Friday, November 04, 2011

The Curse of Nottingham Castle


A terrible curse hangs over Nottingham Castle. One day, whilst King John was out hunting from his favoured place of residence at Clipstone, now known as King John's Palace (see THIS LINK), he received news from his sister Joan (wife of Llewellyn, Prince of Wales), of a Welsh uprising. Interrupting King John when he was engaged in such leisurely pursuits was never going to be a good idea.

He summoned those barons and distinguished persons based either in the Palace, or residing locally, to assemble under the Parliament Oak. Once there, and in a state of some considerable rage, he demanded they consent to the immediate execution of 28 welsh hostages already being held in Nottingham Castle. All were the young sons of welsh noblemen, some merely children. The King then rode directly to Nottingham and ordered the Castle Governor to have the hostages bound and tied, before hanging each of them one by one, kicking and screaming in a row from the Castle walls. After which, King John rode back to Clipstone in time for supper.

It is said that, if one walks by the Castle Gatehouse, on a winter night when the wind is calm, you can still hear the pitiful cries of the welsh boys, and their heels kicking against the old stone walls.

(Note: Internet sources dispute how many boys were hung, ranging from two in number to twenty eight).
For more information and video of Nottingham Castle see THIS LINK.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,