Chills at Chillingham

Northumberland is the English county with the most castles. It comes second in the UK with a staggering 81.
Of these, Chillingham Castle holds the title of the most haunted so with so many ghosts at home here it was difficult to know where to start!
Situated in the northern part of the county, it sits in extensive grounds and woodland, a few miles from the coast.
It’s an impressive sight and I was pleased to spend a night there in the haunted courtyard; more of that later.
Dating from the 12th century it was fully fortified by 1344 and played a strategic role during Northumberland’s bloody border feuds.
The dungeons of Chillingham have a particularly bloody and gruesome history. During the ongoing wars with Scotland, the dungeons were full with Scottish prisoners, including women and children.
In 1298 Edward 1 ‘Hammer of the Scot’s’ appointed one John Sage, an invalided soldier, to take charge of them.
Sage was a cruel man, a true sadist with a visceral hatred of the Scots. During the three years the war lasted, he is reported to have tortured up to fifty prisoners a week, taking immense pleasure in doing so.
When the war ended, he burned alive the remaining adult prisoners while their children were made to watch from what became known as the Edward or Killing room.
Sage later hacked these poor children to death. The axe is still on display at the castle.
It is little wonder then that the dungeons are one of the most chilling and haunted places in the castle.
The most poignant story has to be that of The Blue Boy, also known as the Radiant Boy.
At some time in the 1920s when work was taking place in The Pink Room, the skeleton of a little boy was found bricked up in a wall.
There have been many reports of the appearance of the child, who cries out in pain or fear. The little figure appears to be dressed in blue, hence the name.
Legend has it that the child discovered documents which apparently related to the Spanish Invasion of 1588. It is said he was bricked up alive, along with the papers in order to ensure his silence.
When the little skeleton was uncovered it was reputedly dressed in scraps of blue cloth and there was evidence of attempts to scratch his way out of the wall.
Of course, we can never know the true circumstances but the walking up of a small child is just one of many in the dark history of Chillingham.
One ghost haunts the inner pantry. Here, a frail figure in white appears.
In days gone by, the silver was stored here and was guarded constantly. According to the report of one footman, he had just turned in for the night when he was approached by a woman in white asking him for water.
Thinking she must be one of the castle’s guests, he turned away to get the water when he recalled he’d kicked up and no-one could possibly have got in.
When he turned around he was surprised to find himself alone.
She is still seen to this day and it has been suggested her longing for water may mean she had been poisoned.
These are nut a few of the ghosts at Chillingham. Many visitors report strange experiences. The slightest touch on their arm, a sudden chill, disembodied voices in the Chapel beside the Great Hall, voices which fall silent if it appears you are listening too closely.
During my own visit to the castle during which we stayed overnight in one of the self contained suites in the haunted courtyard, I was hopeful of having an experience of my own.
However, it was not here and not me directly who had the desired experience. During our tour of the castle, we made our way up a spiral stone staircase to the battlements. We met a few people coming down but when we got there, we were alone. My friend wandered over to the far wall to look at the gardens. I’m not good with heights and so after the briefest of looks, I retreated back to the doorway and waited for her there.
Suddenly, she gave a little yelp and turned to ask me if I’d pulled her hair. Realising it couldn’t possibly have been me and knowing we were alone up there, she ran back to me and we hurried back down the stairs.
Who knows what she’d experienced but she was adamant her hair had been pulled. One more strange experience at Chillingham.

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