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Posts Tagged ‘castle’

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Whitstable Castle

Saturday, March 11th, 2023

Whitstable Castle

http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/whitstable-castle.php

History of Whitstable Castle

Whitstable Castle, Whitstable, Kent was built from copperas works in 1790 and this formed the Octagonal Tower. The black tar of the works can still be seen on the walls. The Pearson’s home was known as The Manor House and little is known about its layout except that in 1798 the chimney to the tower was taken down and a staircase put in its place.

The family spent every summer at the house, from their Greenwich based home. Charles Pearson died in 1828. His son Charles Pearson Junior, born in 1786, inherited the estate and carried on using the house as a summer residence. The Tower fell into neglect and he sold it to his cousin by marriage Wynn Ellis.

Wynn Ellis had the most significant impact and made the greatest contribution towards shaping the building and its grounds. In 1897 Tankerton Castle, as it was now known, was sold to Thomas Adams. He added a billiard room to the North of the original tower. This provided a good room with feature fireplace on the ground floor with servants’ quarters upstairs but obstructed the fine sea views of Whitstable Bay. Later this became the Council Chamber.

In 1921 the Castle passed into the hands of Mr Albert Mallandain. A paper manufacturer, he and his wife used it as a summer residence. Changes were made in the building, with a fine new staircase and extensive additional oak panelling to match original designs. The Whitstable Urban District Council, despite some some opposition, bought the Castle for the town in 1935.

Following the local government re-organisation in 1972, the Castle remained empty until 1975 when at the instigation of The Whitstable Society the “Castle Centre Association” was created with the aim of using The Castle for the benefit of the people of Whitstable. In 2004 a new committee with its first Castle Co-ordinator began a complete interior upgrade and Weddings and Civil Ceremonies could commence. This brought in much needed income to regenerate the Castle and enable it to return to its original role as a venue for family celebrations, major local events and community activities. A heritage Lottery Grant enabled a new Trust to be formed in 2008 to take over the running of the Castle and Gardens.

Ghosts of Whitstable Castle

Footsteps, laughter and slamming doors have all been heard by staff and visitors to the building

 

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Deal Castle

Wednesday, December 7th, 2022

Deal Castle

http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/deal-castle.php

History of Deal Castle
Deal Castle is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII in Deal, Kent, between 1539 and 1540. It protected against invasion from France. The Castle comprises of a keep with six inner and outer bastions, the moated stone castle and had sixty-six firing positions for artillery.

During the Second English Civil War of 1648–49, Deal was seized by pro-Royalist insurgents and was only retaken by Parliamentary forces after several months of fighting.

Although it remained armed, Deal Castle was adapted by Sir John Norris and Lord Carrington during the 18th and 19th centuries to form a more suitable private house for the castle’s captain, which was an honorary position.

In 1904, the War Office concluded that the castle no longer had any value either as a defensive site or as a barracks and it was opened to the public when the captain was not in residence. Early in the Second World War, the captain’s quarters were destroyed by German bombing and the castle became a Battery Operating Post (one of the first-floor rooms in the keep became the Battery Office) for an artillery battery placed along the shoreline. The castle was not brought back into use as a residence and was restored by the government during the 1950s to form a tourist attraction.

Ghosts of Deal Castle
From our visits we have discovered that there are many areas of this castle which can be called haunted! Some of the rooms on the first floor have been amazing with Ouija board and Table tilting activity. The lower levels have proved interesting with various activities especially using our tech equipment and séances. On this floor people have become disorientated and “lost” because the tunnel is circular, and every bastion looks the same.

