When it comes to Halloween and preparing to be spooked. There's nothing more creepy than a medieval castle. This part deserves a point in itself. When I was a kid, I used to play the games Age of Empires and Total War (showing my age and the fact I was a weird kid) and so I loved learning about battle strategies, warfare and weapons including using the trebuchet. There's ghosts, ghouls, wizards and witches. The Dead Centre Stage based in the Castle Courtyard features a a host of colourful characters - and throughout the day it was fun to drop in and see what was happening. One of the most infamous events that has been scratched into the paranormal record disc of the castle was the shanking of Sir Fulke Greville. Fulke was gifted the castle by King James I in 1604 and restored the shattered ruin of a castle into a glamorous palace filled with rich food, extravagant furniture and lavish wines.

The castle has seen so many rulers, owners, and restorations so now it’s a combination of all the centuries in one place. You can climb on 14th-century ramparts, walk through 17th-century state rooms, and learn about modern-day conservation in their bird sanctuaries and gardens. And these ghosts that are believed to haunt this castle are just as bizarre and malicious as you might expect. Sir Fulke Greville Fulke Greville’s singular painted portrait now rests in a dark corner of the castle, competing for attention with wax portraits of Henry VIII and his wives. Despite this, Greville’s spectacular tomb in St Mary’s Church survives as the most evocative and haunting expression of his life as Trophaeum Peccati or ‘Sin’s Trophy’. Due to the hotel’s notorious reputation it has been the set for several horror films such as The Haunting and The Watcher in the Woods and if you are to visit I believe you will get a scare out of the experience, I’m sure of it!

Here you can find all the royal guests as waxworks including the Prince of Wales (King Edward VII) and Winston Churchill. The most commonly sighted ghost at the Coombe Abbey Hotel is a hooded monk who may possibly be the restless spirit of Abbott Geoffrey who was murdered rather brutally on the grounds in 1345. He is often seen wandering the castle grounds in a long cloak and hooded robe at night. He is also said to be the one behind the poltergeist activity that has been reported throughout the house, but primarily in the kitchen! Some have speculated that the Abbott is bound to Earth because he is still searching for his murderer who got away scot-free! Haywood and Greville were involved in a heated argument when Haywood grabbed a knife and viciously stabbed Greville to death.

We were all really impressed with the quality of the food and the reasonable price. It was the same that you’d get if you had a country pub lunch. They also did a great selection of wines and beers if you fancied it! As a family of four, we were certainly spooked - but we also had a really great time. Our favourite mazes were definitely Haunted Hollows, both in the daytime and night. While out of the scare mazes Hunted went down best with my partner and stepson. The transcript seems to explain that this ghost had stolen something from the household in the past, and was assisted in his noise making by two other spirits. A conversation These numerous spectres include a semi-transparent Edward Shirley, a former owner, who strides through the lobby each and every Christmas Eve with his canine companion, in The Long Gallery (likely the most paranormally active section of the lodge) a military officer and an eldery woman flit about the room, a serving lass named Mary who met her maker after a sudden drop lingers in the Oak Room and a monk (naturally) is bound to the church.Disabled guests (and/or a registered Carer) with physical impairment(s) restricting mobility can experience the final four rooms free of charge, which are standard wheelchair accessible. Please speak to the team at The Castle Dungeon entrance for more information Neville attempted to rule in the rightful king’s place, but protests from Edward’s supporters forced him to release the king. Perhaps the most tragic of these three spirits is that of a young child who was beaten, cruelly whipped and flayed by their parents. After years of abuse the child’s fragile body could not withstand more and after a savage beating they died but due to their violent end they are in a state between this world and the next.

The first, written with pencil in a very loose hand which might well be the Countess’s, seems to exhibit a technique known as ‘spirit’ or ‘automatic writing’. This is where an individual is encouraged to sit and channel words from the spirit world onto paper without looking at what is being written. There is also the spirit of Sir Faulke Greville who was actually stabbed by one of his own servants while living at the castle. The servant was allegedly horrified by his own actions resulted in him actually cutting his own throat before leaving Sir Faulke to die all alone in the South Tower. Since his death, visitors have reported seeing him and hearing him moan and there is also a portrait in the castle which is alleged to depict Sir Faulke’s death! Spectators of the intriguing objects often find they are under an unpleasant sensation of being strangled by an invisible source. The servant was unimpressed with the sum. He considered it paltry and insubstantial to what he felt he was owed in return for his labour. In rage and fury, he stabbed Fulke with a flurry of blows from a blade at his house in London.Due to its intended construction being that of a military base, the castle has seen centuries of warfare and siege, with many bloody deaths occurring within its walls. Since his brutal slaying, the apparition of Fulke Greville has been sighted wandering the halls of his former home. And this year they have two experiences running for some October and Halloween fun. We were invited down to experience both their daytime and evening events, as well as spend a night in the Knight's, I mean, Fright's Village.