‘Tonight, of all nights, the veil between this world and the next is very fragile’.
I have lived on the Isle of Wight for over 30 years but never had the nerve to go on the Halloween ghost walk at the castle. Finally, in the name of research for A Halloween Murder, I summoned up the courage to go.
The experience of being inside the castle at night proved to be far more intense than I expected.
I entered the castle to find the stone steps to the battlements decorated with tiny tea lights and light peeking through the stained-glass window of the tiny chapel. However, the rest of the castle remained in darkness, towers and walls silhouetted against the night sky.
The castle seems to come alive at night. It stops feeling like a tourist attraction and demands to be taken seriously.
A small group of us were greeted by two actors in Edwardian dress, our story tellers and guides for the evening. They led us up the battlements (very carefully!) and we listened to stories of the past, and the ghostly sightings of the present.
As we approached the moat, the most haunted place in the castle, we could imagine meeting the ‘Grey Lady’ in her long, dark cloak, or the young man in brown leather jerkin who was possibly a soldier or some other castle worker.
More chillingly we could also conjure up a picture of the Carisbrooke Reaper, up there on the battlements.
We of course heard stories about Charles 1st, who was imprisoned in the castle in 1647. I was particularly fascinated by the stories about his 14-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth who not only was imprisoned with him but died in there and haunts the castle to this day.
Another story, new to me was of Elizabeth Ruffin. In 1632 this young girl was believed to have been murdered in the castle. Her ghostly face is sometimes still seen down the well.
As the evening drew on the atmosphere among our group changed. Nervous giggles were replaced with more serious reflection, and, yes, a creeping sense of disquiet and nervousness.
I may not have seen any ghosts on the walk that evening, but it seems to me more than likely that from those dark corners or hidden passageways, they may well have been watching us. At night, maybe they are the ones in control, not us.