executed there: Dignitaries beheaded: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey. Those who lost their lives in public execution included: 2 Archbishops, 6 Dukes, 10 Earls, 1 Marquis, 1 Viscount, 15 Barons, 33 Knights, 1 Bishop, 1 Prior and many others. The first documented sighting of a ghost at the tower was that of Thomas A. Becket. It was reported that during the construction of an inner curtain wall, he appeared and showed his anger at the construction by reducing the wall to a pile of rubble by striking it with his cross. Probably the most persistent ghost is that of Queen Anne Boleyn. On learning that the baby she was carrying was a boy, and heir to the Kings throne, she sadly went on to miscarry the child and was subsequently beheaded on the grounds of adultery and treason. Queen Anne is buried under the chapel's altar, and her body has been seen to walk the corridors of the Tower. She is only recognizable by the dress she wore at her execution.
The Tower of London winding stairs

One of the most gruesome haunting heard about is that of the Countess of Salisbury. At 70 she was given the death penalty on political grounds. As she strode up to the block to be beheaded, she refused to place her neck on the block as all others did and subsequently she fled the scene chased by the executioner. He apparently hacked at her body until she fell down dead...hacked to death. At the scene of this grisly murder it is said you can see the executioners axe doing its deadly deed. Although not an apparition, the haunting in the Salt Tower is for some, very real and very frightening. Said to be one of the most haunted areas in the tower's complex, dogs will not enter this area at all and Yeoman Warders will not enter after dark, after a Warder told how he was almost throttled by a strong but unseen force. In 1816, a guard saw what he described afterwards as "a shadowy bear walking up the stairs in the twilight". He lunged at it with his bayonet, which shattered against the wall. The ghostly presence walked on unaffected and the guard, having told his unlikely story to others, died of shock a few days later. More recently, in 1995, an American tourist was taking photographs of the Tower. She took a picture of Traitor's Gate. On having the film developed, you can clearly see what appears to be a hand wearing a 16th century Yeoman's uniform. The story that can explain the ghost from the photo is of the two young Princes who were murdered around 1483, after being declared illegitimate heirs to the throne. This was apparently a political move, and there were several suspects. It has never been conclusively proven that they were murdered, or who did it. The boys just mysteriously disappeared one night, never to be seen again. Years ago, workmen renovating the Tower discovered some bones that are speculated as belonging to the Princes, but this has not been conclusively proven. This photo would certainly seem to support that the young Princes did indeed perish within the confines of the Tower of London.
Photograph taken in the Tower that reveals the ghost of one of the Princes.

Location: London, England Windsor Castle is without doubt one of the most spectacular castles in Britain, if not the world. The Castle has been a Royal residence since the reign of William I (1066-1087). Since that time the Castle has been embroiled in legends of suicide, witchcraft and demonic ghosts: particularly the demonic horned being said to bring death and disease to those who are unfortunate enough to see it. One of the most famous ghosts reported at the Castle is that of King Henry VIII. Guests at the Castle have reported hearing the late kings footsteps along the long hallways of the Castle. Some have even claimed to hear his moans and groans! One of his wives, Anne Boleyn, has been seen standing at the window in the Deans Cloister, as well as Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth I has also been seen in the Royal Library. She has been seen walking from one room to another. She is always dressed in a black gown with a black lace shawl draped over her shoulders. The list of ghosts reported at the Castle is endless: King Charles I has been seen in the Castles library and the canon's house, and although he was beheaded, he is seen as a whole person. King George III, who for many years suffered of a mental illness, is seen in the windows directly below the Royal library. This was the place where the King was kept for many years due to his illness, venturing out on rare occasions. The Duke of Buckingham, Sir George Villiers, is said to haunt one of the Castles bedrooms, and the Castles long walk is said to be haunted by numerous ghosts, including that of a soldier whom, while on guard duty, is said to have committed suicide after he saw statues in the Castle moving on their own. He shot himself!
The royal library of Windsor Castle

