nottingham castle

Ah, we are here on the grounds of Nottingham Castle! Although the actual Castle is now a mansion, the site was a stronghold for centuries - since Roman times at least, when it was known as Caesar's Tower. A gust of breeze chills the back of your neck as you ascend the path to the entrance. Do we sense the presence of the ghost, curious as to who is about? And who IS the Ghost of Nottingham Castle, anyway? Is it the unfortunate "Lackland" King John? His mother, the captive Eleanor of Aquitaine? Or the spirits of the many noble and common souls who have expired in the dungeon? Some of our players have insisted that the ghost is really Henry II, who built onto William the Conqueror's motte-and-bailey castle - adding the 'King's bed chamber', a 'house for the King's falcons', and a great hall with aisles in the centre of the Middle Bailey which would hold parliaments and entertainments. At times Henry II also "held" his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, in confinement at Nottingham Castle.