Chillingham Castle
Visited 10 December 2005
After months of phone calls and letters the night had finally arrived – GOTNE were heading to Chillingham Castle.
Chillingham Castle is without a doubt one of the most famous haunted locations in the world. Some dreadful things happened here so long ago and ever since many inexplicable things have happened here. I have wanted to visit the castle at night for so long, and as we neared the castle I couldn’t decide if the feelings I had were excitement or anxiety. What would the castle have in store for us tonight? Whatever happens, it’s guaranteed that we are in for one hell of a night!
Chillingham Castle is without a doubt one of the most famous haunted locations in the world. Some dreadful things happened here so long ago and ever since many inexplicable things have happened here. I have wanted to visit the castle at night for so long, and as we neared the castle I couldn’t decide if the feelings I had were excitement or anxiety. What would the castle have in store for us tonight? Whatever happens, it’s guaranteed that we are in for one hell of a night!
To read all about the bloody, yet amazing, history of the castle, please see my previous report from a visit during the day – First Report.
For this investigation I would be joined by Tom Kirkup, Dan Armstrong, Ryan Elwell, and a newcomer, Brian Moore. All five of us were extremely excited at being given the opportunity to spend the night in one of the world’s most terrifying locations.
For this investigation I would be joined by Tom Kirkup, Dan Armstrong, Ryan Elwell, and a newcomer, Brian Moore. All five of us were extremely excited at being given the opportunity to spend the night in one of the world’s most terrifying locations.
We arrived just after 10pm, on a bitterly cold night, at the castle’s east gate. I entered the pass code and the huge black metal gates, with a large bat in the centre of them, slowly opened. I drove up a narrow dirt path surrounded by large trees and after a few minutes we reached the front of the castle. We were greeted by Bob, who I had spoke to on the phone when arranging the visit. Bob welcomed us, showed us to the Minstrel’s Gallery which was to be our base for the duration of our visit. Bob explained to us that he was a psychic and if we experience anything he may be able to shed some light on who was there. We were then taken on a brief tour of the castle and we had access to every room except the private apartments. By 10:30pm Bob had wished us good luck and advised us where to find him if we needed anything. We were now left to investigate the castle alone.
Our first port of call was the torture chamber. When you look in this room at some of the horrendous implements and how many people were tortured and killed, it really hits home how times have changed in the 800 or so years since these devices were last used. We took lots of photos and checked the EMF but didn’t detect anything. We stood quietly but heard nothing.
We would continue into the Great Hall, the Chapel and the King Edward room. The King Edward room in particular promised so much, as before we’d arrived Bob had been conducting a ghost walk and there had been strange noises in the Edward room, unfortunately though we spent a considerable amount of time in each room and didn’t experience anything. When we were in the Edward Room I put a small stack of pennies down as a trigger object to see if any of them would move or if the stack would be knocked over.
We would continue into the Great Hall, the Chapel and the King Edward room. The King Edward room in particular promised so much, as before we’d arrived Bob had been conducting a ghost walk and there had been strange noises in the Edward room, unfortunately though we spent a considerable amount of time in each room and didn’t experience anything. When we were in the Edward Room I put a small stack of pennies down as a trigger object to see if any of them would move or if the stack would be knocked over.
We chatted excitedly as we headed back to the Minstrel’s Gallery for a hot drink and to gather our thoughts. I had expected Chillingham to produce so much and so far we’d had so little. I looked through some of the photos on my camera and we I had caught some strange anomalies as I’d been taking photos throughout the first 90 minutes of our investigation. Some of these photos are below.
A strange streak of light in the Chapel, no lights or torches were on
Orbs in the Edward Room
We decided that we would head to the Oubliette, the only room we’d not visited since Bob left us to investigate alone, and then go back to the Great Hall. “I just saw someone walk past that window” said Dan pointing to the window just to the right of the staircase leading up to the Great Hall. No one else had seen it but Dan was adamant about what he had seen. It couldn’t have been another person so what could it have been? The Oubliette could wait we wanted to head back into the Great Hall and see if our luck was about to change. We went back to the Great Hall and the atmosphere somehow seemed different, more oppressive. Brian felt that someone or something was in a corner of the room near to the massive tapestry hanging on the wall. He said he’d seen something out of the corner of his eye after feeling compelled to look in that corner.
