Chillingham Castle: Britain’s Most Haunted Castle
Chillingham Castle in Northumberland is said to be Britain's most haunted castle.
The 13th century, Grade I listed stronghold has been continuously owned by just one family line since the 1200’s.
With its fine rooms, gardens, lakes, fountains and tea rooms, the castle has an extraordinary ownership bloodline.
Today, the historic fortress offers overnight accommodation, but if you’re looking for a more chilling experience, their ‘Torture Chamber’ and evening Ghost Tours are sure to entertain.
This popular landmark is located just twenty minutes from the seaside, making it the perfect place for short breaks or family days out!
The castle became a fully fortified castle in 1344, and the ancient structure was much besieged and battled.
Chillingham occupied a strategic position during Northumberland’s bloody border feuds.
Chillingham Castle was often under attack and often basked in the patronage of Royal visitors, a tradition that remains to this day.
Sir Henry Wakefield was Treasurer of England to King Edward IV and, in the last century, Sir Humphry’s father, Sir Edward Wakefield, was both Treasurer and Comptroller of the Queen’s Household.
In 1245, King Henry III came to Chillingham as did the Kings Edward I and James I.
Charles I also stayed here for three frantic nights shortly before he was imprisoned.
Edward VIII came to hunt here, and members of today’s Royal family continue the tradition with private visits to the castle this century.
The mediaeval castle remains as it was, just with galleries that you see today added in Tudor days, for the visit of King James VI of Scotland.
The King was en route to his English coronation as James I of England.
The castle commander of that day was Queen Elizabeth’s godchild.
He was the ‘go-between’ for the English/Scottish courts during those difficult times of the royal succession and kept fascinating diaries of those days.
Throughout the centuries, the castle’s architectural detail and massive walls have remained unchanged.
Inside the castle
The armoury: The castle has a broad display of killing weapons with guns, arms, armour and even poison blow-pipes, with a collection of extraordinary and rare insects.
The fine collection of mediaeval “Arquebuses” (portable-cannons) were for castle defence from the early 1500s, when big cannons were in their first effective days.
In the 1800s, the castle armoury included 27 rifles by the famous maker, Purdey.
The unusual Fallow deer heads come from the Estate and today’s sporting equipment packs out the shelves.
Still Room: Visitors can see the painting of the haunting witch, she curses any who steal from Chillingham – proved by letters from those who thought it a joke!
Interesting photographs of Everest show Sir Humphry Wakefield’s Great Uncle Arthur, who reached just 500 yards from the summit.
The Great Uncle was just dressed in tweeds, and that was thirty full years before Hillary and Tensing conquered Everest in Coronation Year 1953.
Compare Sir Humphry’s own Everest ‘high altitude’ boots with the plain nailed boots of Great Uncle Arthur Wakefield.
Dungeon: The castle dungeon is lit by one small arrow slit in the thick wall and the chamber is marked with the crudely-cut letters, carved by sad prisoners.
A trap-door in the floor reveals the very genuine bones of a child in the vault below. Early inmates have scratched their ‘diary’ with incised lines, one for each day.
A low passage leans to the side, all fallen in - these passages ran through the thick walls that linked the great towers.
They were filled in when they were seen to weaken the walls against cannon fire. Records of those held in this dungeon show it was for hiding, as well as a prison.
Note the hugely thick oak door with handles on only one side, the scratched diaries on the walls and the ‘drop’ in the floor leading to deeper chambers.
Edward I Room: The Edward I Room is the most ancient state room in the castle.
Here, the Lords of the castle were secluded up high and safe – well above the stench from the moats below.
The room is named after the visit of “Proud Edward, Hammer of the Scots” in 1298, on his way to the battle of Falkirk where he captured William Wallace, who had ‘visited’ the previous year, burning women and children in a local church.
King Henry III will also have stayed here in 1245 when he came by for his Scottish forays.
The gothic window overlooking the garden may even have been designed by William of Durham who designed the Coronation Throne in Westminster Abbey, which covered the famous Stone of Scone.
King James I Room: Named after the King’s royal visit to Chillingham in 1603, it is one of a suite of three rooms (James I, Plaque Room Library and the New Dining Room), built especially for the future king.
It is famous for its Elizabethan ceiling with the gilded ribbing and very finely moulded pendants.
This room is brilliantly furnished with Sir Humphry Wakefield’s extraordinary copies of antique originals and lined with patterned silk, originally made for Chatsworth House.
The paintings and tapestries are not important but relate to the Wakefield family and so, of interest to the room.
The Plaque Room Library is another ‘must see’ room within the castle - it displays intriguing family memorabilia and furnishings.
The fine carved stone chimney piece is surmounted by an intricate 16th century plasterwork armorial plaque from the Grey family.
There are many paintings of the Chillingham Wild Cattle and many photographs of visitors to the castle, many of which you will recognise.
This room was once far more elaborate than the King James room, with a fine four-poster bed for the King to receive his close friends and family.
Outside, meanwhile, the ground are stunning - and the gardens are fully open to the public during the season.
The garden is a most rare survivor from 1828 and is the work of royal designer Sir Jeffry Wyatville, fresh from his royal triumphs at Windsor.
The urns and statues are modern composite copies but give an atmosphere of originality.
The famous herbaceous border is the longest in Northern England.
The far wall, fifteen feet thick, was a jousting “grandstand” in ancient days and it once extended around the castle grounds.
With idyllic grounds, the castle boasts commanding views of the surrounding countryside with local farmsteads and the scenic grandeur of the Cheviots.
There are lakes, wildlife and important and well-recorded trees for the experts and sometimes, you see the famous herd of Wild Cattle in the distance.
Meet the ghosts….
The White Pantry Ghost: In what is called ‘The Inner Pantry’, a frail figure in white still appears.
The silver was stored here and a footman employed to sleep here and guard it.
Historically, one night, when the footman had turned in to sleep, he was accosted by this lady in white. Very pale, she begged him for water.
Thinking it was one of the castle guests, he turned to obey. Suddenly he remembered he was locked in and no visitor could have possibly entered!
This same pale figure is seen today, and it is thought the longing for water suggests poisoning.
The ghost in the chamber: Not all the ghosts are those we see. Some are merely felt as ‘Impalpable impressions on the air,’ as the poet, Tennyson, says.
There is this sense of something unseen, yet distinctly moving. It can be a chill, dark, creeping sensation, or maybe just an oppressive atmosphere.
Ghosts in the courtyard: When the moonlight casts shadows of the battlements across the worn flagstones, it is positively hard not to see the shades and shadows come to life.
Today, the castle offers overnight accommodation and ghost tours for its guests.
Someone who recently visited the castle said: “The best hands on experience I have had with history for a long time.
”The castle has the reputation as being extremely haunted, but we didn’t go for the ghosts but for the history!
”The volunteers dotted around the house were always happy to answer any questions about the large variety of items the owner has amassed over the years or general questions about the castles history.
”It is well worth a visit for this. If you do want to go for the ghosts then I have been informed they are there so don’t be put off by this review.”
Tickets can be booked in advance via their official website.
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