Location: Northumberland, N.E. England Chillingham Castle is certainly worth a visit and why not, even a stayif you dare. If there is any truth in such a contention, Chillingham should certainly afford shelter to many wraiths of its departed owners and former dwellers. The district is full of romance, and the Castle being so close to the Borderland was in old times the scene of many raids from its Scottish neighbours. Its dungeons were probably seldom without some unfortunate inmate immured therein. There can still be seen on the dungeon walls, ancient initials and lines scratched in by them to count the number of the weary days of their imprisonment. Perhaps the most famous apparition was known as the 'Blue Boy', or 'Radiant Boy', which used to be seen in what is now called the Pink Room (not open to the public). There, when from the Clock Tower the hour of midnight sounded, were heard the cries and moans of a child in pain and in an agony of fear. Anyone sleeping there saw, gently approaching them, the figure of a young boy dressed in blue, and surrounded by the light. Witnesses say his clothes were like those seen in paintings dating from the Restoration period of the 1660s, when Charles II was on the throne. The explanation of an electrical fault can be counteracted by the fact that there are no electrics of any kind in the wall where the flashes were seen. During some refurbishing in later years, the bones of a young boy and fragments of a blue dress were discovered in the bedroom wall. The "blue boy" was given a proper burial, though no one ever knew whom he was. Another well known and authenticated ghost is that of Lady Mary Berkeley, wife of Ford, Lord Grey of Wark and Chillingham and Earl of Tankerville, still looking for her husband. That gentleman ran away with his own sister, Lady Henrietta, thus giving rise to a great scandal and a lawsuit. The end of it all was a heartless desertion. The poor lady was left in her dark and lonely Castle with only a fatherless baby girl as her companion. To this day the rustle of her dress is sometimes heard along the corridors and stairs and, as the disappointed and anxious wraith passes by, a chill, as of cold air, seems to sweep through one's very marrow. There have also been claims of her ghost escaping from her portrait to wander the castle in search of her errant Lord. 7

In what is called the inner pantry there has been seen a frail figure in white. This was where the silver in use was stored and a footman was once employed to sleep there to safeguard it. One night the footman had turned in when he was accosted by a lady in white, very pale, who asked him for water. Thinking for the moment it was one of the visitors he turned away to obey her behest, when he suddenly remembered that he was locked in and that no visitor could possibly have entered. On turning round he found the figure had
This photo was taken in the banquet hall at Chillingham Castle. It looks like a young girl sitting in the chair on the left.

vanished. This same figure was seen also by a guest who made notes of her

psychic experiences in the various rooms of the Castle without having been told of the Castle's claimed hauntings beforehand. It was surprising to see that she alluded to the longing for water of a female ghost who must have been slowly poisoned in olden times. In the Library, underneath the upper chamber, the voices of two men are often heard talking, but it is not possible to follow what they say and they seem to cease at once if one stops reading or writing to listen to their discussion. It disturbs no one and many have heard it but none has accounted for the fact. All the tourists affirmed that although not all of them have seen any ghosts, the castle certainly has an unusual atmosphere and a very strange and unpleasant smelling. Most of them have weird experiences, like the one from the Chapel I, where it is said that cameras dont work. When attempted to take a photo of a crucifix, a tourist noticed that when he pressed the button on his camera nothing happened. His camera gave an error message, so he pointed the camera away and tried to take another photo. This one worked. But it was very unusual. This photo was taken in the Chapel of Chillingham.
Castle.

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Probably one of the most dramatic settings for a Castle, Edinburgh Castle is set on what was once a volcano. With a 2000 year history of violence and murder, it's no wonder there are so many tales of haunting. The most probable explanation of these hauntings goes back to the great plague which ravaged Edinburgh. After the plague had finished its deathly work, city officials thought it best to build the new city on top of the old one. They even entombed people who were still alive, but still suffering from this dreadful disease. In 1990, while renovating a home, they unwittingly opened the old city. The finds were perfectly preserved, people have talked to spirits (unwittingly), assuming some real person was present. There are tales of beautiful flashing lights that come from this "underground city", and voices apparently heard without the presence of anyone. The Castle itself has had numerous reports of haunting over the centuries. The most famous of these, being that of the headless drummer and piper, who have been
Picture from the inside of the castle

seen playing on the Castles battlements. Under Edinburgh runs a series of secret tunnels that run through to the Royal Mile. The tunnels were found 100 years ago and upon their discovery a piper was first sent down the tunnels to explore. He was instructed to keep playing his pipes so those
above could tract his progress. Half way down the Royal Mile the piping suddenly stopped, a rescue party was sent but no trace was ever found of the piper - he simply vanished. The ghost of the piper haunts the secret tunnels and his music can often be heard in the castle when his ghost walks the underground tunnel beneath the Royal Mile. Many visitors to the castle have heard the unearthly sound of drums. It is said that the drummer's ghost only appears when the castle is about to be attacked. The Drummer is the ghost of a young boy who appears without a head. He was first seen before Cromwell's attack on the castle in 1650.

