Sizergh Castle, Cumbria - ghosts and old glories #EHFA

In order to celebrate the launch of Castles, Customs and Kings I'm taking part in a "blog hop" . You can go to English Historical Fiction Authors blog to enter for a chance to win a free copy!

I am also giving away a brand new signed paperback copy or ebook of my 'not-quite-released-yet' novel - A Divided Inheritance! Book will be shipped as soon as it is available, launch date 23 October. Comment under the post to enter. Extra entry if you join the blog. Don't forget to leave an email address. Draw closes midnight 29th September.

The name Sizergh dates from the 9th century and was originally spelled  sigaritherge, meaning Sigarith's pasture (sigarith is a female name.)

The castle has been home to the Strickland family for many generations, beginning in the 12th century, and is still lived in by them today. During the Wars of the Roses the family were Yorkists, and in the succeeding generation were linked with the Parres of Kendal - the family of Catherine Parr, wife of Henry VIII.

The photos above and  below are from an article on the castle by Matthew Penmott, and I can heartily recommend his site on the Castles of Cumbria.

The Strickland Arms in the Parish Church, Kendal

Sizergh Castle consists of a Pele tower dating from the 14th century, which gave protection against scottish raiders. On the courtyard front is the Strickland Coat of Arms. The main entrance leads today into a Tudor Great Hall, which has since been adapted by different generations of the family into a series of smaller rooms. An Elizabethan corner block and wings enclose a courtyard, and on three sides of the castle the remains of a moat is discernible.

The Return of the Inlaid Chamber
In 1891 the ornate panelling from the Inlaid Chamber, along with various furnishings, was sold to keep the house maintained. Thanks to the Victorian and Albert Museum, the original panelling and stained glass which was tailor-made for this room at Sizergh has now returned home to the castle after more than a century in London, and is now on permanent loan. (Pictures from the V&A)

The beautifully wrought panels were inlaid with English Poplar and “Bog” Oak to create a three dimensional effect of geometric and strapwork motifs.

Ghost of the Starved Lady

In the Pele tower ghostly sobs denote the presence of  a lady whose husband, before a raid by the Scots, was locked away in a room with an impregnable door - presumably to keep her safe. But her husband died and the terrified servants abandoned the place. The poor wife starved, and as she tried to claw her way out she went slowly mad. Her screams still haunt Sizergh on dark and spooky nights......

More photos of ghosts can be found at http://www.strangerdimensions.com/2013/07/11/top-10-famous-ghost-pictures-and-the-stories-behind-them/

Apart from the attraction of the ghost, Sizergh Castle is managed by the National Trust and is well worth a visit - beautiful grounds and gardens too, along with more than a thousand years of history!

Tuesday Tip - The Castle on your Doorstep

Often we fail to appreciate what is on our doorstep. A mere eight miles from where I live is the glorious Sizergh Castle, described in Simon Jenkin's book "The Thousand Best Houses" as one of "the twin glories of the Elizabethan North."

The other of course is Levens Hall, which I know well and used as a model for Fisk Manor, the home of Geoffrey and Stephen Fisk in The Lady's Slipper. I love to sit in an actual location and write a scene. It helps give realism to the architecture and a sense of place.

So when my sister came to stay we went on a long overdue visit to Sizergh Castle, ancient seat of the Strickland family since the 13th century and still inhabited by the same family today. There are photos of family members in 1980's shoulder pads amongst the gloomy-looking portraits, quite a few of them from the Stuart period in which I have a particular interest.

Apart from these gorgeous gates - just right for driving a carriage and pair through, the highlight for me was the Inlaid Chamber - a panelled bedroom, with a hanging plasterwork ceiling. This is mind-bogglingly ornate, the inlaid panelling made of poplar and bog-oak to give a rich texture of ornate renaissance motifs. It must have cost a fortune, but the sheer extravagance came in handy later on during hard times. The panelling was sold off to the V&A Museum by an embarrassed and cash-strapped Strickland for £1000 some years back, but the V&A, magnanimous as usual, have loaned it back for dispay in the house.

Selling off the family panelling might well now make an appearance in my next book, as I like the idea of a hard-up aristocrat stripping away the wealth and luxury to leave a bare room.

As well as an interesting tour around the house, the gardens at Sizergh are a delight, with barns and beehives, rockeries and topiary.

So my Tuesday Tip for writers is to visit that hidden gem that is not very far away, that you have always been meaning to visit, but haven't quite got round to yet.