Christ’s College

St Andrew’s Street
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB2 3BU

History

Founded in 1437 this college is still considered as one of the top ten colleges for high academic standards and received its first royal license in 1446. It was moved to its present site here in 1448 when it received its second royal license and was renamed to Christ’s College. It received its present charter in 1505 and was endowed and expanded by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII.

Paranormal Activity

A former don was once believed to be have been murdered here and is said to now haunt the area around the college, often appearing to new students.

Kimbolton Castle

Kimbolton
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE28 OEA

History

Largely rebuilt in the 1520’s as a Tudor Manor, Kimbolton Castle was once the residence of Catherine of Aragon and home to Earls and Dukes of Manchester who owned the building for nearly 350 years. Dating back to around 1200 the castle has changed hands many times and during World War Two was used by the Royal Army Medical Corps. The Castle was finally sold in 1950 to Kimbolton School and was restored to meet the needs of the school. The Castle is still used as a school but still houses Pellegrini murals and a fine collection of portraits as well as a museum taking group tours.

Paranormal Activity

The Castle is believed to be haunted by the lingering ghost of Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII’s wife who lived her final years here as a prisoner and finally died at the Castle in 1536. It is said she still walks the castle still considering herself the rightful Queen of England.

Grantchester Old Rectory

Grantchester
Cambridgeshire

History

The World War One poet Rupert Brooke once lived here at the Old Rectory which lies in the picturesque village of Grantchester, just three miles south of Cambridge. The Saxon village is famous for Byron’s pool, a delightful wooded walk to a collection of pools where Byron used to take a dip and is situated on the banks of the Granta, now the River Cam. The parish only consists of 1498 acres but is thought to have once risen out of a Roman station with roman ruins between Cambridge and Grantchester still being found today. The Old Rectory, built in around 1685 was believed to originally have been home to the President and Fellows of Corpus Christi College and was valued at £7.14.4½ in the King’s books. In 1910 it was owned by Henry and Florence Neeve and it was during this time that Rupert Brooke rented a room here. Brooke’s mother bought the house in 1916 and gave it to his friend, the economist Dudley Ward. It was finally purchased by the infamous Jeffrey Archer and his wife, Mary in the 1980s.

Paranormal Activity

It is rumored that the poet Rupert Brooke still walks the rooms of this old vicarage and has often been spotted on the top floor. Even though he is now buried in Greece, maybe he has returned to this little English village to where he was once happy and spent time writing his loving poem ‘Old Vicarage’.