Pendragon Castle
This was actually our second site on our North Yorkshire trip back in November, but today is Ren's birthday! So she got to pick the site she'd most like to talk about that we hadn't posted yet and as a lover of the Arthurian Legend she picked Pendragon Castle.
This one was a bit different for us as following the disappointment of Tintagel Castle and Glastonbury Abbey's connection to the legend (we don't believe he was at either place but the sites themselves were stunning), we had decided to bring some special kit along to simply ask.
Dedicated readers of our blog will know of our love for the paranormal and therefore spiritual. However, our Ren has always dabbled in the more unknown aspects of these and it would be considered by some as Witchcraft. It is something we hope to explore more in depth going forward as it is fairly amateur stuff, but it is more something we like to look at from an experimental/scientific view. Will it work? Is it real? It is something to investigate in real time and as we move onto the next chapter of our lives along with that of the blog, we'll delve right in.
So yes, on this occasion we had brought a Pendulum. It is a simple tool connected to the spirit world, in short, you set the boundaries of the answer you are looking for and then you ask the question. Depending on what way the Pendulum begins to swing or circle, there is your answer. We'll talk more after we fill you in on the history on this site.
Named Pendragon Castle after Uther, not Arthur, this castle is located in Cumbria, not far from the parts of Yorkshire we were exploring. It's just above the River Eden which would have been its water source, but more interestingly it was supposedly built by Uther Pendragon, the infamous father of the mythical King Arthur.
Legend has it that once built, Uther had attempted to redivert the River Eden to make a moat. This was then immortalised in a local couplet: Let Uther Pendragon do what he can, Eden will Run where Eden Ran. He'd clearly intended for this castle to be his fortress, and after leading the resistance against the Anglo-Saxons it is no surprise that he would want a safe space to hide. Perhaps his extra security came from his despicable act which ended with the conception of Arthur, Tintagel's men would not have been pleased. Regardless, at some point this castle was built.
Of course there is always something to dispel the Arthurian Legend and this time it is physical evidence (although people are choosing what they want to see here as a Roman coin was found on site). It is claimed that there is no evidence of any pre-Norman fixtures on this site as the current castle dates back to the 12th century. It was built by Ranulph de Meschines while King William Rufus reigned. The keep is of Norman architecture and the garderobe turret is from the 14th century while other aspects of the castle date from much later in the 17th century.
After Uther, the castle had a fair few owners, most notable of them is Sir Hugh de Morville who was one of the nights that murdered Thomas Becket in 1170. Long after the castle changed ownership, around 1342, the Scots raided and took what was valuable, they recouped and then the Scots came back in 1541 and did it again. Unfortunately, during the second raid the castle was destroyed and became a ruin.
Pendragon Castle then fell into the hands of Lady Anne Clifford who rebuilt it in 1660. She added a brewhouse, bakehouse, coach-house, and stables to the site and it became one of her favourite castles (she owned a few). When she died at the ripe old age of 86 it passed to the Earl of Thanet and he did not look favourably upon the castle like Lady Anne had. He stripped the castle of any valuables and as a result the higher floors had collapsed into themselves. From that point onward the castle was left to decay further and evolve into the ruin we see today. It was then sold in 1962 to Raven Frankland who's father had written a book on Arthurian Legends connected to the castle. It then passed to his cousin who owns it to this day.
The castle now sits in farmland and can be accessed by the public but with caution. The ruins are not safe and due to funds cannot be maintained to the level needed, but the owner has made this accessible as possible for those who wish to see it.
So we'd brought a Pendulum to ask the question of if Arthur Pendragon had ever been here. We set our answers and the Pendulum began to swing... the answer was no. We assumed this was the case, Cumbria seemed too far North for where we had begun to think Arthur was. Our research has ruled out a great many places, but our way in the South East seemed most promising. However, the castle was for his dad, so that only ruled out the King's connection. So we asked the spirits through the Pendulum if Uther Pendragon had ever lived here... the answer was also no.
Where some would feel disappointment after travelling so far, we felt validated. This was a good result for us as that meant we were a step closer within our research and had ruled out another location. Now there is no evidence that there is any merit to the Pendulum, we're only going off our guts and our research so far. But we were happy with the result and eager to try a new method and dip into divination. It is something we hope to do again.
While the site may not have had any connection to the Pendragons other than its name (we look forward to trying to source Edward Frankland's book for further information), we have a feeling it is haunted. It was just getting dark when we visited but we think even in proper daylight this castle would have been beyond creepy. There is something about this semi-abandoned site in the middle of nowhere that gave us the heebie-jeebies. The fact shadows moved within the castle and people aren't allowed in put us on edge. We shone our torch through one of the windows to check inside and saw nothing, but we could 100% see movement, so we took in the outside, asked our questions, and got out of there as there wasn't the most welcoming aura coming from the ruins. We loved it.
So to sum it all up, we personally don't find any credence to the claims that Uther Pendragon built this castle. But that doesn't mean he didn't organise it, we just don't think he was here. In turn we don't think it has anything to do with King Arthur himself, however we look forward to finding this book by Edward Frankland to see if his research can shed any further light on our own and maybe prove the Pendulum wrong. Stay tuned to find out!
DISCLAIMER: Now for the official bit. This blog does not receive any paid promotions from the places mentioned above. We have not been approached to promote or act as spokespersons for any attraction mentioned within this post and this is simply a post intended to act as a day in the life of a couple on a cute date. All photos included are taken by ourselves and as such the rights for these images are ours, no links, brands, or companies mentioned otherwise belong or are associated with Phantom Adventures UK. We are responsible only for this blog. Opinions are our own and not influenced by any third party source..
If you have any recommendations on places to visit or somewhere you would like to see on the blog, please feel free to drop us a message on instagram under @phantomadventuresuk or email us at phantomadventuresuk@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment