LOCAL HISTORY
Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. Their ranks consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire Border country without regard to their victims' nationality. The Border Reivers, were lawless kinships like Armstrong, Robson and Charlton whose family history was characterised by raiding and stealing within the valleys and borders of England and Scotland.
Featherstone Castle - is a Grade 1 listed building and was the ancestral home of the Featherstonehaugh family who were believed to have lived there for twelve generations since the Norman conquest. The castle comprises a Jacobean manor and peel tower. The peel tower was built around 1330 and was used to protect the family and their farm stock from raiding Scottish Border Reivers during the 14th to early-17th century. The castle is said to be haunted by a 17th-century wedding party: the Lord forced his daughter into an unwanted marriage, but the wedding party was killed by the daughter’s lover when they were out hunting as part of the wedding celebrations. The party is said to haunt the castle on the anniversary of the wedding.
Bellister Castle is a National Trust owned castellated 19th-century mansion house attached to the ruinous remains of a 14th-century tower house, situated near Haltwhistle, Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building. It is said to be haunted by the 'Grey Man' the ghost of a minstrel killed by the Lord of Bellister's hunting dogs. Another legend tells of seven 'bold moss troopers' hanged from a sycamore on the castle mound. In May Bellister Wood is carpeted with bluebells.
A fortified residence Thirlwall Castle successfully protected its owners against frequent Scottish raids throughout its 400 year occupation. Built from materials scavenged from Hadrian's Wall, the remains are now regularly visited by walkers proceeding along the National Trail. Life in Northumberland between 1300 and 1600 was dangerous and unstable. Important families such as the Thirlwalls protected themselves against attack by building strong defensible homes like the one at Thirlwall Castle. Legend has it that during a particularly violent raid, the Thirlwall family’s most prized possession, a jewel-encrusted gold table, was hidden by a servant down a deep well where he and the table remain to
this day, protected by a magic spell!
Blenkinsop Castle was held by Bryan de Blenkinsopp who held the castle some six centuries ago and although a brave and distinguished man on the battlefield, his one weakness was an inordinate greed for wealth. At a wedding feast, he was teased about his own marriage plans but replied, “Never, never shall that be until I meet with a lady possessed of a chest of gold heavier than ten of my strongest men can carry into my castle“. Subsequently feeling ashamed of this outburst, Sir Bryan quit the castle and the country. After many years he returned with a wife and a box of gold that took 12 strong men to carry into the castle. But the marriage was not happy because Sir Bryan’s wife would not tell him where she and her servants had hidden the chest. Eventually Sir Bryan left the castle and no-one knew where he had gone. For more than a year his bride was grief-stricken and filled the castle with inconsolable shrieks. She sent out servants to try to find him but they failed, so she went out herself to look for him, neither of them were heard of again. It is said she is doomed to wander back to the old castle mourning over the chest of gold, until somebody shall follow her to the mysterious vaults where it lies buried, remove it and thus give her unquiet spirit rest.
Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. Their ranks consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire Border country without regard to their victims' nationality. The Border Reivers, were lawless kinships like Armstrong, Robson and Charlton whose family history was characterised by raiding and stealing within the valleys and borders of England and Scotland.
Featherstone Castle - is a Grade 1 listed building and was the ancestral home of the Featherstonehaugh family who were believed to have lived there for twelve generations since the Norman conquest. The castle comprises a Jacobean manor and peel tower. The peel tower was built around 1330 and was used to protect the family and their farm stock from raiding Scottish Border Reivers during the 14th to early-17th century. The castle is said to be haunted by a 17th-century wedding party: the Lord forced his daughter into an unwanted marriage, but the wedding party was killed by the daughter’s lover when they were out hunting as part of the wedding celebrations. The party is said to haunt the castle on the anniversary of the wedding.
Bellister Castle is a National Trust owned castellated 19th-century mansion house attached to the ruinous remains of a 14th-century tower house, situated near Haltwhistle, Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building. It is said to be haunted by the 'Grey Man' the ghost of a minstrel killed by the Lord of Bellister's hunting dogs. Another legend tells of seven 'bold moss troopers' hanged from a sycamore on the castle mound. In May Bellister Wood is carpeted with bluebells.
A fortified residence Thirlwall Castle successfully protected its owners against frequent Scottish raids throughout its 400 year occupation. Built from materials scavenged from Hadrian's Wall, the remains are now regularly visited by walkers proceeding along the National Trail. Life in Northumberland between 1300 and 1600 was dangerous and unstable. Important families such as the Thirlwalls protected themselves against attack by building strong defensible homes like the one at Thirlwall Castle. Legend has it that during a particularly violent raid, the Thirlwall family’s most prized possession, a jewel-encrusted gold table, was hidden by a servant down a deep well where he and the table remain to
this day, protected by a magic spell!
Blenkinsop Castle was held by Bryan de Blenkinsopp who held the castle some six centuries ago and although a brave and distinguished man on the battlefield, his one weakness was an inordinate greed for wealth. At a wedding feast, he was teased about his own marriage plans but replied, “Never, never shall that be until I meet with a lady possessed of a chest of gold heavier than ten of my strongest men can carry into my castle“. Subsequently feeling ashamed of this outburst, Sir Bryan quit the castle and the country. After many years he returned with a wife and a box of gold that took 12 strong men to carry into the castle. But the marriage was not happy because Sir Bryan’s wife would not tell him where she and her servants had hidden the chest. Eventually Sir Bryan left the castle and no-one knew where he had gone. For more than a year his bride was grief-stricken and filled the castle with inconsolable shrieks. She sent out servants to try to find him but they failed, so she went out herself to look for him, neither of them were heard of again. It is said she is doomed to wander back to the old castle mourning over the chest of gold, until somebody shall follow her to the mysterious vaults where it lies buried, remove it and thus give her unquiet spirit rest.