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Oxford Castle

Thursday, May 6th, 2021

Event Showcase: Oxford Castle

http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/oxford-castle.php

History of Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle has history dating back nearly one thousand years. Experience the confines of the 18th-century Debtors Tower, long corridors of cells of the Prison D-wing, the dark 900 year old underground Crypt and the outdoor punishment cells.
There have been many reports of ghostly activity at Oxford Castle including; The Murderer Mary Blandy from 1752 walking the Castle Mound, a strange white mist has been witnessed rising up a flight of stairs only to disappear in front of witnesses, ghostly footsteps have been heard along the Prison Wing corridor and loud thumping sounds from within the Padded Cell, plus many people have experienced the feeling of being watched and followed.
Immediately upon entering the building the visitor is confronted with the original wooden floor of the treadmill. This is amazing to see what 1000’s of footsteps over a long period can do to the floor. Also as part of the prison there is a device that prisoners would have to crank/wind for no reason as part of their punishment. This is where the nickname “Screws” came from as the Prison guard would tighten the screw to make this pointless task harder for the prisoner.

  

Ghost Hunting
We investigated #OxfordCastle for the first time in 2018. On our site visit we encountered a sense of loneliness in the Debtors Tower and cells, plus some unusual feeling in the punishment cells.
During our first investigation in the Crypt some shadows and/or shadow people were seen. Several guests felt unwell and had to be removed from the room (they were fine after they left the Crypt).
We also had a lot of unexplained noises and voices heard in the Cells of D wing as well as the padded cell.
Our favourite areas were; The Crypt (good for seances and EVPs), the Punishment cells (good for tech, gadgets, EVP) in the exercise yard and the Cells (good for EVP, Tech, Gadgets and solo vigils) including the Padded cell. Human Pendulum and Table tilting including Ouija boards were good in the Debtors Tower and the area outside D Wing.
Currently we don’t have any video from Oxford Castle

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Rye Castle – 23rd April 2016 – Steve

Thursday, May 26th, 2016

Rye Castle ghost hunt 23rd April 2016
Rye, East Sussex

rye_castle

Rye Castle is a small venue which is why there are only a small amount of guests allowed for the ghost hunt, however on this evening a number of guests failed to turn up so the group was smaller than previous ghost hunts. This meant that the ghost hunt was more intimate for those who were present and the personal evidence that these guests encountered was brilliant.

We kept all the guests together since the group was about half the size it should have been and held three sessions.

The first session was a tech and gadget session in the main Keep where the guests we able to get basic yes and no answers to their questions as well as experiencing strange energy spikes on our meters.

The second session was a table tilting session in which we had some movement on the table and the third session was a séance session where we were joined by a male spirit aged in his 50s from the 1890s. He was called Anthony Dwight and he was a well-dressed gentlemen wearing a smart pin striped suit and had a pocket watch.

Anthony was able to move the majority of the guests by their arms and pull various people by their arms to the floor, which was all very amusing to us.

During the free session (when guests can venture off on their own) guests were coming back to us in the base room after being upstairs in the Keep or in the Woman’s Tower and reporting that something unusual happened to them. On all occasions they had thought there was someone else in the room with them, when in fact they had all been on their own (in pairs). One pair of guests reported that first they thought someone spoke to the them and then they heard the “woosh” of a lady’s dress as it passed them by.

All in all, a very interesting ghost hunt and we look forward to our return in September 2016.

Steve
Psychic Medium
Ghost Hunt Events
http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/

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Upnor Castle – 31st October 2015 (Louise)

Tuesday, January 12th, 2016

Upnor Castle Halloween ghost hunt 31st October 2015
Rochester, Kent.

Area: North Tower
Equipment: Tables for table tipping

Upon arrival we were shown around the Castle. It was decided that I worked in the North Tower top floor as I felt this area to be really active.

Session 1 – Group B
I started the session by splitting the group in to two smaller groups so we had people on both tables. Initially none of the tables moved. I called out to spirit if they would come and move the tables in some way. Both tables then started gently rocking from side to side. Jeff (guest) encouraged spirit to see if they cold move the table in some other way. After a while the table tipped up on to two legs and held this position for some time. With more encouragement from Julie (guest) the table then tipped on to one leg and started to spin round in a clockwise direction. Meanwhile the guests on the other table had also got their table to spin and carry out random movements. It was then decided that we ask spirit to communicate through the table by tipping it right for a yes answer and left for a no answer. Through the tables we started talking to two male spirits who confirmed they were both soldiers. They went on to tell us that they didn’t get on together and one was angry with the other for a dispute that happened during their time at war.

