The Ghosts of Raby Castle.
He was forced to surrender to Henry VIII after the successful Rising of the Northern Earls. Charles Nevilles ghost has been seen heading for the Barons Hall, where in 1569 he and his men were deciding that such a trip would be unwise, when they were interrupted by Mrs Neville who branded them as cowards! In response to such a statement, the men fought and lost, leaving the Earl to flee to Scotland, and finally Holland where his body is buried. In latter years the castle was passed to the Vane family, one of which (Henry) was imprisoned by the Stuarts and ordered to be executed. He was said to have still been trying to give his last speech to his people when his head was chopped off! His headless ghost is often seen in the Library at Raby with his head sitting on the desk in front of him still trying to talk through his speech. Then came the Barnard family. The lady of the house was known for her fearsome temper, and her ghost is still often seen at Raby knitting with red hot needles. Locally she is known as the Old Hell Cat! Finally, the last ghosts of Raby are those murdered by Maria Cotton, who chase each other merrily through the castle grounds, and surrounding countryside. Discuss this articleChat about this article at our Ghost Forum |