Although not the most impressive Castle as far as hauntings are concerned, still Location: Angus, Scotland The castle has been the scene of numerous ghostly sightings and strange phenomena. The most enduring ghosts seem to be the terrifying apparitions of a White Lady and a Blue Lady. The White Lady 9 worth a mention.

haunts the dark dungeons and rises from St Margaret's Tower to the castle ramparts, where she has been seen beckoning to witnesses (as recently as 1987). According to the legend she is the spirit of Margaret Pomeroy, who was imprisoned in the dungeons by her sister Eleanor. Eleanor was jealous of both her beauty and her affections for the man she had designs upon. Margaret slowly starved in the dungeons, a long drawn out and painful death. Whether she is the source of the feeling of unease and horror some people experience at the castle is unknown. The Blue Lady is not confined to specific areas of the castle and is supposed to lure people into parts of the ruin. Traditionally she is seen as the ghost of the daughter of one of the Norman Lords of the Castle. She was raped by her father, who then strangled the resulting child in one of the upper rooms. In other tales it is she who strangles the child, haunting the Castle in anguish. When seen, her face is said to portray this suffering. She is regarded as a death portent to members of the Seymour family. Another popular tradition relates to the heroic fate of two brothers (Pomeroys), who were besieged at the castle at some point in its history. To save face from a long drawn out defeat, they dressed in full armour, mounted their horses, and rode off the top of the castle ramparts and precipice below. The area was known thereafter as the Pomeroy's leap, and is associated with anomalous noises such as screams and dull thuds. This story may have origins in a real life event, although the occurrence does not appear in written history. The castle has been the scene of many other ghostly sightings and phenomena. Strange lights have been witnessed, voices have been heard, and there have been reported cold spots and freak winds, although the latter is always possible in an open ruin. Other apparitions reported include a lady in a gray dress, the ubiquitous Cavalier, and strange shadows with no earthly presence to cast them. Whatever the nature of the occurrences there is no doubt that strange events will continue to be experienced at the castle, and it is well worth the effort of making a romantic ruin. trip to see the

Location: Inverary, Scotland

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A Campbell stronghold, the original Castle was burnt by the Marquis of Montrose in 1644. The present Castle was built by the 3rd Duke of Argyle, as he rebuilt not only the Castle but the town of Inveraray as well. The castle is reputed to have a number of ghosts ranging from a harpist who was killed during the attack by Montrose, another which appears when a Campbell chief is close to death and a young woman who was murdered by Jacobites. In 1644 the Duke of Argyll was driven from Inveraray by the Marquis of Montrose. The Duke's harpist was left behind, and discovered by Montrose, who ordered the man's execution. "The Harper of Inverary" was hanged on the site of the Castle before it was built. His music has been heard and he has been seen in various parts of the castle, including the Green Library, and on the stairs. He always wears the Campbell tartan and never seems to harm or frighten people who see him. He is normally seen and heard by women, very rarely men. On 10th July 1758 a Physician called William Hart was walking in the grounds with two other men. To their astonishment, they saw a battle taking place in the sky, between Highland soldiers and French soldiers. The Highlanders, they saw, had to retreat, leaving many dead behind. Two ladies also saw the battle in the sky. It was some weeks later that news arrived from America telling how a Highland regiment had lost 300 men on that day attacking a French held fort. Also there is said to be a ghost that foretells the imminent demise of the Clan Campbell chief. It is said that a ghostly galleon, similar to the one on the Campbell coat of arms, sails up Loch Fynne and does not stop when it reaches land, instead continuing to sail on over the land. The ghost of a young woman, who was murdered by the Jacobites, has also been seen haunting the castle.

Location: Cardiff, Wales 11

Caerphilly Castle is one of the great medieval castles of Western Europe. Several factors give it this pre-eminence - its immense size, making it the largest in Britain after Windsor, its large-scale use of water for defense and the fact that it is the first truly concentric castle in Britain. At the time of its building, in the late 13th century, it was a revolutionary masterpiece of military planning. Every self-respecting castle has a ghost and Caerphilly is no exception. Locally known as the Ghost of the Green Lady, the spirit has looked out from the Grey Valley ramparts for centuries. Into the area came a Prince, Griffith the Fair, who met and fell in love with the lonely girl. The love affair was reported back to de Clare, and he sent her back to France where she died. She was beheaded following the affair. There was no divorce in those days. Death allowed her to return and seek out her lover and, to this day, it is said the spirit of Alice waits at Caerphilly Castle for the return of her Prince. She flies from turret to turret at Caerphilly Castle, so fearlessly that on one occasion some of the town boys almost caught her. She is said to appear only to those who are dying so she is not an apparition you would want to meet. Ghostly soldiers also patrol the battlements. Another eccentricity is that modern day security personnel will not venture up to the flag tower because they can smell perfume at all times. The history of the Castle and its ghosts are celebrated each December by the festival of light, when people follow a lantern procession through town while effigies of the de Clares are burnt. This photo was taken on the set of Rebecca's Daughters motion picture, which was filmed in part at Caerphilly Castle. The ghostly image was seen when the film was developed. It was not on any of the other prints and it was not smoke because there wasn't anyone else present besides the cameraman and he was a non-smoker.

