HOLT CASTLE AND BRIDGE
HOLT, NR WREXHAM
WALES


GROUP ..... SA



Holt is a medieval market town in Wrexham, just on the Welsh/English border. The River Dee is the natural border with Holt on the Welsh side and Fardon (its neighbour) being on the English side on the opposite side of the river. A medieval bridge joins the two.

This area has been occupied since the Roman times. A brickworks (possibly called Bovium) supplied clay tiles and pottery to the Roman Fort of Deva Victrix (Chester). The works was located just outside the town, as it stands today. Six kilns, a bath house, sheds and barracks were found by the River Dee.

Three Bronze Age butial urns have also been found in Holt.

Holt and Farndon had at times uneasy neighbours. Holt was accused of giving shelter to felons who ambushed Cheshire folk living and working in Fardon. Also during the English Civil War, Holt was Royalist where as the Parliamentarins set up camp in Fardon.



HOLT BRIDGE



This 14th century sandstone bridge was built during 1338 by John, Earl of Warenne. It links the villages of Holt and Fardon. The bridge contains ten arches, a Tower or Gatehouse (which contained the Lady's Chapel) and a drawbridge. The third arch, viewed on Holt's side, shows the strengthened arch where the drawbeidge was.

When the bridge was first built, people had to pay a toll to cross it.

During the English Civil War in 1643, William Brereton and his force of Parliamentarians lead by Thomas Myddelton attacked the bridge. They took the bridge on the 9th November 1643 and then won the town but never took the castle.


PARANORMAL ACTIVITY AT THE BRIDGE

There are two ghost tales from the bridge.

The first is that of a Civil War solider. This solider was killed nearby and his role was to guard the bridge. I beleive he could be a Parliamentarian guarding the bridge after they attacked and won the bridge. Has he come back to carry on with his job.


The second story is about two little boys who were murdered on this bridge. This sad tale takes place soon after the bridge was built. Their names were Madoc and Llewellyn ap Gruffydd. Their parents were Davydd (brother to Llewellyn, the last Prince of Wales) and his wife Emma.

After the death of Llewellyn (Davydd's brother), Davydd held a meeting of the Welsh Chieftains at Denbigh and they decieded to carry on with the war against the English. But soon after this meeting, Davydd was attacked near Holt and taken prisoner. He was put to death as a traitor to Edward 1st. Emma (who died in 1270) for reasons known only to herself, handed her two eldest children as wards to Edward 1st. Why hand your children over to the enermy?

The children came with thier own land that had been left for them by thier father. Madoc inherited Broomfield and Yale. Llewellyn inherited Chirk and Nanheudwy.

Edward 1st gave the children a guardian each. Madoc had John, Earl Warren as his guardian and Llewelyn had Roger Mortimer as his guardian.

One night, both guardians on horseback took the boys from Chester to Dinas. John and Roger plotted against the two boys and as they crossed Holt Bridge, they threw the boys into the river. Madoc and Llewelyn screamed for help but their heavy clothes pulled them under. The two men watched as the poor boys drowned.

John and Roger reported the matter to Edward 1st. Did they say it had been an accident or did the King know the truth? Either way, the king granted the boys estates to the men, apart from Holt Castle which the King retained.

The boys cries are said to still be heard at night.





HOLT CASTLE

The castle was built between 1277 and 1311. It was built from sandstone on top of a 39feet (12 meter) sandstone foundation. It was a five towered fortress with a lion motif carved into the stonework above the main gate. This gave the castle its nickname CASTRUM LEONIS (CASTLE LYONS). The castle had a stepped ramp leading to the main gate.

Holt castle was another castle built by Edward 1st soon after the invasion of North Wales in 1277.




In 1282, Edward presented this land to John de Warrene (the same man from the story about the two welsh princes's). By 1311, the castle was finished and a planned town had been laid out just for English settlers.








During 1400, the Welsh upraising lead by Owain Glyndwr, destroyed the town but the castle was not taken.

By the 16th century, the castle was not used.

In 1643, during the English Civil War, it was used to garrison Royalist troops. Three years later, after a long seige, Holt was captured by Parliamentarian forces. By 1650, everything had been stripped from the castle so it could not be used as a fortification by Royalists.

Between 1675 and 1683 much of the castle's sandstone had been shipped in barges to rebuild Eaton Hall. This had been organised by Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet of Eaton.

All that remains today is the sandstone base and a little bit of the castle.




PARANOTMAL ACTIVITY AT THE CASTLE


... figures have been seen around the castle





Kath and I went to explore this poor remain of a castle and to see if we could find out who haunts the ruin.

