With the spooky season in full swing, and Halloween this weekend, we’ve delved into some of the gruesome histories of the previous occupants at these haunted places. We’ve certainly spooked ourselves for the foreseeable future, and hope you enjoy the read too! Be sure to check out the links to some of the properties in the post, to go ghost hunting yourselves, if you dare…
Tamworth Castle
Tamworth Castle was built over 800 years ago and has experienced many historical events. Over the years many of the staff have shared their own stories of encounters with the spirits roaming the castle. The most infamous of them are The White Lady and The Black Lady.
The White Lady’s story goes: she was grief-stricken and distraught after the death of her lover Sir Tarquin in a duel with Sir Lancelot (THE Sir Lancelot of the round table), rumour has it she threw herself from the battlements with the news of Tarquin’s death, and many people have claimed sightings of her wandering the battlements and the meadows.
The Black Lady takes a more sinister turn, said to be the ghost of a ninth century nun, the Mother Superior of the nearby nunnery, Polesworth Abbey. Lord Marmion, the castle baron, threatened to destroy the nunnery in 1139. He was visited by the Black Lady, and she warned him if the nuns weren’t restored to the nunnery, he would meet a gruesome and untimely death. She struck him across the head with her crosier, to which his cries awoke the whole castle. Only when he confessed the encounter to a priest and restored the nuns, did the pain he felt leave him.
Tamworth Castle has a host of events for Halloween weekend and holds events throughout the year for those wishing to catch a glimpse of the elusive ladies. Follow the link to explore what’s in store.
The Tower of London
It felt wrong to leave possibly the most haunted location in the UK off this list. The tower was used from 1100 till 1952 to imprison disloyal people, or simply disliked by the royal family. The majority of these prisoners met grisly ends, by public execution or secretive murders. The number of tortured souls who died here is enormous and only adds to the ghostly stories from many visitors.
The Wakefield Tower is said to be haunted by Henry VI, one of the most tragic English monarchs who was murdered in the hour before midnight on the 21st of May 1417 as he knelt to pray. Each year, on the anniversary of his death, the ghost of Henry is alleged to appear as the clock ticks closer to midnight. He can be heard pacing around the tower till the final stroke of midnight when all becomes quiet till the next year.
The White Tower is the oldest of all the Tower of London buildings and houses the aptly named White Lady. She is characterised by her ‘sweet, cheap and overwhelming perfume’, many visitors and guards of the tower of the years report the pungent odour and a cold chill in the room. Some also reported feelings of suffocating, strangling, or the odd tap on the shoulder. Anne Boleyn is also said to roam the tower, head in hand as she’s been spotted by many people. If you still fancy a trip to the Tower of London after these stories… follow the link!
Plas Mawr, Conwy
The next house hosts a mysterious story that has never been solved… Robert Wynn’s wife Dorothy was pregnant and awaiting the return of her husband when she and her other son mysteriously fell down the stairs. They were both seriously injured and called for the family doctor. Instead, a young man they’d never met before arrived, and upon being unable to treat Dorothy and her son was locked in a room with the pair until they were well again.
The mother and son died, and the young doctor panicked and tried to escape through the chimney for fear of his life by the family. He was never found, and it’s rumoured he’s still in the wall to this day… Strange noises, sights, and sounds have all been reported in the property, with doors violently swinging open and shut of their own accord.
Whitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey is rumoured to be home to the ‘walled-up nun’. Constance De Beverley, the nun, broke her vow and was found to be having a secret affair with a young knight. When her sisters found out her punishment was to be bricked up in a wall, alive by them! Visitors have reported the fleeing image of a young woman, and the screams and wails of a woman in the abbey.
If you’re not too spooked, or don’t believe the accounts shared here, check out the sites and go ghost hunting for yourself! But beware, not all ghosts want to be found…
Or for a more vanilla read, check out our Most Expensive Properties in the UK Post!