My mind was taken back to an American TV show Scariest Places on Earth by the Fox Network, an American family had been put in the castle overnight and the family’s son suddenly quit while in the Great Hall, he later revealed that he saw a large black shadow close around him then he clearly saw two ghostly eyes millimetres away from his staring at him. The TV program played around with the footage and once they’d removed all of the colour from this particular frame you could clearly see a large black shadow standing in front of him. He had to have seven months of counselling to get over his experience. As much as I hoped for us to see something I didn’t want anything like that to happen to any of my friends.
I fired off some shots with my camera but captured nothing, there was no reading on the EMF either.
We spent a while in the Great Hall but we didn’t see or hear anything, the room seemed darker than before, this was nearly midnight but at this time of year its dark at 4pm so I don’t see why it should be darker.
My mind was taken back to an American TV show Scariest Places on Earth by the Fox Network, an American family had been put in the castle overnight and the family’s son suddenly quit while in the Great Hall, he later revealed that he saw a large black shadow close around him then he clearly saw two ghostly eyes millimetres away from his staring at him. The TV program played around with the footage and once they’d removed all of the colour from this particular frame you could clearly see a large black shadow standing in front of him. He had to have seven months of counselling to get over his experience. As much as I hoped for us to see something I didn’t want anything like that to happen to any of my friends.
I fired off some shots with my camera but captured nothing, there was no reading on the EMF either.
We spent a while in the Great Hall but we didn’t see or hear anything, the room seemed darker than before, this was nearly midnight but at this time of year its dark at 4pm so I don’t see why it should be darker.
We headed into the chapel next and sat in the darkness. Bob had earlier told us that children haunt the chapel, they mean no harm and simply like to run and play. A lot of young children lost their lives in this castle in some brutal ways. We sat quietly in the darkness, “Is there anyone there?” asked Brian, Dan said that his right hand side was freezing cold. I was sat next to him so I touched the right side of his face and it was like ice, his right side however was a lot warmer. “Can you do something else, make a noise, can you affect Dan in a different way?” Brian said. Nothing.
The Oubliette was out next location, prisoners who weren’t worth torturing will have met their end here, arms and legs broken then thrown through the hole in the floor twenty feet to the stone floor below. The remains of the last young girl to die here are still at the bottom of the hole and it’s very eerie during the day, let alone at night.
The Oubliette was out next location, prisoners who weren’t worth torturing will have met their end here, arms and legs broken then thrown through the hole in the floor twenty feet to the stone floor below. The remains of the last young girl to die here are still at the bottom of the hole and it’s very eerie during the day, let alone at night.
So far we’d had little tasters of what the castle had to offer but I’d hoped for so much more, I was about to get my wish.
We headed through the Great Hall to the winding staircase leading to the King Edward room, Dan and I were at the back, the others were already in the room. I heard footsteps behind us, we stopped. The footsteps I could hear didn’t! The stopped soon after, I headed back down but there was no one there. Shortly after, we joined the others in the King Edward room. As soon as I sat down I felt dizzy and sick and I had a feeling someone was stood in front of me, I couldn’t see anything but I felt really sick and wanted to leave. Brian asked out again “If there is anyone there can you make something move or make a noise?” Everyone suddenly realised a dramatic temperature drop and the room seemed to be getting darker as if it was closing in around us. We all knew something was here but we asked out and nothing happened, we sat silently and nothing happened, we decided to go back into the courtyard.
I’ve always been a bit sceptical of mediums but we’d had a little bit of luck but it was time to see if Bob could help us experience more. As much as I am sceptical I am more than willing to be proven that there is something to it. Bob came out into the courtyard and we had chat about which rooms we would focus on for the last hour and a half of our investigation. “We’re being watched” said Bob. He pointed to a window two floors up in Sir Humphrey Wakefield’s private area of the castle. We said there was a figure standing at the window staring at us. The hair stood up on the back of my neck, I couldn’t see anything but the thought of being watched chilled me to the bone. We’ve all had feelings of being watched and not long before Bob had spoke I’d felt like someone was watching us from one of the windows. We couldn’t see anything so with time running out we decided to go back to the King Edward room.