The castle has been fenced off because it is crumbling away. Armed with our cameras and recorder, we asked questions.

Nothing was caught on either.

We moved to the bridge and spent some time walking across it and under the bridge on its banks. We conducted an EVP test and took photo's but we were unlucky again.

Beaumaris Town, Goal and Castle

Beaumaris
Anglesey
Wales


GROUP ... MYSELF


Beaumaris was orignally a Viking settlement known as PORTH Y WYGYR (Port of the Vikings).
The town itself began to develop in 1295, when Edward 1st of England (after he conquered Wales) built Beaumaris Castle as part of his chain of fortifications around the North Wales coast.




Shipbuilding was a major industry in Beaumaris and during the Saxon times, Beaumaris was one of the three important Saxon ports in the UK.

Extending into the Menai Strait, is a piece of land nicknamed GALLOWS POINT. This is because the town's gallows ere erected there, originally named Osmund's Eyre.

RED HILL is so named because during the second Civil War in 1648, the hill leading north from the town was said to have been covered in blood from The Siege of Beaumaris.



Notable buildings in the town include the castle, a courthouse (built in 1614), St Mary's Church (14th century), town goal, timber framed Tudor Rose (14th century) and The Bulls Head Inn (built in 1472). Beaumaris Pier was opened in 1846, rebuilt in 1872 after a storm. There was also the site of an old Franciscan friary just to the east.











Beaumaris was also famous for pirates, many lived in the town. It was a great place to land their smuggled goods either near the town or along the coast.




BEAUMARIS CASTLE



Beaumaris Castle was the last of the castle's that Edward 1st ordered to be built during his campaign to conquer North Wales (others included Denbigh, Conway, Caernarfon and Harlech). He commissioned the building in 1295. The castle was designed by Master James of St George but it was never completed.


This site was choosen because it ensured control of the Menai Strait and it stood looking down on GARTH CELYN, the headquarters of The Prince of Wales prior to the Edwardian conquest of 1283 on the opposite shore.





Beaumaris was awarded a Royal Charter by Edward 1st (which was similar to what he had done in his other towns). This meant that the native Welsh residents of Beaumaris were not allowed to carry weapons, buy houses or land, hold meetings and hold any civil office.

Work began on the castle in 1295 and continued for 35years. Over 3,500 workmen were employed but finances and materials ran out when King Edward turned his attentions towards Scotland, as his Welsh Conquest was nearly over and he needed his money for The Scottish campaigns.

Such work as the towers of the inner ward or the great gatehouse were built to their full height. Many other buildings were left unfinished but smaller jobs were still carried out into the early part of the 14th century.

During The English Civil War, the last battle was fought here and if the Royalist had won, Beaumaris may have been the capital of Braitain, as local landowner Colonel Bulkeley had invited Charles 1st to rule from his home at Baron Hill and he may have used the castle as his base. But the Parliamentarins won. The castle itself did not suffer during the civil war and it is now run and managed by CADW.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY IN THE CASTLE
--- Figures seen walking around the grounds
--- Footsteps heard


This was not an investigation as such but a family day out. But whenever I visit a place such as this, I always try and conduct my own mini investigation.

I go off on my own and ask questions. I always carry my recorder and camera. I look a little more closely at my photos because you just never know.

This time I came away empty handed but I would love to do a full investigation here.



BEAUMARIS GAOL



The gaol was built in 1829 and designed by Joseph Hansom (designer of the Hansom cabs). It was expanded in 1867 due to an act which meant that the gaol could add more solitary confinement cells. The gaol could now accommadate approx 30 inmates but it closed just 11 years later.


The building has since been used as a Police Station until the 1950's, a child's clinic and since 1974 a museum. The town's air raid siren was located here during the second world war and it was still in operation during the Cold War, incase of nuclear attack.

Punishment was brutal and harsh. Punishment through hard labour was its main aim. The prison's most brutal methods included the whipping room with a whipping frame, stretching racks and chains. There was also a treadmill outside in the courtyard. This treadmill pumped water to the top of the building. So it was a job as well as a punishment.

The Nursery
This was for women who had babies and brought them in with them and for women who gave birth in prison. Women were able to rock the child's cradle from the workroom below using a rope without stopping their work.







The Woman's Workroom
The women worked from 6am (8am in winter) till 6pm. Their work included spinning, sewing, knitting and in other parts of the gaol they did the cooking, cleaning and washing.

Kitchen
Their diet included oatmeal, bread, meat, potatoes and soup. The quanity of food given depended on the work you did and the lenght of your sentence. Food was prepared by the women prisoner's. It was served in the workrooms or cells. Stoppage of meals was a punishment. Prisoners confined in the punishment cell were only given dry bread and water.

