Althalus Posted October 3, 2003 #1 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Ludlow Castle occupies a strategic position between the the borders of England and Wales and was the last to surrender to the parliamentary forces in 1646 during the English Civil War. The castle dates back to the 11th century, but it's haunting stems from the days of Henry II when it was in the midst of many border skirmishes. One of the occupants Marion de la Bruyere, had a lover who sided with the enemies of those who resided in the castle, and one night, when the castle's custodian, Joce de Dinan, was absent, she lowered a rope to let him visit her. On this particular evening he did not as usual pull the rop up after him, as usual, but left it hanging, thereby allowing a hundred men to climb up, open the gates and take the castle. When she realised that she had been used and betrayed, Marion slew her lover with his own sword and then killed herself by jumping from the walls of the Hanging Tower on top the rocks beneath. Although her ghost was for many years said to have been seen below the tower from which she leapt to her death, walking amongst the ruins of the castle, now fallen into disuse and disrepair, all that is noow heard is the sound of sighing or breathing, which seems to come from the tower itself. This could be the breathing of the knight or her own as she killed him. A local resident has heard the sounds on many occasions and has said that the noises could be those of someone in a deep sleep but that they are so clear and loud that they seem to come from the top of the battlements. On first hearing the sounds, he took his wife to the castle without telling her of the sounds, and o arriving at the tower she mentioned the strange noises that seemed to come from the castle. The same man, although hearing the sound on many occasions, has been able to discount the sound of the wind and of birds, but has been unable to find an explanation for it. The parish churchyard at Ludlow os also said to be haunted. An elderly and tall woman wearing drab robes has been seen outside the rectory and strange footsteps have been heard by the people living nearby. The same figure has also been seen to walk around the graveyard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepsychoticseaotter Posted October 3, 2003 #2 Share Posted October 3, 2003 WOW! I love good ghost stories especially the haunted castles, monestaries etc... Anyway do you have any pictures of the castle that you could post? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #3 Share Posted October 3, 2003 There's definitely something about castles and ghosts, isn't there? A lot of it is rumour or over-active imaginations, but there's good reason to think that a castle has got more chance of having a ghost than most places. Castles are old, by their nature are built for war and defence, and are usually the seat of power of nobles and warlords, and the violent and tragic lives they led. That's certainly enough material for creating a few recordings or unhappy spirits, (depending on which angle you approach the ghost phenomenon from). Maybe all that stone has an effect, too. There's a theory about `earthlights', connected to stoney/rocky areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #4 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Anyway do you have any pictures of the castle that you could post? I was just looking at some stuff on Ludlow myself, PSO. Here's the link: http://www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk/about/...low-castle.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancin'hamster Posted October 3, 2003 #5 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Ah yes! Castles & ghosts! Me and a friend, er, 'gained entry' to a beautiful castle here..........it's like a fairy-tale - in the middle of some woods, and is nearly complete with an ornate staircase and intricate carvings in the stone. In the daylight it didn't look sacrey at all...............but after dark.......well, even I felt a bit spooked. We clambered over the wall and ran across the lawns. The castle was nearly pitch black.......we got righr up to the doorway when we both heard an odd sound............like heavy treds on wooden floorboards.....but there were no wooden floorboards........I wanted to stay and go up the stairs to see but Eamma freaked out and ran off *tuts*..... I think it was because of the woods behind the castle acting like a natural ampitheatre and amplifying sounds. But for a few moments my hair nearly stood on end! Got a pic of it if anyone is interested? Hammy x x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #6 Share Posted October 3, 2003 .......well, even I felt a bit spooked. Scaredy-Hamster! What was that place like to scare you?! And yes, Hammy, let's have a piccy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancin'hamster Posted October 3, 2003 #7 Share Posted October 3, 2003 *skips off to find piccy* well, not scared - just a little spooked and high on adrenaline! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancin'hamster Posted October 3, 2003 #8 Share Posted October 3, 2003 oh pooh! can't get them to upload can I send them to your e-mail addy Cuffy? Hammy x x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #9 Share Posted October 3, 2003 oh pooh! can't get them to upload can I send them to your e-mail addy Cuffy? Hammy x x x Of course you can, Hammy. And any other piccy's you may have lying around...KIDDING Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancin'hamster Posted October 3, 2003 #10 Share Posted October 3, 2003 OK, will send them later.....maybe you can re-jiggle and get them on here....? Hammy x x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent_21 Posted October 3, 2003 #11 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Castles and ghosts - the perfect combination. So, which castle was it then, you tease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancin'hamster Posted October 3, 2003 #12 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Castles and ghosts - the perfect combination. So, which castle was it then, you tease! Agent sweetie........if I tell ya, I'll have to kill ya ! *whispers* I have a responsible job.........I can't let slip where it is in case I get nicked...... Hammy x x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent_21 Posted October 3, 2003 #13 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Don't the Dorset constabulary understand bribes? I'm sure the Mayoress of Weymouth can get away with almost anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancin'hamster Posted October 3, 2003 #14 Share Posted October 3, 2003 I'll PM you Agent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent_21 Posted October 3, 2003 #15 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancin'hamster Posted October 3, 2003 #16 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #17 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Hammy's castle pictures. The front: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #18 Share Posted October 3, 2003 ...The side: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #19 Share Posted October 3, 2003 ...and the spooky one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancin'hamster Posted October 3, 2003 #20 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Thanks Cuffy - you're a darling! Isn't it beautiful? So remote and aloof..... I just about fell in love with the place.........but my pics do it no justice I'm afraid..........need a big fancy digital camera...... the staircase is so strange..........it looks new, not hundreds of years old, and the rooms upstairs are nearly in-tact! You can see huge fireplaces and all the beautiful stone-masonry around the windows.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent_21 Posted October 3, 2003 #21 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Ahh..beautiful. I've taken the am..amne..those drops. Where were we talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #22 Share Posted October 3, 2003 That stairwell looks genuinely creepy. And that's by daylight. Hammy, is the poor friend you dragged along, the same friend with the farty dog, who went on the other `over-the-fence' escapade? I take it she's not as fearless as you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepsychoticseaotter Posted October 3, 2003 #23 Share Posted October 3, 2003 WOW!!!!! Great pics guys . can't wait to see more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cufflink Posted October 3, 2003 #24 Share Posted October 3, 2003 WOW!!!!! Great pics guys . can't wait to see more. Good, aren't they? Our Hammy's too modest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent_21 Posted October 3, 2003 #25 Share Posted October 3, 2003 I think this place was briefly feature on local TV 2-3 years ago. Would be very atmospheric at twilight. Ghosts and castles go together like..um..brides and chests (wooden, that is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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