Location: Conwy, Wales 12

The History of the Conwy Castle dates back to 1283. Conwy is probably the most majestic of all the castles in Wales that were designed by Edward I's master castle builder, James of St. George. It has eight huge towers and a high curtain wall. The castle and town are protected by a wall and this provided an extra layer of defenses against any invaders. The wall is well-preserved and helps the town maintain a medieval character. The site of Conwy Castle was chosen not only for its natural features but also because of its symbolic importance. Conwy Castle was a massive stronghold - practically unassailable, and it is still one of the most magnificent castles in North Wales. A successor of Robert Wynn was called away from Conwy Castle to fight in a distant war. Time was nearing for his return and his wife and child climbed the steep staircase to the lookout tower to look for him. He had been late and it was dark when his wife and child left the tower in darkness. On the way down the steep staircase his wife slipped, and took along with her, her young child. They fell to the bottom of the tower stairs. Both the wife and the child were taken to the lantern room where "Doctor Dic" had been summoned and upon examination he said he could do nothing to save either victim. A servant locked the doctor along with the dying family in the lantern room fearing the wrath of the lord upon his return. When the Master did return, he found the door of the lantern room unlocked. He found the bodies of his beloved wife and child, but there was no sign of the doctor. The doctor was never seen again. The husband was so stricken with grief he eventually went mad and died soon after. His ghost has been seen looking for the missing doctor in the lantern room and it is believed that he will continue to look until the doctor is found. Another ghost story was told by one of the inhabitants. While she was walking home she pasted by the Conwy Castle, when suddenly she had the sensation that she was being watched. She looked up at the castle. In one of the towers she could see the silhouette of a large man wearing some sort of armoury and a helmet. He was surrounded by a dim yellow light, like candlelight. It is still not known who that figure was

Location: Ruthin, Denbighshire, North Wales 13

The construction of the Castle started around 1277, under the orders of Edward I, who was notable for waging wars in both Wales and Scotland. The Castle would have been a strategic advantage to quell uprising in Wales, and originally consisted of five round towers, of which only three remain, along with its ruined gatehouse. The original Castle was destroyed by order of Parliament following the surrender of the Royalist garrison there (approx 1646). The ruins were incorporated in a large mansion which took the name of the Castle. Since 1963, the mansion has been a luxury hotel and the old Castle ruins are in the grounds. The Castle has a proud centuries old tradition of providing hospitality and comfort. It also has a bloody history. Ruthin Castle is haunted by many ghosts. The most well known ghost is Lady Grey or the Grey Lady. The Grey Lady was wife to the Head Steward of the Castle back in the 15th century. When she discovered her husband was carrying on an intrigue with a younger woman, the Grey Lady flew into a temper - and beheaded him with an axe! Executed for her crime, she was buried in unconsecrated ground, just outside the Castle walls, and her unhappy spirit can still be seen on moonlit nights wandering the lonely ramparts, the Castles battlements and the Banquet Hall. Another haunt of the Castle is the ghostly figure of a Medieval Knight or a solider in armor wearing only one gauntlet (glove) and the spirit of a little girl. There is a strange glowing ball of light that has been seen at the castle. Known as orbs it is believed that these orbs are the soul of the dead, the soul contains the intelligence, emotions and personality of human beings. Unexplained noises, footprints and changes in temperature have also been reported! Ghostly visits usually coincide with a drop in temperature, and the former staff member remembered the rooms of the castle did become cold on occasions. The magnificent grounds hold a Drowning pit, a Whipping pit and dungeons.

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 Ainsworth, William Harrison - Windsor Castle, London: Thames and Hudson, 1966. Alexander, Marc - Haunted Castles, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 1992. Coventry, Martin - A Wee Guide to the Haunted Castles of Scotland, HMSO Publications, London, 1992. Jones, Richard - Haunted Castles of Britain and Ireland, Barnes and Noble Books, 2003 Lindley, Charles and Halifax, Viscount - Lord Halifax's Ghost Book, Peerage Books, 1984 Tranter, Nigel G. - The Story of Scotland, Abbeville Press, 1997 Underwood, Peter - The A-Z of British Ghosts, London, Tiger Books International, 1993 Williams, Guy - The Guide to the Magical Places of England, Wales & Scotland , London: Artus Publishing, 1995 Wittich, John - Walks around Haunted London, Penguin Books, 1991

Web-sites:

www.wikipedia.org www.britannia.com www.thesupernaturalworld.co.uk www.castles-of-britain.com

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