Session 2 – Group C
This group immediately arranged themselves into two smaller groups so we had an equal number of people around each table. I asked spirit to step forward and start to move the tables for me please. At this point both of the tables started to gently rock from side to side. I was not on any of the tables at this time and the guests could not believe what was happening. This group was full of encouragement and laughter which made spirit move both of the tables very well. Both tables together at the same time both tipped up on to two legs and held their positions for some time. With encouragement from myself and the guests both tables then just started carrying out random movements and spinning very fast making it hard for the guests to keep up with the speed. One of the tables then went on to walk towards the door much to the guest’s amazement.

Session 3 – Group A
Again I asked the guests to split up so an equal amount of people were on each table. I asked spirit to step forward and once again move the tables. Initially none of the tables moved. Then without warning one of the tables just tilted to the side very fast and held this position. Encouragement from the group asking spirit if they could move the table for them in some other way, it suddenly tipped up on to one leg and spun round in a clockwise direction very fast. Some of the guests were not convinced that someone in the group was moving the table, so I asked each guests just to lightly put one finger on the table and still encourage spirit to move the table. To their amazement the table again started to spin even with us all just having one finger on the table.  On the other table the guests had managed to encourage spirit also to move their table to which it has spun round and started walking off towards the door.

This event was very interesting as it was our first visit to Upnor Castle. I was very happy with the evidence that we got from the sessions and I can’t wait to visit this venue again

Louise
Paranormal Investigator
Ghost Hunt Events
http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/

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Upnor Castle – 31st October 2015 (Kym)

Tuesday, January 12th, 2016

Upnor Castle ghost hunt 31st October 2015
Rochester, Kent.

The team had all been looking forward to this event most of the year – the last time I had been to Upnor Castle was nearly 10 years ago on a similar paranormal night.  It had not been visited since by any other paranormal group.  When we arrived, and on chatting to the staff, the spirit activity had increased considerably in the last week – were the spirits excited about our visit as much as us?
I started the night with Kerry in the tunnel doing a human pendulum.  The first spirit that came through was male, John, a British soldier and was murdered here in the 1600’s.  His brother was Peter, and later his mother Jane joined us.
With my second group again we had the spirit of John, but different from before.  Although he was a British soldier, he had died from typhoid.  We also had the spirit of a Dutch soldier who was captured and kept here as a prisoner.  He was a surgeon and operated on the Dutch prisoners.  When he died he was thrown in the River Medway.  He had fell in love with a Dutch woman here, however she had married a British soldier, but was murdered by her husband.
With the last group, who were all friends, several spirits came through but were mostly connected to the guests.

In the second half of the evening I was working in the Barracks Building, with the assistance of Wayne.  We were using dowsing rods and pendulums to communicate with the spirits.  The staff were keen to stay with us as this is where they had been experiencing lots of different things in the last week.  On entering the building and walking up the stairs, Wayne felt a could touch to his neck, which he also felt in the corner of the far upstairs room.  When using his pendulum to communicate with the spirit, it was a female energy here that had touched him.  I was with Sarah (staff) and were talking to a male spirit using dowsing rods.  He was a British Officer aged 25.  Sarah wanted to know his name, so we both asked spirit to try telling us.  I had the name Terry – short for Terrence – Sarah had the name Edward.  Spirit confirmed his name was Edward Terrence.  Edward also confirmed the experiences Sarah had had were all from him.  Also another member of staff had seen a spirit previously, had quickly drawn a sketch of what she had seen, and Edward confirmed that was him.  Whilst someone was sitting in a chair in the shop downstairs, she felt coldness on her lap as if someone was sitting there.  Sarah also whilst standing on a trap door at the top of stairs, felt it try and lift up under her feet.  On checking we could see it was impossible to lift up.  I stood there and twice I felt a vibration under my foot when nobody else was moving.  We could feel coldness in front of us too.  Wayne then went to get his Rem pod and placed it on the trap door, and several times it went off.  We tried to de-bunk it by moving/running on the stairs, opening/closing the door downstairs, but each time you had to do it with force to set the rem pod off, which we know no-one had done at that time.
An amazing night at Upnor Castle – can’t wait to return!

