Archive for the ‘Places’ Category

Posted on August 1, 2010 - by Andrew

Traquair Fair: Sky Trumpets, traders and more

Traquair House is the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. It takes back to the 11th century when it was a hunting lodge for royalty. Today it’s also a bed and breakfast, a day out for corporate groups and an ideal venue for weddings.

Traquair House is also the centre point to Traquair Fair. Returning in 2010, after an economic client enforced break in 2009, Traquair Fair is a popular weekend trip for families who appreciate craft, live music, alternative healing, outdoors food and the ale brewed at the House’s brewery.

The name is far older than the building itself. “Traquair” is believed to originate from the Celtic “tre” or “tret” which means hamlet or perhaps simply dwelling. The Quair burn joins the river Tweed just a few hundred yards from the historic house – and so the old Celtic tongue for the location could well have been “Tre-quair” hence Traquair.

Traquair Fair is always colourful. Whether it’s the tents belonging to those camping for the weekend, the bright colours of the performers costumes or sometimes the protective layer of umbrellas turned against the Scottish sky the fair is never bleak.

In 2010 an example of the colours on display at the Traquair Fair was the sky trumpets. This marvellous machine used its might ears to listen to wishes from the crowd. Who could resist its colourful charms?

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Posted on May 30, 2010 - by Andrew

The Blue Stane of St. Andrews and the Devil’s fingerprint

In the Scottish town of Saint Andrews, by the railings of the Hope Park Church, is a large stone with a strange blue patch. The stone wasn’t always beside Hope Park Church, it once rested at Magnus Muir where Knights of Scotland used to swear their oaths.

The legend behind the Blue Stane of St Andrews suggests that the devil (or an angry giant, according to others) threw it there from Blebo Craigs. Why? The devil was angry at the presence of Saint Rule and threw the stone to try and hit him.

Some suggest that the blue mark on the stone is the devil’s fingerprint. The word “stane”, of course, is the Scottish inflection of “stone”.

St Rule (also known as Saint Regulus) was a monk who was told in a dream by an angel that the bones of Saint Andrew needed to be moved from their resting place Constantinople to the ends of the earth. St Rule obeyed, taking a tooth, some fingers, a kneecap and an arm bone of St Andrews all the way to the edge of the known world. The edge of the known world, at the time, was Scotland.

It is said that St Rule landed in Scotland at an East Coast settlement – a place which was to become known as St Andrews.

Getting to St Andrews

St Andrews has no airport. The nearest airports are Edinburgh Airport and the small Dundee Airport. Most visitors either catch the bus from Glasgow or Edinburgh (a trip which takes a few hours) or take the train from Edinburgh Waverley station (a trip which takes just over an hour).

In Pure Spirit

Have you passed Hope Park Church and wondered what the significance of the large stone was? Why not post links to any photographs you took of your trip?

Posted on March 21, 2010 - by Andrew

Pope in Edinburgh: Pope Benedict XVI’s itenary

The Pope will make his first trip to Britain since 1982 when Pope John Paul II made a hugely popular six-day tour. On September the 16th, Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Edinburgh and meet the Queen.

During his visit he is also expected to visit Glasgow, London and Coventry.

Where will the Pope visit in Edinburgh?

As you might expect the details of the papal visit are being kept secret but we know some details.

We know that the Pope’s meeting with the Queen will occur at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. We also know that Pope Benedict XVI will be greeted at Holyrood Palace.

Where might the Pope visit in Edinburgh?

This is just speculation but there are a number of possible venues Pope Benedict XVI may visit while in Edinburgh. These locations are near the Royal Mile and Holyrood.

The Pope may visit St Giles Cathedral. The Cathedral is in the centre of town, near the officially recognised venues for the Pope’s appearance and religiously noteworthy.

Pope Benedict XVI may visit Greyfiars Kirk. This is a quintessentially Scottish Church, famous, and near venues on the official schedule.