We headed through the Great Hall to the winding staircase leading to the King Edward room, Dan and I were at the back, the others were already in the room. I heard footsteps behind us, we stopped. The footsteps I could hear didn’t! The stopped soon after, I headed back down but there was no one there. Shortly after, we joined the others in the King Edward room. As soon as I sat down I felt dizzy and sick and I had a feeling someone was stood in front of me, I couldn’t see anything but I felt really sick and wanted to leave. Brian asked out again “If there is anyone there can you make something move or make a noise?” Everyone suddenly realised a dramatic temperature drop and the room seemed to be getting darker as if it was closing in around us. We all knew something was here but we asked out and nothing happened, we sat silently and nothing happened, we decided to go back into the courtyard.
I’ve always been a bit sceptical of mediums but we’d had a little bit of luck but it was time to see if Bob could help us experience more. As much as I am sceptical I am more than willing to be proven that there is something to it. Bob came out into the courtyard and we had chat about which rooms we would focus on for the last hour and a half of our investigation. “We’re being watched” said Bob. He pointed to a window two floors up in Sir Humphrey Wakefield’s private area of the castle. We said there was a figure standing at the window staring at us. The hair stood up on the back of my neck, I couldn’t see anything but the thought of being watched chilled me to the bone. We’ve all had feelings of being watched and not long before Bob had spoke I’d felt like someone was watching us from one of the windows. We couldn’t see anything so with time running out we decided to go back to the King Edward room.
Bob speaks to the dead
I checked on the pennies as I walked back through the door and they hadn’t moved. My team and I sat down as Bob paced the room. “There’s a man at the back of the room walking back and forth” said Bob as he stopped pacing. “He is a spirit I’ve not seen before, he is around my height (6’ish), slim, black beret, black gown with ruffles, and a goatee, he is not happy that you five are here”. “Two of you are very sceptical and that’s why he isn’t happy I think” Bob continued “he’s pacing back and forth and he isn’t happy at all”. Tom and Ryan are both very sceptical, it’s very difficult to prove anything to them and that’s part of the beauty of them coming along on these investigations as they won’t say they’ve seen something if they haven’t, and if they hear a bang or see something they’ll rationalise before suggesting anything otherworldly. Bob also said that there were three soldiers standing on the balcony around the top of the room, one of them was trying to convince the other two that we were there. He said that it’s a lot like if I saw a ghost and was trying to persuade two of my friends that it was there.
Bob continued to tell us about the pacing ghost with the goatee and the soldiers until they eventually disappeared without making any noises or making anything happen. It was disappointing that nothing happened but it was fascinating to imagine that these spirits may have been in the room with us.
“Have you seen John Sage?” asked Brian. Bob told us that Sage is one of the more malevolent spirits in the castle, Sage and a ghost called Fabian are the really nasty ones.
Bob continued to tell us about the pacing ghost with the goatee and the soldiers until they eventually disappeared without making any noises or making anything happen. It was disappointing that nothing happened but it was fascinating to imagine that these spirits may have been in the room with us.
“Have you seen John Sage?” asked Brian. Bob told us that Sage is one of the more malevolent spirits in the castle, Sage and a ghost called Fabian are the really nasty ones.
Bob said that he felt drawn to the Chapel, we left the King Edward room for the last time and headed to the Great Hall which we would have to walk through to get to the chapel. “Is there something in that corner of the room?” Brian asked pointing to the same corner he had seen something in earlier. Brian said he had seen something again as he walked into the Great Hall. “There is something in that corner” said Bob, “This is a very busy room at the moment, there are four adults here and two children”. We didn’t stay in the Great Hall long as Bob said he felt we really should move into the chapel.
We entered the chapel which is just off the Great Hall and the five of us sat down as Bob stood up. “There are children here” Bob said. He continued to tell us that there were two brothers playing, George who was six and Sebastian who is nine. They both died at the castle and play in here a lot. Bob also said his spirit guide, a young girl called Helena was present.
“There is a spirit in the castle that doesn’t belong here” declared Bob. He explained that one of us had brought a spirit into the castle with us, a deceased relative who watches over one of us as a guardian angel. He said he thought it was a great grandmother on his mother’s side. We were all on the edge of the seat hanging on his every word eager to hear more. He pointed to Dan “it’s you” he said, he said that Dan’s great grandmother was watching after him and her name was Ethel or Enid or something similar, something short beginning with an E. He explained that Dan is desperate to be convinced that spirit does exist and that Dan has some psychic ability he could unlock if he continues to look for spirit. Perhaps this explains why something was making Dan cold in the chapel earlier, to get his attention?