Kym
Paranormal Investigator
Ghost Hunt Events
http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/

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Rye Castle – 9th October 2015 (Kym)

Thursday, October 22nd, 2015

Rye Castle ghost hunt 9th October 2015
Rye, East Sussex

Area: Womens Tower/Prison
Equipment: Writing Planchette, Glass Work, Table Tipping, Dowsing Rods, Pendulums

Group B – We started by using the dowsing rods & pendulums and everyone had movement except the male guest and Ted (curator).  There were several female spirits communicating with us, and we could feel the energies walking amongst us.  Ted was getting pushed back, sensing the energies didn’t want the men in the room.  We tried some table tipping and had continuous gentle rocking, no difference with females only touching.  We tried the writing planchette, but the table just kept rocking.  Tried some glasswork but only a little movement and again the table still rocked.  Switched back to table tipping which moved a lot, but gently.  Chloe (guest) started feeling sick, and felt like someone was holding her hips and gently rocking her.  She went outside for a short while, and came back when feeling better.  She also had an odd sensation of feeling like she had been here before.  We were all feeling a lot of energy around us, and were also being rocked with the table.

Group A – Started with the rods & pendulums but not much movement, although using my pendulum spirit confirmed he was the male spirit I had encountered before, and he would move the table for us, so we tried table tipping.  The table moved immediately however Tania (guest) felt the spirit did not want her on the table, and when she stepped back the table moved a lot more.  Again we were sensing when the spirit was behind us, and some of us felt unwelcome prods to our backs and arms.  We did also hear one heavy footstep near us, then a loud tap, then also a tap on the door, but when we looked out there was no-one there, and we hadn’t heard anything in the gravel outside.  We did some glasswork and got some answers: male spirit, was a jailer here, abused 30 women prisoners here, and other women that he brought here.  He was here in the 1200’s.  Using the writing planchette he drew the letter B.  Asked if this was his first initial he said no, asked if this was the initial of someone here – yes, however no-one had a name starting with B.  I asked if he knew someone here from a past life, he said yes, and that person’s name started with B.  Not everyone was comfortable knowing who it was so we didn’t ask.  We had some more random writing, then finished that session with some table tipping.

In the free session we wanted to try an experiment:  in the main tower we had some guests on the top level doing writing planchette, and some guests in the basement doing glasswork.  Some guests with Steve chose a number/shape for spirit to copy on both experiments, and was very pleased when the glass copied the number correctly.

I then joined some guests in the Women’s Tower and we started with table tipping.  We had the male spirit again, and were amazed by the amount of energy the spirit had.  We felt this by trying to push the table back down but was unable to.  The table would spin and walk around the room too.  We tried some glasswork and the spirit confirmed he was the jailer.  Asked if had done another job, yes he was a fisherman.  Neither paid well, but he stole.  He was caught and sent to prison.  He was murdered in prison.  Whilst he was a jailer he confirmed again that he abused the women here, but that he also liked men sexually.  Asking the colour of his hair, he had ginger hair and beard.  As the spirit seemed very willing to work with us we asked him to rotate the glass fast around the table, and then guests took it in turns whilst not touching the glass asking in their head for spirit to stop the glass and change directions, and to their amazement this happened correctly every time.  Guests also took it in turns to think of a shape/letter/number, and spirit would draw this about 50% of the time.

A fabulous night at Rye Castle, and we all look forward to returning there in Spring 2016.