The Pope will be holding mass prayer at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. It is not impossible he’ll also hold a mass gathering in Holyrood Park behind Holyrood Palace.

Where will the Pope visit in Glasgow?

It’s been said that the Pope will lead a mass prayer at Bellahouston Park. This will follow Pope John Paul II who held mass in Bellahouston Park in 1982.

Where will the Pope visit in London?

It is expected that the Pope will meet the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace. He is also likely to pray with church leaders at Westminster Abbey.

Pope Benedict XVI will give major speech in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament.

The Pope will hold a public Mass at Hyde Park.

Where will the Pope visit in Coventry?

The Pope is expected to land in Coventry Airport. He will beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman, founder of the Birmingham Oratory, during a Mass at the disused airfield.

In Pure Spirit

Where do you think the Pope wil visit during his 4-day tour of Edinburgh and the United Kingdom?

Where do you think he should go?

Posted on February 13, 2010 - by Andrew

Did the events of Pendle cast a ghostly curse on Gawthorpe Hall?

Gawthorpe Hall is believed, by some, to be one of the most haunted buildings in Lancaster.

The building is owned by the National Trust today but has been in the possession of the Shuttleworth family for much of history. It began life as a pele tower, build in the 14th century to ward off the Scots, and a Jacobean mansion was added in around the year 1600.  It was Sir Charles Barry who extended the hall significantly in 1850.

The initials “KS” appear often around the house which stand for Kay-Shuttleworth.

Some sources claim that Colonel Richard Shuttleworth played a vital part in the Pendle Witches case of 1612 and others believed to be witches in 1633. Others deny this.

Ghosts of Gawthrope Hall

There are many tales and accounts of hauntings at Gawthorpe Hall. Rachel K Shuttleworth is believed to be one of the entities in the hall – she was the last member of the family to actually live in Gawthorpe and was known as extremely skilled at embroider and lacemaking.

Other people speak of the murder of a young woman at the hall. This murder isn’t just associated with a possible ghost but of a sudden pain in the chest that can strike some visitors.

Some people have suggested that Richard Shuttleworth’s involvement with the Pendle witch trial has had an effect on the hall. Richard Shuttleworth was the son of  Hugh Shuttleworth  and Anne Grimsha and so owned West Close where accused witches Chattox and Anne Redfearn lived.

It is believed that it was Richard Shuttleworth’s servant who accused the women of witchcraft in the first place.

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to Gawthorpe Hall and seen its ghosts? What did you make of the historic building?

If you feel like visiting Gawthorpe Hall you can do so by booking via the National Trust*.

Disclaimer: Links marked with a star(*) are affilaite links.

Posted on February 6, 2010 - by Andrew

Ghostly body parts at Capesthorne Hall?

Near Macclesfield stands the grand estate of Capesthorne Hall.

The Hall was built between 1719 and 1732 and has been subject to architectual changes over the years – especially after a fire destroyed much of the building.

The history of the grounds go back further than the Capesthrone Hall itself; everything from the passing of Roman Legions (and Roman road may run the building) to myths of Merlin and Arthur. Capesthrone, itself, can trace its history to the Domesday Book.

Hauntings

Capesthrone Hall has a record of ghostly body parts being sighted. A ghostly and disembodied arm, floating outside a window, was sighted by one of the Bromely-Davenport family who own the hall but vanished when the young man reached the window.

On another occassion there are reports of a disembodied head appearing in the grand hall only to vanish when people went to inspect it.

There’s also a common theme of smells being associated with ghosts and spirits in the hall too (some suggesting that the smells are disembodied senses). Some visitors link the distinct smell of a particular hair tonic to the ghost of the late Lord Bromely-Davenport.

The gray lady is another popular haunting story. Tales make mention of a phantom female that makes her way from the grand staircase to the chapel vault.