Punishment Cell
This was completley sound proof and dark. You were sent here for refusing to work, speaking to other prisoners in the exercise yard and bad behavior.

Condemned Cell


This was twice the size of the ordinary cells. And this also had a fireplace. On the morning of execution, the person would leave the cell, walk along a corridor to the door in the wall and along a wooden ramp to the gibbet.









Cells




These were 10feet by 6feet. There was a hammock or wooden bed, a seat, table, enamel washbowl and toilet (which was flushed by water from the washbowl) in the cell.







Other rooms in the gaol included The Governor's Office and a Chapel.











ESCAPES
Only one person was able to escape from the gaol. His name was John Morris. He escaped on the 7th January 1859, using rope he had stolen. His escape was slightly amazing because he broke his leg whilst escaping but he still made it out of the town before he was recaptured.

EXECUTIONS
There were only two hangings that took place here.

The first was William Griffith in 1830. He was sentenced for the attempted murder of his first wife. William tried to barricade himself inside his cell on the morning of his execution. He was dragged to the gibbet.

The second and last hanging was Richard Rowlands in 1862. He had been found guilty of murdering his father in law but always protested his innocence. Legend has it that he cursed the church clock from his gallows, saying that if he were innocent the four faces of this clock would never show the same time. Which for a while after his death they did not.

Both men were buried within the walls of the gaol, in a lime pit. But no one knows the exact location.







PARANORMAL ACTIVITY IN THE GAOL.
--- Dark shadows seen in corridors
--- Flashing lights
--- Hair pulled
--- Stones are thrown
--- Doors open and close with a bang
--- Keys heard rattling
--- Heavy footsteps
--- Figure of a man seen in the Governor's office


It is no surprise with the history of this building that there are tales of ghosts. From Pirates to the last Civil War battle, what other events have happened in this area before the gaol was built.

Even as a gaol, there has been misery, confinement and death here. The walls and the land the gaol is built on, must hold some fantastic tales.

Walking around this building, it is quite easy to imagine the harsh life that the prisoners use to have. Even though I caught nothing on camera or my recorder, I did get the feeling of being watched esp as I walked down the corridors. I would love to walk this building on my own just to see if anything happened. Fantastic building.

Harlech Castle

Harlech Castle
Wales


GROUP ..... Myself



HISTORY OF HARLECH CASTLE
Harlech is one of the group of castles built by King Edward 1st of England during his campaign to rule North Wales. There were fourteen castles built together ...
FLINT ...................... building work began in 1277
RHUDDLAN ............ building work began in 1277
RUTHIN .................. building work began in 1277
HOPE ....................... building work began in 1277
BUILTH .................. building work began in 1277
ABERYSTWYTH .... building work began in 1277
CONWY ................... building work began in 1283
HARLECH ............... building work began in 1283
CAERNARFON ....... building work began in 1283
DENBIGH ................ building work began in 1284
HAWARDEN ........... building work began in 1284
HOLT ....................... building work began in 1284
CHIRK ...................... building work began in 1284
BEAUMARIS .......... building work began in 1295

Harlech was designed by Master James of St George (he designed Beamaris as well). After it was built, Master James was appointed Constable of Harlech Castle (which he held for three years). The castle took seven years to build and cost £8,190 to build (in 2009 this worked out as £88 million).




This site probably had a Welsh fortress on it before the English invaded, perhapes as far back as the Iron Age. The first fortress is said to have been built by Maelgwn Gwynedd during the 6th century. During the 11th century, the fortress was known as Caer Collwyn. Collwyn ap Tango (who lived here during the 9th century), lived in a square tower in the fortress. Remains of this can still be seen today, as some, if not all, of its walls were used as the base of todays building.

In 1294, Madoc ap Llywelyn, began an uprising against the English. He lay seige to the castle that winter but he gave up by the following spring.

In 1404, Owain Glyndwr lay seige upon the castle and finally won. He made it his home and his headquarters.








In 1409, Prince Henry (later Henry V) and a force of 1000 men lead by John Talbot, took back the castle after an eight month siege. After the siege, Owain's wife, Margaret Hanmer, two of his daughters and four grandchildren were captured and later imprisoned and died.

During the Wars of the Roses (1461 - 1470), Harlech was a Lancastrian stronghold. In 1468, Harlech was the last Lancastrian fortress to surrender after a seven year siege. It was the longest known siege in British history.

Harlech was the last Royalist fortress to hold out against the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War. Its surrender took place on 16th March 1647, over a year after King Charles had been captured.