Kym
Paranormal Investigator
Ghost Hunt Events
http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/

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Rye Castle ghost hunt – 9th October 2015

Thursday, October 22nd, 2015

Rye Castle ghost hunt 9th October 2015
Rye, East Sussex

Being that this event was the last ghost hunt here for 2015 we had decided to try an experiment after our normal controlled sessions. It was a partial success and one in which we will try again at other venues as well as Rye Castle.

As usual my sessions were in the upper floor of the Keep, both sessions we had active spirit in the room with us and both times they (the spirit) were able to move people on command. In the first session there were two jailer spirits, one aged about 18, the other 32, both were dressed more in military uniforms than what we would regard to be police or jailer uniforms. White or cream trousers with red jackets and black hats. Both looked a little scruffy but gave the year as 1735. Neither one gave their name, but both responded to us and when people asked to be moved or pushed eventually the request was fulfilled.

The second group we were joined by Tobias who preferred to be called Toby, aged in his late 30s, Toby was able to move just about everyone in the circle either by lifting their arms, pushing or swaying them or by dragging people to the floor by their arms.

The Experiment was carried out by using a glass on a table and a writing planchette, with each table in different parts of the tower. The writing planchette on the top floor of the Keep and the glass on a table on the lower floor (the old mortuary). I stayed on the ground floor and held a numbered set of cards (0-10) and selected one at random. The object was to ask the spirit to move either the glass or the writing planchette and once movement was underway, someone on each table was to ask “their” spirit to go and see what card I was holding and the shape that I drew on a piece of paper and then repeat it on either the glass or the planchette. The first experiment didn’t really work as few people understood what they were supposed to be doing. However once we swapped the groups for another chance. The number was successfully drawn by the glass table but not the planchette. The shape no group managed to get.

We have tried this type of experiment before at other venues and have previously had some great results. Usually it is with a child spirit that this can work well, but we will continue to experiment with this idea at future events.

Whilst this event was the last of 2015 and we will be returning in 2016 although we are only holding two events at Rye Castle in 2016.

Steve
Psychic Medium
Ghost Hunt Events
http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/

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Rye Castle – 23rd April 2015 (Wayne & Paula)

Friday, July 3rd, 2015

Rye Castle ghost hunt 25th April 2015
Rye, East Sussex

The Old Mortuary

Session 1 with Steve
We used K2 meters,Ghost Pros, SB7 Spirit Box, EM Pump, REM Pod, Mel Meter, 360 Parascope, Ovilus lll and Tarquin the Interactive Bear.
We handed out K2s and Ghost Pros to the guests as we normally do, having activity on the ghost pros almost immediately with some small spikes on both of the K2s. Shortly after the activity started we realised that all of the ghost pros were acting in a way that none of us had seen before, they were all flashing the same pattern as each other but it was a constant random pattern with simultaneous needle spikes, this carried on in short bursts throughout the session.
Steve pointed out that we were not alone as he could see a spirit in the corner of the room who had been drinking heavily and staggered around at the back of the room. We placed a 360 Parascope in this area which immediately picked up some static and lit from one side to the other as if someone had “brushed” past it exactly where Steve had seen the spirit.
Paula and two of the guests experienced cold spots on them feeling cold on the back of their legs and arms whilst I also felt a temperature drop and static energy around me as I was kneeling to “pray” in front of the cross. Tarquin also mentioned a few times about a temperature change.
Steve and one of the guests heard a high pitched squeal come from the area in front of the cross just before I knelt in front of it. It was also noted that the batteries in our equipment were being drained more so than at other locations.

Session 2
Same activity as before with the ghost pros but not quite as badly affected. We managed to get a few answers through the ghost pros but not enough to gather a story on any one of the spirits that were trying to communicate.
Soon after we started we all heard noises from the top of the stairwell as if someone was walking around, firstly hearing creaking then footsteps then tapping and finally something that sounded like a coin being dropped on the floor.
We decided to try the Ovilus lll to see if any relevant words would come through this device but again as in session 1 it was being affected by this area and refused to work properly, incidentally we tested all of the affected devices and they all worked as they should once we had left the area.