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to Capesthorne Hall? Where you able to sense anything? Do you have any stories of suicide, death or murder at Capesthorne that might be linked to the many ghostly tales?

Posted on January 30, 2010 - by Andrew

The ghosts of Tatton Old Hall; Tom and the haunted women

In Cheshire, England, stands Tatton Old Hall. It’s part of the Tatton Park near Knutsford and is considered to be an Scheduled Ancient Monument and is looked after by the National Trust.

Tatton Old Hall was built as a manor house be either the Stanley family or perhaps by Sir Richard Breeton. In either case; come 1585 a two-story wing had been added to the original house by Sir Thomas Ederton who was Lord Chancellor of England.

The lingering atmosphere of Tudor times is so strong that historic reenactments make use of the building.

The ghosts of Tatton Old Hall

Does Tatton Old Hall have a history of murder, suicide and death? There are certainly many reports of ghosts, spirits and hauntings.

Mick Ricketts, Steward of the Old Hall, has gone on record to say he often feels he is not alone while he is tending to the building.

The building is said to be haunted by a number of female spirits. However, the most powerful entity in the old hall is believed by man to be a gamekeeper called Tom. Tom, once a poacher, is often described as “nasty”, “mean” and drunk. He is said to torment female visitors to the hall.

One of the most common reports is of a ghostly woman – known as The matriarch – who wanders Tatton – followed by the spirit of a young girl.

In the spinning room visitors have recalled the sound of crying or a woman sobbing.

Visiting Tatton Old Hall

There are numerous ghost tours that make use of Tatton Hall.

You can visit Tatton Park, home of Tatton Old Hall, by buying tickets from The National Trust.

In Pure Spirit

Most Haunted have visited Tatton Old Hall and Tatton Park.

Have you been to Tatton Hall? Please share any thoughts or encounters you might have had.

Posted on January 23, 2010 - by Andrew

Is Bodelwyddan castle haunted?

Bodelwyddan house and estate date back before 1440 when it was built by the Humphreys of Anglesey. The Williams (Williams-Wynn) family, so closely associated with the castle, began their association from around 1690.

The castle is believed to be haunted and runs overnight paranormal tours. The tours make use of electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, digital thermometers, dowsing rods, crystal pendulums and tourists are allowed to bring their own digital cameras.

Visitors have reported the barking and howling of a spirit dog, the cries of ghost children and the ghost of a wife who was terrorised by her husband during her life. People are said to greatly fear the place, can sense the ghost of someone who committed suicide the castle and of haunting resulting from murder.

Other visitors report sensing the presence of a nurse, perhaps the nursemaid of the ghostly children, present in the castle.

In 2008 the BBC published a recording of a ghostly voice taken by a paranormal assistant who works at the castle. Some people think it says; “Hold me close”

The BBC recording is here. Can you hear it?

Rachel told the BBC;

“From the noises I have heard and recorded, to the temperature drops and the strange scents, I am certan it is haunted! Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes it’s active – the spirits come out when they choose!

We were holding one of our overnight vigils in Bodelwyddan Castle when I recorded the sound. We were waiting for a group to arrive and as my friend and I walked around the castle we began to feel uneasy as if something was waiting to happen. The public arrived at 9pm and, after the tour, we began our vigil. We entered the library and where busy talking when all eight of us heard a loud sigh which appeared to come from the door right next to us.

It was unexplainable. It couldn’t have been any of the group as we were all on the opposite side of the doorway. After we had calmed each other down, I decided to switch on the recording device on my phone in the hope I would record a voice like we had heard earlier. We stayed in the library but nothing else happend so I stopped recording.

However, I sent the recording to an EVP expert and he used his software to pick out a voice saying ‘Hold me close’ which we hadn’t heard at the time. We had a lot of unexplained responses that night as well as the sound of music and faint voices. It has to be one of the scariest nights in the castle for me.”

The castle acted a a ret and recuperation hospital for soldiers during the first world war and the grounds of the estate where used for trench training.