The castle is now looked after by CADW.









PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

There is no recorded activity in the castle that I can find, but if anyone knows of any tales, please let me know.



As with any building of this age, it is so easy to imagine the beauty and the harshness of everyday life for people living on this site. Not only for the people connected with Harlech Castle but the Welsh fortress that stood on this land first.

We have births and deaths associated here. Bloody battles and long sieges, then a period of peace, only to start all over again.

Personnaly I can imagine ghostly battles, ghostly feasts and celebrations and at least a couple of wondering lost souls.

Walking around this building, your imagination can work on overload, esp at dusk



MORE PHOTOS OF THE CASTLE

Calveley Airforce Base

Calveley Airforce Base
Calveley, Nr Nantwich
Cheshire


GROUP ... Spectre Analysis














This airfield was built in 1942 and opened on the 14th March. It closed in October 1946. This was a training station and the local airfield to support Liverpool, Manchester and Cheshire during World War 2. There used to be three runways which are now demolised, two hangers and a Watch Tower.







HISTORY DATES
14th MARCH 1942 ... RLG for Tern Hill with No 5 (pilot) Advanced Flying Unit with Miles Masters were based here.

MAY 1943 - 1st FEB 1944 ... No 17 AFU moved here from Watton and Bodney Squdran disbanded here.

31st JAN 1944 - 21st JUNE 1945 ... No 11 AFU moved here with Oxfords from Shawbury. Later equipped with Masters, Ansons, Harvards and Hurricans. The squadran was then disbanded here.

21st JUNE 1945 - OCTOBER 1945 ... Station became 5 ACHU, Aircrew Holding Unit.

22nd OCTOBER - MAY 1946 ... 22 Service Flying Training School formed here with Harvards. It then moved to Ouston.










PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

... Airmen have been seen walking around the base.
... The sound of a Bomber aircraft has been heard when the sky has been clear.










Kath and I went for a walk around this airfield.

There has been so much of the airforce base destroyed but as you walk round your imagination takes over and you can easily picture people abot their day to day jobs.

As we walked round, we were asking out loud and conducting EVP experiments. My imagination did take over and I did get the feeling that I was being watched.

We did not catch anything and after a couple of hours we deceided to finish.

This is a great location but not with easy access, so an overnight investigation is nearly impossible, which is such a shame but you are now unable to reach this area without going on private land and most of the land has been demolished.




Some people have looked at this photo and said they could see a figure standing at the window.
See what you think.

THE ANCIENT RAM

THE ANCIENT RAM INN
STROUD
GLOUCESTERSHIRE


DECEMBER 2009


GROUP ... PARANORMALRESEARCH UK





The inn can be dated to 1145, possibly earlier. It started life as a house which was used by the Masons building St Mary's Church, just across the road. After the church was finished, the house became known as Church House and was home to the Bishop or Vicar for the Church.




It is claimed that there are two tunnels leading from the inn to the church and to Lacock Abbey. There are said to be located in the fireplace. These tunnels have also been used by Highwaymen.








This site is also associated with an ancient pagan burial ground dating back over 5000 years. This doesnt sound as far fetched as first thought, as most church's are built on pagan sites and as the church is only across the road, this is possible. This site is also associated with Devil Worship, ritual sacrifice of children and murder.







Although this black and white building has changed very little, ancient maps show the original building could have been three times larger than today's building.

This building has been known by three different names ...
1145 - 1350 CHURCH HOUSE, used by the church
1350 - 1820 THE OLD TAN HOUSE, owned by different owners to house Tanners, Cloth Makers, Card Makers and a Mayor.
1820 - THE ANCIENT RAM INN





PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

EDWARD - tall, strong man. Powerful and nasty spirit. Often seen holding a staff.
MICHAEL - a very nasty man, murderer. Seen in the Bishop's room.
MARY ANN - nice old lady who sits in the chair next to the fire in the Bishop's room.
ALICE - nasty black witch.
INCUBUS and SUCCUBUS - a male and female spirit who lure their sleeping vicitms into sexual
intercourse.
2 CATS - one is a dark, big nasty cat, thought to belong to Alice, seen mostly upstairs.
The other is smaller, black and roams everywhere else.
DOG - described looking like a Doberman or Rottweileer.
CHILDREN - many children heard and seen around the building.
HIGHWAYMEN - at least two highwaymen hide in the attic.
THE BLUE LADY - thought to be Lady Elizabeth. She was murdered and buried beneath the
bar area. Appears on the 1st floor landing.
CAVALIER - thought to have ben murdered and also buried under the bar area.
HANGING BODIES - seen in the barn and a woman's body seen hanging in the witch's room.
BIKER - this man died quite recently in a motorcycle accident outside.



