Episode 261 was on Haunted Tudor England: the most haunted places in England related to the Tudors. From Anne Boleyn’s carriage showing up on the anniversary of her death at Blickling Hall to Tom Fool, a jester who continues to torment visitors to Muncaster castle, we explore some of the best places to find Tudor ghosts.
Listen below, or read the Very Rough Transcript.
Check out some related Spooky Tudor Halloween episodes:
Episode 006: A brief history of Halloween
Halloween Episodes! – all the Halloween Spooky Episodes on one page
Episode 033: Renaissance Ghosts
Episode 34: Witches and Witchcraft
Episode 230: Tudor Witches
[00:00:00] Hello and welcome a friend. To the Renaissance English history podcast. A very spooky edition. Of the Renaissance English history podcast. Uh, part of the Agoura podcast network. At work. I am your host, Heather. And I’m a storyteller who makes history. Accessible, because I believe it’s a pathway to understanding who we are. Or place in the universe. And being much more deeply in touch with our. Own humanity.
This is episode 261. And we are going to be talking about Haunted Tudor England – some of the spookier. Places in England. If you are on my YouTube. Tube channel, you know that I’ve been doing some videos on this. I did one on, which is recently. Um, and I did one on Henry, the eights wives, and where they. They are haunting
And sometimes I share them here, of course, on the Sunday morning. This week in YouTube that I do. Um, but yeah, I’m, I’m a fan. Love this stuff. So we’re going to dig into it and talk about. Some places that we’ve talked about before and some new places and just basically take. Take a tour of haunted England talking about all of these different [00:01:00] ghosts. So that is what we are doing.
A big, thank you to the newest patrons. Of this podcast welcome Jody and Karen and Ava Dawn. And Maya, so very glad that you are here.
We’ll make sure that you get all your welcome goodies. Make sure you know how to get all the extra episodes. Everything like that. If you would like to get extra episode. extra content discounts at my merch shop all kinds of extra fun stuff. Depending on what level you’re at. You get a free tutor planner. Uh, extra mini audio courses. Versus this month, the one that I am going to be sending out the links for very. Soon is on lady Jane Gray and the succession crisis at 1550. Three.
So we really nerd out on that, talking about what happened to the duke. Good Northumberland and Edwards device for the succession and all of that. So if. If you would like to get all of that extra content, plus get the warm fuzzy. The feeling of knowing that you are supporting an independent podcaster. You can go to patrion.com/england cast Patrion. Dot com slash England [00:02:00] cast.
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All right friends. So have you ever seen. Seen a ghost. I’m curious and I would love to know. I have. I have seen a ghost. I have seen ghosts at Gettysburg. And I will tell you that story at the end, but first we’re going to talk about. About medieval ghosts. We’re going to talk about the tower of London and. Muncaster castle. And a bunch of places.
So let’s get into. It. The tower of London was built by William the conqueror in 10 70. 78. It’s been a fortress, a prison and execution site. Notable medieval figures met their end here, like William Wallace in. 13. Oh five. During the wars, the roses. It was the last residents of Edward, the fifth and his brother, Richard. Who vanished in 1483, the princes in the tower presumed murder. Murdered. Their disappearance remains.
One of England’s most injured. During [00:03:00] mysteries.
The tower’s paranormal reputation is rooted in the violent deaths. That it witnessed and Bellin was executed here in 1536. And she is said to appear near the chapel of St. Peter Advincula. Kula carrying her head under her arm has one. Does. Guards. ARDS and visitors have also reported hearing children’s laughter and crying. Crying believed to be the spirits of the lost princes in the tower. There’s also Margaret pool counters with Salzburg. who’s a botched execution in 1541 left a pertain. Particularly unsettling presence. Witnesses claim to have seen. Her spectral form reenacting her desperate attempt to flee the. Executioner. Victorian era guards reported. Encounters with headless spirits near treaters gate. And during world war two. Soldiers on night patrol. Described, seeing medieval figures emerging from the mist and. Carrying, it was like a group of a [00:04:00] line. Carrying a headless figure down tower hill. A lot of people say that was maybe a procession for Anne Boleyn.
Henry the sixth, apparently also haunts. Wakefield tower, where he was imprisoned and then murdered.
He shows up every year in. In may on the anniversary of his death in 1470. The one and he paces around until the final stroke of midnight. Midnight where he feeds back into the walls.
And of course the tower. It was also a menagerie and a zoo. And so there are some animal ghosts there. Uh, Henry the third started, I did a whole episode on the menagerie at. The tower. And he started it when he kept some wild animals. Including a gift of leopards from the holy Roman emperor, Frederick. In 1235 and that started the menagerie at the tower. After that Pumas and tigers and. An ELA. Elephant from France and even a polar bear lived at. At the tower.