In 1829 Sir John Hay Williams wrote that, during a refurbishment project, human bones where founded near on the chimneys but were built back into the castle wall.

North West Spirit Seekers also have a video of the castle.

In Pure Spirit

Ghost Hunters International and Most Haunted have both visited the castle. Most Haunted returned to Bodelwyddan for Most Haunted Live in 2010.

Have you been to the castle? Have you encountered or seen any of the Bodelwyddan ghosts?

Posted on January 12, 2010 - by Andrew

The Brown Lady of haunted Raynham Hall

Raynham Hall is south west of the town of Fakeham, just a few miles away from the silent town that the old RAF base at West Raynham has become, in Norfolk.

The story of ghosts and haunting at Raynham Hall may be one of the most famous in Britain. The Brown Lady is said to be none other than Dorothy Walpole – the sister of the first British Prime Minister Robert Walpole. Robert Walpole (1676-1745), once knwn as Sir Robert Walpole, is widely credited with being the first “Prime Minister of Great Britain” as we know the role today.

The famous photograph taken at Raynham Hall shows a ghost descending the staircase in the hall.

The legend begins in 1713 when Lord Townshend, owner of Raynham Hall, married Dorothy Walpole. She was Townshend’s second wife and, as rumour had it, the ex-mistress of Lord Wharton. Wharton’s reputation was terrible. It was said no lady was safe in is presence.

Dorothy Walpole, the second Lady Townshend, was buried in 1726. It was rumoured that the funeral was a sham, a staged theatre and that Lady Townshend lived on as a hostage in Raynham Hall. Locals said that “Dolly” Townshend was doomed to roam the stairs and hallways of Raynham all by night ever after.

There are mixed reports on how Dorothy Walpole died. Some suggest she starved to death after being confined or confining herself to her room, others suggest she fell – or was pushed – down the grand staircase at Raynham Hall. The same staircase the picture was taken. Was it murder? Was it suicide? There have certainly been deaths at Raynham Hall.

The official papers say tat she died of smallpox.

It is said that King George IV ( at the time still Prince Regent) saw the Brown Lady at Raynham Hall. He is rumoured to have awoken the whole house with the news that “a little lady al dressed in brown, with dishevelled hair and a face of ashy paleness’ who stood at his bed. George IV left that hall immediately.

Later, in 1849, Lucia Stone tried to speak to a lady watching him after he had finished a chess match against Major Loftus (a relative of Charles Townshend) but encountered only a woman, dressed in brown, with no eyes in her skull before she vanished.

In 1936, after the RAF Base at West Raynham had opened, two photographers were active in Raynham Hall. Captain Provand and assistant Indre Shira were talking pictures of the hall for Country Life magazine. It was early evening when Shira notice a misty form on the stairs. Shira alerted the captain so the cap could be taken off the camera while Shira triggered the flash.

The photograph was so remarkable that Shira and the captain quickly got local chemist, Benjamin Jones, to examine the development. It was agreed at the time that the photograph was unlikely to have been tampered with although some people suggested Shira may have tampered with the lens.

 

Country Life is said still to hold the original photograph.

Posted on January 9, 2010 - by Andrew

Is the silent town of RAF West Raynham haunted?

The Royal Air Force station west of the West Raynham village closed in 1990 1996. It had been an active RAF base since 1930.

The base saw action during the war and suffered losses. It is reported that a total of 86 aircraft belonging to the RAF West Raynham were lost in the war. Afterwards Raynham updated their craft with Venoms, Vampire and Meteor jet fighters.

However, earlier this month Living TV’s Most Haunted announced that RAF West Raynham would be the venue of a week long live special. The 2010 series, titled “The Silent Town”, was heavily trailed and the result was a number of internet pranks, suggestions that the filming could be gate crashed as well as unusually high speculation on the internet about the possible haunting.

