Today, I begin the first episode in a series of strange tales from my book Paranormal Warwickshire.
Warwick Castle is, of course, the first thing many people think of when Warwick comes to mind. And no wonder: when I researched for my forthcoming book ‘A-Z of Warwick‘ (due out in November 2023 and now on pre-order) I was constantly reminded that very little happened during Warwick’s rich history that didn’t have an Earl behind it.
From the earliest Norman earl, through to Richard Beauchamp (who commissioned the Beauchamp Chapel), and on to Richard Neville the Kingmaker, and later Ambrose Dudley (Sir Robert’s brother), and finally the extravagant Grevilles who magnificently improved the castle then had to sell up under mountains of debt… everything of historical interest in Warwick was financed or set in motion or driven by one of the Earls.
I love them all because their complex personalities are at the heart of so many Warwick stories – funny, scandalous, astonishing, shocking, tragic, ridiculous, brutal, calculating, brilliant, monstrous, far-reaching.
Only recently I met someone who added another strange story to my fund of tales. A friend of his had encountered a disturbing presence whilst staying overnight in Caesar’s Tower: by the morning he was bruised, and felt strongly he was being pushed by an invisible presence. Caesar’s Tower has quite a reputation for paranormal activity; local investigators carry out overnight vigils there and on one occasion reported that ‘the activity was so intense’ they had to leave. The other major tower of the castle, Guy’s Tower, also has its curious tales. One of them is an inscription found on the wall of a forgotten cell, believed to be the work of Walt Disney’s ancestor Edward Disney, imprisoned there during the English Civil War. The fact that Edward was eventually reprieved, and not executed, is all to the good for those who are fond of Walt Disney’s achievements; for he wouldn’t have existed if Edward his forebear had met his demise at the castle.
Here I read from my Warwick Castle chapter in ‘Paranormal Warwickshire’.
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