Free time
During free time whilst in the entrance/shop area we were speaking to the resident guide about John Breads who had killed a man in the churchyard opposite the castle. He pointed to one corner of the tower and told us that this was where John Breads spent the last 60 days of his life so I immediately went to this area with the Ovilus lll device. The first 2 words that sounded from the Ovilus were “Centre” and “Stabbed”.

Wayne & Paula
Paranormal Investigators
Ghost Hunt Events
http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/

 

 

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Rye Castle – 10th October 2014 (Kym)

Tuesday, November 11th, 2014

Rye Castle ghost hunt 10th October 2014
Rye, East Sussex

Area: Women’s Tower/Prison
Equipment: Writing Planchette, Glass Work, Table Tipping, Dowsing Rods, Pendulums

Group B – This was my first visit to Rye Castle this year, so was looking forward to the investigation.  Whilst setting up earlier I had noticed the Ghost Pro was doing a lot of random flashing so decided not to use any electronic equipment.  We started with the pendulums & rods, and all had some movement.  One person didn’t and seeing his frustration, I asked him to control my pendulum, so whilst I was holding it he would ask in his head for spirit to move the pendulum in a particular way, and each time my pendulum moved to his request.  This surprised him.  We were asking the spirit questions, and we were receiving the same information: male, British, died here in his 50’s, possibly 8 or 10 spirits with us.  Ted (curator) was feeling his pendulum being pulled from his fingers.  He felt he had the female spirit of Dorothy with him, but she wouldn’t come closer because the Jailor was present.  One guest, whilst holding the rods, asked for them to rotate continuous, and was surprised when they both did it instantly.  We tried the writing planchette but no movement.  We tried the glass, but only little movement.  We then tried table tipping, and the table lifted up slowly one side, but just stayed there until it fell over.  We tried again and it did the same.  Tash (guest) had started feeling pins & needles in her hand, and when she started feeling stabbing pains, looked down to see her hand had swollen a lot.  The pain then started moving up her arm.  We moved the guests around the table, but Tash’s hand remained swollen and painful.  However, Ted was now in the corner where Tash had been, and he was being pulled backwards off the table, until he was in the corner.  Ted decided he should step outside, and with only a little more movement on the table, we tried the writing planchette again, but without the paper and pen.  The planchette started moving around the table slowly, then the planchette started lifting up and down on one corner.  Then it moved to the edge of the table and started moving around the table edge.

Group A – Started with the rods & pendulums, most receiving movement, and we had between 20 – 25 spirits with us!  Adam (guest) whatever he tried would get no movement.  This seemed to be a pattern all night, as if he was being protected.  We started with some table tipping, and had some movement.  We tried glass work which worked better.  Adam, Ryan & Ted were feeling very cold on the backs of their lower legs. We also heard a noise from outside, the same time as Olly (guest) saw a shadow come into the room.  The spirit on the glass was female, aged 33, passed in the 1450’s, and was just passing through.  However she also said she was connected to Adam, and was protecting him.  Adam then asked some personal questions and was very surprised by the answers ie. asking spirit to draw with the glass the dates he was born, house number, and other significant information.
We had now started with the free session and guests went off to do their own investigation with equipment.  I returned to the Women’s Tower, and my last group were back there talking to the same spirit using the glass.  We did switch to the writing planchette and surprisingly we received a lot of drawings, including initials R G for the spirit, go, no, yes, and then Adams name and a heart.
We then went to the basement of the Castle, which had been used as a mortuary, and tried some table tipping.  With only 15 minutes left we asked spirit to step forward quickly, to which he did.  However with table lifting one way for yes, and opposite for no, it seemed spirit did not want Adam on the table.  With just Ryan and friend, the table started lifting and spinning to everyone’s amazement.

A great end to the night – looking forward to next time !

RYE CASTLE 10.10.14 005

Kym
Paranormal Investigator
Ghost Hunt Events
http://www.ghosthuntevents.co.uk/

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