INVESTIGATION

This investigation was a little different to any PRUK has undertaken before. This time we were working with a film crew from Sky tv and we had our very Captain Jack.






My first impressions of the building was how fantastic it looked from the outside. But as soon as you enter the property, you first notice how dusty and cluttered each room is. The temperature outside was very cold but it was just as cole inside, mainly due to the poor state of repair to the property. But this is known as one of the UK's most haunted locations and we couldnt wait to start.



We sat and listened to the owner, John Humphries, tell us the history and hauntings of the building and then he gave us a tour of the building about 10pm.

This is our first room. This room, the bar room, has what is claimed a grave. This room is associated with ritual child sacrifice, murder and an ancient graveyard and tunnels.
This grave is said to belong to Lady Elizabeth, who was murdered and buried here.
Children are also seen around this area.



We stood here asking out loud and running an EVP session. But nothing happened, so we moved to the other side of the room towards the fireplace. This fireplace is said to be the entrance to a tunnel. This tunnel was used to carry a corpse to the church, monks were said to use it as they sneaked in from the local abbey for a pint or local highwaymen wishing to enter or leave unseen.



We stayed in this area for quite a while but no evidence was caught.




Our next point of call was the barn which joins onto the building. John claimed that post holes dating back centuries had been found under the floor. The story associated with this room didnt start until John re roofed this part with a roof he had bought from a local farmer who was dismantling his old barn. Once this roof had been fitted, John started seeing bodies hanging from the beams. After some time in this room, taking photos and conducting EVP, the only things we could see and feel was the dust and the cold weather, nothing else was caught by us on this night in the barn.









As we climbed these narrow stairs, you are again reminded of the clutter that fills this building.









One the first floor, this room is called THE WITCHES ROOM or BEAUFONT ROOM. The spirit of a woman is said to have been seen in this chair and she doesnt like other people sitting in it. Nicola kindly volueetered to sit in the chair but nothing. We stayed for a while but again nothing happened.





As we moved back onto the landing, we looked in a couple of other rooms.









John told us that several spirits are seen around here including the blue lady. But tonight, they must have been
somewhere else. It was now about 1am.









We continued to THE BISHOP'S ROOM. John told us to stand back as he had to knock on the door three times with a large staff before entering this room. To me, it just looked like a touch of showmanship but we all watched before we were told to enter.




This room was indeed strange, whether it was down to the large dark fireplace or the paintings on the wall that seemed to follow you around the room, I dont know. What I do know is that I was freezing. John told us about the spirits in this room: -- a ghost of a Calavlier, 2 highwaymen who hid in the attic above, the blue lady, 2 monks, the ghost of a woman seen hanging from the roof and there are two haunted paintings. John claimed that evidence had been found of devil worship in the chimey of this fireplace.







John stayed for a while but left us to roam the building on our own. So with our film crew and Captain Jack to guild us, Phil, Nicola and myself set about finding the spririts.

After Phil had done a piece to camera for the show, we settled down to a investigation. We started an EVP section with recorders and camera's rolling. We all took it in turns to ask questions and some of us thought they heard noices on the landing but when they went to loo, nothing was there.


Me and the cameraman thought we heard footsteps from the attic above. The access to the attic was at the far end of the room and so I climbed up but as soon as I looked into the attic, the noice stopped and I could see nothing.






By this time, some of us were just sitting down and Captain Jack was making us laugh. Then one of the film crew heard a noice and said he saw the outline of a tall man standing behind me. The knuckles on his hands had a blast of cold air across them. Nothing showed on camera and I heard and felt nothing. Other noices were heard inside the room and again on the landing. But no evidence was caught.



The film crew left us now as they had some other filming to do and this left me, Phil and Nicola upstairs. We had been asked here as part of a fun car show but we also wanted to use this time to do a serious investigation as well. Time was now against us but we did as much as we could. If we had been here on our own all night, we would have done things diffent but this was such a golden oppunity, we continued in our normal fashion.





So about 2.30am, we decided to go back into the Witche's Room.

Nicola sat in the chair again and we took it in turns to ask questions. But nothing happened. Phil left us as we thought just females in the room would make a difference. But no.

We finished just before 4am.


I thought after hearing the stories regarding this building, that we would have had more activity than this. Apart from some noices and perhapes a shadowery figure standing behind me, it had been a very quiet night. But it was so much fun going out with a film crew and it was the closet I will ever get to Captain Jack.