Castle Lodge

Castle Square
Ludlow
Shropshire

History

A Medieval Elizabethan house near the Castle where scenes from the 1965 film version of 'Moll Flanders' were shot. Interior panelling and the exterior oak beams on these structures are alive with intricately carved structures. The Castle Lodge along with Ludlow Castle itself is famous for being the residence of Catherine of Aragon whilst she was married to Prince Arthur. She later went on to marry Henry VIII, Arthur's younger brother after his death from tuberculosis and syphilis. Her second marriage to Henry was not a happy one. The couple's first child was, unfortunately, born prematurely and stillborn at the end of January 1510. Almost exactly a year later, however, Catherine gave birth to a baby son. They called him Henry. Sadly, he lived for only two months. Two further children did not survive; but, in February 1516, a baby girl, named Mary, was born. Catherine had three further pregnancies, but only Mary lived to see adulthood. After great failure to provide Henry with an heir to the throne he proceeded to try and divorce her and eventually her marriage was annulled due to her being married to her brother-in-law and she was sent away. After an illness lasting about a month, she finally died in January 1536, at Kimbolton Castle (Huntingdonshire) where she had been confined. It was, of course, rumoured that she had been poisoned, but examination of the embalmer's account indicates that she died of a secondary melanotic sarcoma.

Paranormal Activity

Visitors at Castle Lodge have often reported the apparition of a 15 to 16 year old girl wearing Tudor costume who likes to walk the attic corridors as well as visit the nursery room. Cold drafts and the feeling of being watched have also been reported. Previous owners say that one adult male visitor was visiting the attic rooms which are open to the public and came rushing downstairs trembling saying he had just seen a young woman approach him and then disappear through a closed door. The spirit is believed to be that of Catherine of Aragon who has returned to the Castle Lodge to where she was once happy.

Fitz Manor

Bomere Heath
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY4 3AS
Telephone: ++44 (0) 1743 850 295
Email: info@fitzmanor.co.uk

History

Situated in the heart of rural Shropshire and overlooking the River Severn, Fitz Manor, an Elizabethan Grade II listed building, has a rich and varied history. The existing building dates from 1450 but the original structure is thought to have been a Saxon Hall. The first written records date from the 12th Century where it was recorded in the Domesday Book. It was also recorded in the Charter of Henry I. The Manor also has a rich ecclesiastical connection; significantly, it has its own church and was once owned by the Bishop of Shrewsbury. Since the 18th Century the Manor has been in the hands of the Baly family who now run it as a successful bed and breakfast.

Paranormal Activity

The Manor itself is a hotbed of spiritual activity. A priest is rumoured to have been crucified in the dining room for being homosexual and groans and sobs have been heard there. Additionally, the figure of a lady has been seen many times in the Red Bedroom. She is also said to haunt the graveyard. Reputedly, there is a painting found in the attic of a young Victorian lady, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the figure that people have seen on the grounds. Finally, in the Orange Bedroom, people have smelt a strong and pungent tobacco smell even though nobody has been smoking. This is thought to be the ghost of a family member who smoked a distinctive brand of tobacco that he imported himself.

Ironbridge Power Station

Shropshire

History

Buildwas Power Station looks at odds with the surrounding countryside - even more so when you see the ruined abbey next door. It would seem that the power station cuts into the old boundaries of Buildwas Abbey - escpecially the station's coal bay, where a ghostly monk has been seen.

Paranormal Activity

The Black Monk is said to haunt the abbey ruins, but has more recently scared the pants off people in the power station itself. One worker was loading the great bucket upon his digger with coal when, in the space left by the bucket, he noticed a shape of what he thought was a woman. Thinking he'd stumbled across a murder victim, the worker got down from his cab. But before he even reached the ground, the figure floated toward him before it vanishing, just a few feet in front of him. He broke all world records getting out of the building!