UK Living told press that they are aware of the Internet chat and have put in place tight security in order to prevent disruption. The venue is also quite hard to find.

Possible ghosts and entities at RAF West Raynham?

Due to the internet pranks around Most Haunted Live: Silent Town there are an unusually large number of recent reports of spirits, murder and suicide at West Raynham. In Pure Spirit has attempted to distil them into something meaningful.

Officer’s Mess

There are reports that a ghost a Polish pilot, who was shot down during World War 2, has been seen in the dining room, walking towards the kitchen and through walls. The entity seems to favour Room 7 in the Officer’s Mess.

Armoury

There are reports that a shadowy figure can sometimes be seen hanging from the rafters in the social club section in the area adjacent to the main armoury. Is this a spectre of a mechanic who committed suicide?

The chapel

The chapel is home of a particularly bitter and angry ghost.  Reports associate a high air force rank to him; perhaps Wing Commander of Squadron Leader (or, less often, Fligt Lieutenant) and the name George of Geoff.

Less common is the suggestion this is the ghost of someone murdered in the base although that has been suggested. A more common alternative is that the ghost is someone who died at the base after receiving wounds they could have avoided if someone else had been honest with them.

The Guard’s Building

It has been reported that the bathroom in the guard’s building can suddenly become feelingly cold.

The control tower

The control tower is said to cast a sinister presence out across the silent town-esq collection of buildings that RAF West Raynham has become.

The control building

Both the control room and the nearby fire station have reports of haunting and paranormal activity.
It is said that a particularly active poltergeist is present in the control room of the control building.

Base Headquarters

It is said that the base headquarters at RAF West Raynham are the centre of a dark power. Strangely (or perhaps not!) the finance room in the building is suggested as the possible source for the feeling.

Visitors to the building who are familiar with the creepy deserted buildings and who are not normally sensitive to spirits or the supernatural

The Sergeant’s Mess

There are a number of areas within the sergeant’s mess in which people have reported feeling the presence of the supernatural.

There is one suggested sighting of a green coloured ghost in the bar area inside the mess. The bar area and boiler room have both been reported as sites of possible haunting by paranormal investors via social sites.

Hanger

It is widely believed that the hanger building is haunted in the silent town remains of RAF West Raynham. Hanger 3, in particular, is rumoured to have been the scene of a secret military experiment that may have made use of British psychics during the war.

Hospital

The hospital houses a number of decontamination stages. Visitors to the building have reportedly heard screams or felt intense pain while visiting these areas.

There are also reports of sobbing from the x-ray room. One internet psychic has associated the area with a woman’s name “Alice” or “Alison”.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Are these reported hauntings nothing more than a reaction to Most Haunted Live: Silent Town coming to of RAF West Raynham? Bare in mind that many of these reports pre-date the show’s announcement.

This post was published before the TV program but if you witness anything odd while viewing the program it would be great if you could share your experiences below.

Posted on November 18, 2009 - by Andrew

Hanging tree ghost caught on camera at Fort William

A French couple on holiday in the Highlands of Scotland claim they have managed to photograph a ghost.

The couple took the strange photograph on the high street of Fort William.  Sophie Mager and Remy Ruckey told press that they didn’t see the ghost themselves; it only became visible to them in the photograph.

They add that it was only after the photograph was taken that they discovered from locals the spot was the location of an old hanging tree – chopped down in the 1970s to make way for a new library.

It was said at the time that cutting down the ancient tree would bring about “Buidseachd” (pronounced Bootchach) the Gaelic name for a curse.

Staff in the library now on the scene have reported hauntings; boos, paintings an pot plants throwing themselves in to the floor and the sound of dog snufflings even though there were no animals in the building. At one point library workers fled the building when an electric typewriter started to print its letters upside down.

In Pure Spirit

Do you think Mager and Puckey have managed to capture the ghost of the old Fort William hanging tree on camera? Or is this a genuine mistake? A con?