20th September 2008

Having arrived at the ruins, I have to admit I wasn’t expecting much. And after wandering around the main tower ruin for a few minutes, it seemed I wasn’t to be disappointed! I usually pick up a few things from stone work, not necessarily anything supernatural – usually just images/sounds/smells from the past. I get an image projected into my mind, very similar to day dreaming, only I’m very much alert. Here, I wasn’t even really getting any of that. I was actually more aware that my feet were getting wet from the high grass, and that we were sharing the site with a van-dwelling family taking the kids and the dogs out for a nocturnal stroll (as you do).

Moving away from the main ‘tower’ towards a tree west of the mound, everything changed. I immediately picked up on a dark figure standing beneath the tree’s branches. Yelling at Clare and Tammy to start taking pictures, I proceeded towards it. I say ‘it’ as I did not know whether it was male or female, which is quite odd for me. Naturally, the girls’ cameras refused to operate and the figure vanished before we reached it. At this point, I had no idea who/what this figure was. I had no names, did not pick up on any feelings or emotions – positive or negative – and was actually quite baffled. At this point I became very aware that we were being watched – and not by the midnight dog walkers! I also picked up on a feeling of anger – though not directed at us. A kind of pent up frustrated anger, not pleasant but in no way threatening. Then the name ‘Gerald’ or ‘Gerrard’ came into my head. No surname or any other details. Whoever this was wasn’t particularly forthcoming with details, and camera shy to boot! However, I need to emphasize that we were NOT unwelcome. We were being watched, but this was born of curiosity as to what we were doing there. Nothing at all worrying, nobody wanted us to leave.

Moving on to the church – with its fantastically quaint graveyard! – was actually quite exciting for me. I love old churches! Clare had previously stated that she felt sick in the area, as did Tammy. Though I didn’t initially pick up on anything. That was until we approached the front of the church. The image of an elderly lady, dressed in a shawl with a long dress of some kind appeared briefly before me. Her hair was tied back over her exposed head, and she was hunched over a basket she was carrying. Again, she was in no way threatening. If anything, she seemed to be the self appointed protector of the church. The name ‘Bathany’ came into my head. Tammy suggested we should check out the grave stones to see if the name appeared. Most of them were ineligible. The first stone that we could read had the name ‘Elizabeth’ etched into it. Possibly linked to Bethany, or maybe just coincidence. Still, seemed quite odd that the first stone we could read had that name on it.

The ruins east of the mound yielded some interesting, if quite disturbing, results for me. The stench of blood was quite powerful. Some great acts of violence were committed here (not unusual for a castle, of course). Though what I picked up was not from any age sold battles, but from apparently internal fights. Bloody arguments settled through the death of one of the opposing parties. The images of a man being struck across the head with a club of some sort appeared before me. The force of the blow was of such strength, it exposed the unfortunate recipient’s brain. A lovely image… I also felt we were being watched from above. Presumably from the long gone walls of the castle. This was not a haunting; this was a recording of a past event, somehow etched into the stones or the area.

The ruins north east of the mound yielded images of horses. Stocky horses, very powerful. Clare stated she had smelt horses early, so it was nice to get some confirmation!