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Post by Hartswood on Jan 4, 2005 21:54:36 GMT
I won't be wearing my goldilocks outfit then ;D
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Post by Spooky on Jan 4, 2005 23:36:19 GMT
You go in what ever you feel most comfortable. Just dont fiddle with and porridge bowls or chairs if we find any.
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Post by Hartswood on Jan 5, 2005 8:48:49 GMT
On second thoughts I'll give the outfit a miss - it's still at the dry cleaners anyway
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Post by Bobafettish on Jan 5, 2005 10:09:58 GMT
Spooky,
Thanks fro the invite to this one. I don't know what my plans for mid January are so at the moment I will have to put myself down as a no with the intention to free myself up and come last minute dot com.
Like Sam, I think it will be brilliant at night and although the museum will be informative and let you know what to look out for, it may hamper your mind with facts and not let you go with your psychic senses
Maybe, the best thing to do is get to the airfield at 2.30pm so you have an hour an half for the museum go-ers to do their thing whilst the rest do a reccie around the outside of the airfield and get some good photos and look for duck nests etc
Then, a couple of hours later, it will be dark and you will get the full eerieness factor
BB
P.S I will get back to you
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Post by Spooky on Jan 5, 2005 10:14:13 GMT
Just for the record the museum doesn't open until February.
There will be NO museum visits on the 15th at all, what so ever, no way.
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Post by Hartswood on Jan 5, 2005 21:18:08 GMT
Found this interesting snippet regarding Cowdray Castle:
Most people associate the name of Cowdray with polo, but it has long been a major estate on the edge of Midhurst, West Sussex. The sombre ruins of the original Cowdray Castle are clearly visible close to the town, looking a little like the setting for a horror film.
The building of Cowdray Castle started during the early 16th Century. In 1542, following the Dissolution of the Roman Catholic Church, Henry the Eighth awarded the castle to one Sir Anthony Browne, Master of the Horse. This was a little strange since Browne was a staunch Roman Catholic. Browne died in 1548.
Cowdray Castle saw its heyday in the time of Browne's son, Sir Anthony Browne the Second. An important man in the court of Queen Elizabeth the First, he was highly trusted by the Queen and sent by her on missions overseas to act on her behalf. Browne entertained the Queen at long parties held at Cowdray in her honour, parties that lasted for days with great banquets and entertainment.
But all was not well for - some might say - the family was living on borrowed time.
At the time that the first Anthony Browne had been awarded Cowdray he took control also of Battle Abbey (in East Sussex). After razing many of the church buildings to the ground he evicted the monks and, as a result, was cursed by the last monk of Battle Abbey who said that his family line would perish by fire or water.
Just over 250 years later in 1793 the 8th Viscount Montague, descendant of the Browne family, was drowned in a boating accident - trying to shoot a waterfall on the River Rhine. A week later Cowdray burned to the ground, leaving the ruins we see today. (An alternative account puts events in the other order - that the house was burned down by workmen preparing for the homecoming and wedding of Viscount Montague, and that he died abroad one month later immediately after receiving a letter telling him of the fire).
The Cowdray estate passed to the Viscount's sister who married and had two sons. They were drowned in a boating accident in 1815.
Coincidences - or something more?
This Memorial Temple lies in the Cowdray estate a short distance outside Midhurst - at Benbow Pond on the road towards Petworth.
Built in 2000, it was erected in memory of the late Viscount Cowdray the Third.
It is surrounded by an arboretum, and public access will be allowed once the arboretum has grown.
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Post by Spooky on Jan 5, 2005 23:38:53 GMT
Its certainly a spooky house.
I think Sting pointed out that its not always open as its on private grounds but it would be interesting to see how close we could get as its on the way.
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Post by Hartswood on Jan 6, 2005 9:24:21 GMT
Hi all,
Have spoken to Midhurst Tourist Info - Cowdray House ruins are actually closed to the public, in that you can't actually walk right amongst the ruins, but the footpath runs around the outside, and you can therefore get quite close. There used to be a museum there, but is closed now as deemed unsafe!
On my OS map looks like from there you can easily walk to Verdley Castle, which is almost in the the village centre.
There is a large FREE car park behind Tourist Office.
Hope this helps.
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