And of course there [00:05:00] was then all of the bear baiting that happened. In 16th and 17th century London. So apparently. There are ghosts of the bears who lived through this horror. For or died in this horror. There’s a ghost of one bear that is said. To appear from behind the door of the Juul room. And. Then also the ghost of another black bear is reported to be appearing. Sometimes near the Martin tower and people saw that for the first time in 18. 16.
Lady. Jane Gray also haunts the tower. She apparently walks. Walks along the battlements, especially around the anniversary. Surrey of her death as well.
And another ghost that’s there. That’s from our period is our Bella’s Stuart. Stewart. She was a cousin of queen Elizabeth. At one point had even. Been considered a, a potential heir to the throne before James the sixth. Became the first of England. Uh, James had actually imprisoned our Bella. Bella because of a marriage that she did to William Seymour, [00:06:00] there was. Potential joint claims to the throne there that he. I thought was a threat to him.
So he put her in the tower. And she. She either refuse to eat or was purposefully starved to death either way. She. He died in the tower and she apparently stalks the Queens. Uh, house.
One final ghost at the tower. It is called the nameless thing, which is kind of sinister. It’s a petrifying spirit. Which follows the guards of the tower as they walk their beat from the. River Thames is Sally portal entrance. They just feel this spirit. At this nameless thing. Who it’s a little spooky.
Next, we’re going to talk about . The castle Muncaster. Castle dates back to the 13th century. It actually has a connection. Section to Henry the sixth Henry the sixth spent time. There was. Actually hidden there after a battle during the wars of the roses.
After the battle. Tout. And in 1461, apparently shepherds found [00:07:00] Henry. Sorry, the sixth wandering through the fells. And took him. To Manchester castle, where he sought shelter. And family that owned it, sir, John Pennington. Took care of him, sheltered him for nine days. He gifted. Good, sir, John a, uh, a Gilt glass, uh, drinking. Drinking bowl and gave it to the family with a prayer saying that as long. Long as the glass remained unbroken that they would remain prosperous. Morris and, and own monkey stir, and it would all be good for them. Um, and the glass
but. But I want to talk today about their full, who was. They’re their gesture that they had during the late. Late 16th century.
Tom Skelton and they actually still. We’ll have a portrait of Tom Skelton at Lancaster castle, Tom full. He actually is where we get the word tomfoolery from. In the English language, you know, when you’ve got shenanigans going on. Uh, he call it tomfoolery [00:08:00] that comes from Tom. The fool. Now. Now Tom was, you know, your average jester full. But he also had a really vicious streak to him and he. He used to sit under a tree outside.
And when people would. Tom. If people passed by and they had questions about directions. You know, there was no Google maps. Right. So if people were like walking in, they had. Had questions. About directions. If he didn’t like the way they appeared. Or he thought they looked a little bit suspicious or something. He would actually send them a really. The dangerous way. That led right into quicksand. So. Apparently he’s responsible for some not very good tomfoolery. Flurry going on that way. But the story that is most. Most. Most vicious with Tom. Involves. A murder most foul. So the family. Family that owned. Lancaster at the time. Surfer. Ferdinand Pennington.
He was the master of the house. His. [00:09:00] His daughter heal wise. Apparently fell in love with a. Local carpenter. Now, sir Ferdinand did not like. Like the idea of heal wise, being in love with the local carpenter. And asked Tom to please sort this out for him. Just. Just do what he needed to do sorted out. And so. Tom lured the poor innocent carpenter to his. Um, he lured him to the castle. He did.
And he. He got him drunk. He gave him apparently a lot of cider got him drunk. And then. Used the carpenters. Our own tools. To hack off his head. And then he took the head to his master and was like, here here’s the trophy look. Look, I took care of the carpenter. And so even now, People who are visitors to talk about hearing. Thing, thuds on the steps, which they think is like, Somebody. Buddy kind of dragging a body. [00:10:00] And people also here. Moans, which they think is heel wise, wailing for her. Her lost love.
Guests often describe. A chilling sense of being watched in the corridors. There’s sudden. Sudden drops in temperature that are common, especially near Tom fool’s. Tree where he would sit and send people off into the quick stand. And modern investigations ever recorded. Boarded inexplicable sounds and temperature changes. With many visitors. Witters leaving with an unsettling feeling that lingers long after. After they depart.
Now we’re going to travel down to Gloucester, to Gloucestershire, to. Sudley castle home of Catherine Parr following Henry’s death. In 1547, Catherine married, Thomas Seymour and moved to Sudley. Lee where she tragically died in childbirth in 1548. Her death at age 36 marked a sudden and sorrowful and to. Her life marked by survival in Henry’s dangerous [00:11:00] court. Now. Kathryn’s ghost is said to linger at Sudley castle, making her presence. It’s known in various ways. Her apparition is describe. Scribed as a tall woman in a green gown, and she’s often spotted. in the castle gardens. And near the chapel where she was buried. Buried. Many visitors report the distinct scent. Of apple blossoms. Which was a fragrance associated with tutor. Tutor era perfumes. Just before seeing her figure. Others experience the sound of soft footsteps. And quiet weeping, especially near the nursery believed. to be connected to her lost child.
