Post by Spooky on Jul 18, 2004 23:10:08 GMT
Ghosts at Portchester Castle
Now and again someone asks the question, is there now, or has there ever been, a ghost at Portchester Castle? There are one or two stories of ghostly happenings within the Castle walls having been seen or written about. Probably the earliest account is that repeated in Cooke’s “Portchester Castle”. It concerns an incident said to have taken place during the occupation of the Castle by prisoners of war during the Napoleonic period, and the encounter of one of the sentries in the graveyard behind the Church. He is reputed to have seen ‘a tall shadowy figure, clad in a snow white garment‘. The guard fired at the apparition but apparently missed. The Officer of the Guard rushed up with a file of Militiamen. The officer advanced to tackle the figure but was hurled backwards. The ghostly figure fled and when the sentry at the gate opened the wicket gate to admit reinforcements he was thrown to the ground violently by the ‘flitting spirit’. The mysterious being was chased by the Regimental Drum Major and on capture was discovered to be the Regimental Goat Mascot. It seems the goat had been standing on its hind legs, browsing on the clumps of Valerian growing on the walls. My second story happened not quite so long ago. It was recounted to me by an old resident who had connections with one of the participants of the escapade, and is about the ‘White Lady’ said to haunt the Castle. No doubt many old residents will remember the story, but not what actually gave rise to the legend. In the early years of this century a group of Portchester youngsters were in the habit of going to the Castle in the early evenings to occupy their time. One of them was prone to playing practical jokes on his companions. One evening he managed to creep into the Castle without being seen and he took with him a large white sheet. When the lads entered the Castle he suddenly appeared in the gloom dressed in the sheet. It scared the others out of their wits. They fled but soon discovered one of the party was missing and knowing his aptitude for playing jokes, realised who the “Ghost” was. The episode was recounted so often that the yarn became a sort of legend in the district. Some years ago the local press published a story of a prominent novelist who, with his wife had seen a mysterious ghostly figure appear in one of the window embrasures. However no other visitor seems to have encountered such a phenomenon. During the last war, a defence balloon unit was stationed in the Castle grounds and as far as is known nothing more ghostly than a hooting owl was seen during its sojourn there.
Now and again someone asks the question, is there now, or has there ever been, a ghost at Portchester Castle? There are one or two stories of ghostly happenings within the Castle walls having been seen or written about. Probably the earliest account is that repeated in Cooke’s “Portchester Castle”. It concerns an incident said to have taken place during the occupation of the Castle by prisoners of war during the Napoleonic period, and the encounter of one of the sentries in the graveyard behind the Church. He is reputed to have seen ‘a tall shadowy figure, clad in a snow white garment‘. The guard fired at the apparition but apparently missed. The Officer of the Guard rushed up with a file of Militiamen. The officer advanced to tackle the figure but was hurled backwards. The ghostly figure fled and when the sentry at the gate opened the wicket gate to admit reinforcements he was thrown to the ground violently by the ‘flitting spirit’. The mysterious being was chased by the Regimental Drum Major and on capture was discovered to be the Regimental Goat Mascot. It seems the goat had been standing on its hind legs, browsing on the clumps of Valerian growing on the walls. My second story happened not quite so long ago. It was recounted to me by an old resident who had connections with one of the participants of the escapade, and is about the ‘White Lady’ said to haunt the Castle. No doubt many old residents will remember the story, but not what actually gave rise to the legend. In the early years of this century a group of Portchester youngsters were in the habit of going to the Castle in the early evenings to occupy their time. One of them was prone to playing practical jokes on his companions. One evening he managed to creep into the Castle without being seen and he took with him a large white sheet. When the lads entered the Castle he suddenly appeared in the gloom dressed in the sheet. It scared the others out of their wits. They fled but soon discovered one of the party was missing and knowing his aptitude for playing jokes, realised who the “Ghost” was. The episode was recounted so often that the yarn became a sort of legend in the district. Some years ago the local press published a story of a prominent novelist who, with his wife had seen a mysterious ghostly figure appear in one of the window embrasures. However no other visitor seems to have encountered such a phenomenon. During the last war, a defence balloon unit was stationed in the Castle grounds and as far as is known nothing more ghostly than a hooting owl was seen during its sojourn there.