We entered the chapel which is just off the Great Hall and the five of us sat down as Bob stood up. “There are children here” Bob said. He continued to tell us that there were two brothers playing, George who was six and Sebastian who is nine. They both died at the castle and play in here a lot. Bob also said his spirit guide, a young girl called Helena was present.
“There is a spirit in the castle that doesn’t belong here” declared Bob. He explained that one of us had brought a spirit into the castle with us, a deceased relative who watches over one of us as a guardian angel. He said he thought it was a great grandmother on his mother’s side. We were all on the edge of the seat hanging on his every word eager to hear more. He pointed to Dan “it’s you” he said, he said that Dan’s great grandmother was watching after him and her name was Ethel or Enid or something similar, something short beginning with an E. He explained that Dan is desperate to be convinced that spirit does exist and that Dan has some psychic ability he could unlock if he continues to look for spirit. Perhaps this explains why something was making Dan cold in the chapel earlier, to get his attention?
The time was now just after 2:30am and Ryan was asleep on my shoulder. Just as I stood up to tell Bob we had to leave now for the journey home, he walked over to a heavy curtain separating the chapel from a small balcony overlooking the Minstrels Gallery. “Eric?” Bob asked as he popped his head around the curtain. He asked for Eric to do his party trick. We all watched the curtain unsure of what we were looking for. He said that Eric is a 12 or 13 year old boy who likes to have a bit of fun around the castle and show off. “Come on Eric” pleaded Bob. The curtain was very thick and heavy and the curtain was handing very still. What happened next was without a shadow of a doubt the most inexplicable thing I’ve ever seen. The curtain suddenly slowly moved as if it was being pulled slowly, purposely towards the next room. It would move a little bit, and then stop then a bit further. Then it moved back but didn’t stop level, it moved into the room we were in, slowly, as if someone was pulling it. It hadn’t moved a lot but it was plain for everyone to see. There was a couple of minutes of nothing happening and then it happened again, more forceful and further but still very purposefully. This continued several times, then stopped. Bob asked for Eric to do it again and it did then stopped just as suddenly. I was amazed, as were we all. I can’t think of a single explanation for what I’d just seen except that there was something or someone moving that curtain to show to us that they were there. It also proved that Bob really did seem to be communicating with someone on the other side.
At 3am we thanked Bob for an unforgettable evening and headed back home.
Conclusion
Well, what a night!! It took a while to get going but we all had a brilliant time. I didn’t see a ghost, however Brian saw something on his first investigation, and Dan saw something walk past a window. We felt temperature changes and I felt sick in the King Edward room. Unfortunately the trigger object never moved but what did happen more than made up for it.
Bob told Dan about a relative who passed away many years ago looking after him, he said a short name beginning with E. Dan asked his mother the next day and Dan’s mother’s, mother’s, mother was called Isabel, but everyone called her Bella. I’m not sure how Bob gets information from spirit but it’s possible he was being told Bella but interpreted it as Ella? Maybe Bob meant Dan’s mother’s, father’s, mother? We’re unsure of her name.
The most amazing thing I have ever seen on any of the investigations I have been on is without a doubt the very heavy curtain being moved with meaning by unseen hands. There’s no way that could have been a breeze, everyone who saw it will admit it is inexplicable and as I said earlier Tom and Ryan are both very sceptical and they’ve admitted it was amazing.
Chillingham is without a doubt a very haunted location and I can’t wait to get back there and see what else it has to offer.
Many thanks to Bob, Val and Bronia at Chillingham Castle for all their help organising the visit and making it such a memorable night.
Bob told Dan about a relative who passed away many years ago looking after him, he said a short name beginning with E. Dan asked his mother the next day and Dan’s mother’s, mother’s, mother was called Isabel, but everyone called her Bella. I’m not sure how Bob gets information from spirit but it’s possible he was being told Bella but interpreted it as Ella? Maybe Bob meant Dan’s mother’s, father’s, mother? We’re unsure of her name.
The most amazing thing I have ever seen on any of the investigations I have been on is without a doubt the very heavy curtain being moved with meaning by unseen hands. There’s no way that could have been a breeze, everyone who saw it will admit it is inexplicable and as I said earlier Tom and Ryan are both very sceptical and they’ve admitted it was amazing.
Chillingham is without a doubt a very haunted location and I can’t wait to get back there and see what else it has to offer.
Many thanks to Bob, Val and Bronia at Chillingham Castle for all their help organising the visit and making it such a memorable night.