Of course, Mary Seymour also died. As well, um, she disappeared from the records when she was about to. Too. So she probably died right around then. In the 17th. Century Catherine’s led casket was discovered intact during. During renovations revealing a remarkably preserved body. The witnesses [00:12:00] described a pale lifelike complexion. That quickly decayed when it was exposed to the air. Adding to the castle. Castles ghostly lower. Even today, staff. And visitors frequently report cold drafts, unexplained shadows. And a sense of deep sadness. In areas linked to. Catherine’s brief residents. Sudley is one of the most. Most haunted sites from the tutor period. With its most famous. Resident still believing to be searching for peace.
Hampton court palace built in the early 16th century by Cardinal. The Woolsey and then later taken by Henry the eighth became a central. Stage for tutor political and personal drama. The palace. Hosted celebrations, births, executions, and it remained a Royal favorite. And into Elisabeth’s reign. One of the most notable hauntings. Is Catherine Howard Henry’s fifth wife who was arrested here in 15. 1541. The haunted gallery is a long corridor. Where [00:13:00] she apparently ran screaming, running after. Henry begging for mercy. And this remains one of the most active. paranormal spots. Guards and visitors have reported hearing high. High-pitched cries, sudden chills in the gallery, especially during quiet. Ours. Some witnesses describe a distinct sense of panic. Panic as they walk through. As if reliving Catherine’s final. Desperate moments. Other spirits said to haunt the palace include. Include Amblin and Jane Seymour Anne’s figure is often seen. Near the Queens apartments. While Jane spirit is rumored to appear holding. A lit candle, particularly on the anniversary of her death in 15. 37.
Beyond the Royal ghosts visitors have reported seeing unidentified tutor, Cortez. More tears. Often described as shadowy figures in period clothing. Moving through the great hall and the kitchens.
The eerie experiences aren’t limited to. Just tutor era hauntings. In the 20th century, palace staff [00:14:00] recorded a figure. Uh, passing through a locked door captured on security cameras. Because. This remains one of Hampton court’s most famous ghost sightings. Hampton
amblin is very, very busy in her afterlife.
I have. I have to say she also haunts Blickling hall in Norfolk that. It was her birthplace. It’s believed it’s the estate that her family. Owned during the tutor period, it remained a significant site even into the store era. Sarah. And
and one of the most famous tales from Blickling involves and. And ghostly carriage, which is said to appear every year. On the anniversary of her execution on May 19th. Witnesses. Describe. Describe a headless figure arriving at the hall in a Phantom. Carriage drawn by headless horses. And is dressed. And white and the scene carrying her severed head in her lap as. As she rides through the grounds before vanishing near the front door. The apparition is typically accompanied by a chilling silence and. A sudden drop in [00:15:00] temperature. Leaving onlookers deeply. Unsettled. Visitors to the hall have also reported. Seeing Ann’s ghost wandering around the grounds at other times of the year, often near. The lake or her Memorial. Those who encounter her? Her describe an overwhelming sense of sorrow and regret. In some instances, people have claimed to feel a soft touch on their shoulder. Or even hear faint whispers as if Ann is trying to communal. Communicate her tragic story.
Someplace, that’s not related to an is little. Coat house in wheelchair. With a history history that spans from. The medieval period through the storage period, it gained notoriety free. Free series of gruesome events, including a dark tutor. A story. Where a midwife was forced to deliver a baby. And was then. was then immediately. He killed by it’s father rumor to be a tutor era, Lord. The room where this took place is said to be particularly haunted. Anted with [00:16:00] reports of a baby’s cries echoing throughout the halls at night. era brought additional layers to little. Coats haunted legacy, particularly during the English civil war, when the house served. As a Royal, a stronghold. Ghostly apparitions of soldiers have been reported. often seen in full armor silently patrolling the grounds. Rounds another frequent citing is a black dog, a spectra. Spectral canine linked to a tragic death. It’s. Apparently considered a sign of bad luck appearing right before significant. Misfortunes. Visitors often experienced, sudden cold drafts. and the unsettling sensation of being watched. Especially on ghost tours conducted at night.
count numerous encounters with unexplained. Sounds shadowy figures and even the faint scent of gunpowder. Powder. Thought to be linked to the house’s military history.
are generally classified into two main. Main types. There’s the residual and the intelligent. [00:17:00] Residual hauntings. actually recordings. They replay traumatic events. Uh, repeatedly without any interactions, many of the reports. Reports from the tower of London fall into this category. Like ambulance ghosts. Carrying her head or Catherine Howard’s desperate cries in the haunted gallery. Valerie, both replaying this very traumatic event. These. These hauntings often stemmed from powerful emotions, like fear. Or anger or sorrow creating a lasting impression on the place. Where the event occurred.
Intel. Intelligent hauntings involving spirits that seem aware of the living. Living and interact with them. Catherine pars spirit at Sidley, for example. Is often perceived as a more conscious presence. With. visitors sensing her touch or hearing her whispers. Similarly, apparently Tom skeletons, malevolent presence at . Esther suggests an ability to engage directly. They’re stories of objects moving or voices [00:18:00] heard in response. Once to questions that have been asked.
violence of the reformation, the English civil war. More and all of the Royal executions deeply scarred the English landscape. Leading to an abundance of hauntings from these periods in particular. Sites like Hampton court with its Royal intrigue or a. Little coat house marked by wartime brutality. Our examples. Of these traumatic events that have imprinted themselves. On the physical location.
Sites continue to captivate, not just for their historical value, but for. The stories that they tell about unresolved trauma. And the possible. Ability of life beyond death. The blend of history and. of history and the supernatural offers a. Unique lens, particularly unique lens through which to explore. The past. So I would like to know, have you ever seen a ghost? And you can me. At my listener support text line, which is 8 0 1 6. Tesco that’s 8 0 1 6 [00:19:00] 8 3 9 7 5 6. Or. You can go into the tutor, learning circle, tutor, learning circle.com, which is the social. Network just for tutor nerds.
And I will put in there. I’ll start a thread on historical haunting experiences. I would love to hear it. If you have something to share. And I will tell you about the time I saw ghost at, uh, Gettysburg. Leesburg. So I was out, I was about 20 or 20. 21 at the time. And I was with my boyfriend on a Sunday afternoon.
It was in the. The summer, it was about six o’clock or so early evening, but it was still quite light. And we were riding motorcycles. So there’s a random, fun fact about Heather, Heather. I used to ride motorcycles. So Heather was riding her. TW. 200 street, legal dirt bike. And, uh, we. We’re riding through devil’s den. And, um, We were, yeah, like I said, it was kind of the evening. And we’re riding through devil’s den. And I saw these three men walking up a hill. [00:20:00] And they looked so beat, man.
They looked. So tired and thirsty and exhausted. and I rode past them and I was like, whoa. Man, like was there. Was there like a reenactment today? A day or something. And also there weren’t any cars there’s like parking near devil’s down. There weren’t any cars. There. Um, so I didn’t know where they were walking to. And wherever they were walking to, had to be a ways away because there. Wasn’t any other nearby parking? So we get to a stop sign at. Bottom of the hill.
And so we were going down the hill and they were walking up the hill opposite. Right. So we get to the stop sign at the bottom and I said, Hey, you know, did you see those guys? And my boyfriend was like, yeah, like I wonder where, you know, they were. We’re or going, or like, they looked really rough didn’t they?
And I was like, yeah. And. So we rode back to see if we. Could find them if they needed help or needed a ride or, you know, whatever. And. We never, we didn’t see them. They had disappeared. [00:21:00] And I don’t know where they. They got to, I don’t know where they went. And then we went later and looked. Looked at the schedule and there hadn’t been any reenactments that day. So they were ghosts.
Nothing you will tell me will tell me otherwise. Otherwise, they were definitely ghosts. I know they were, I saw their faces. They were civil war soldiers. And, uh, and that’s that. So that’s my story of my ghosts. Siting at Gettysburg. All right. My friend. With that. Um, I will thank you for being here.
Thank you for your listeners. Ownership, like I said, let me know your historical hauntings. I would love to hear some. Some fun stories. I love this stuff. And I hope you are having a. Spectacularly spooky season. If you’re doing anything. To market. Um, and yeah, that’s. That’s it. I’m I’m dressing as a. I’m dressing as a Stanley. The cup for Halloween. I, uh, I on. Dressing up as anything. Really, but I was a target over the weekend and all. Of their costumes were 30% off and they still had [00:22:00] the Stanley mugs. And I. I do love a good Stanley mug. So I’m dressing as a Stanley mug. So. So that’s my story. All right, my friend. Thank you so much for listening. Um, I will be back again next week. All right.
Bye bye.
Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  the original Tudor history podcast, started in 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. In 2019 she created Tudorcon, which is now a yearly event, in addition to writing books, and running TudorFair.com - a whimsical Tudor Merch shop.
She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 30 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history (how exciting when she got to interview Alison for the first time!). In addition to history, she is passionate about travel, and has lived in 3 countries and 4 states (not counting her perpetual state of confusion), and her family (who help her host her YouTube channel occasionally).
