Featherstone Castle

The Grade I listed Featherstone Castle is a large country house not far from Hadrian’s Wall. A murdered bridal party is said to haunt the castle on the anniversary of the wedding date, though this is more of a traditional story rather than a reported and witness supported experience. Featherstone Castle is the ancestral home of the Featherstonehaugh family and it comprises of a Jacobean manor built around a peel tower. The family is thought to have been there since the Norman Conquest, though the Featherstonehaugh’s were I believe Saxons and remained at Featherstone for at least twelve generations through Helias de Ffederstanhaugh during the reign of King John to Abigail Fetherstonhaugh in the 17th century. The peel tower was added to Featherstone Castle by Thomas de Featherstonehaugh around 1330, prior to this it was probably best described as a strong Norman farm.
The story of the haunting of Featherstone Castle is old and has been written about many times with elements omitted and added over time. The basic story is that a medieval Baron of Featherstone Castle arranged a marriage between his daughter and a man she did not love, he being another noble of equal standing or sometimes referred to as a distant relative. The daughter tried to avoid the wedding as best she could but eventually went through with the ceremony. Whilst awaiting the wedding banquet to be prepared, the Baron sends the married couple, guests and relevant staff out hunting. When the hunting party reached the dense wooded area known as Pinkyn Cleugh they were ambushed by the new bride’s lover and his men-at-arms who attacked in hope of stealing her away from her unwanted husband. The wedding guests and staff fought back and it was a terrible fight where everybody on both sides died. During the fight the bride flung herself in front of her lover as her husband lunged with his weapon and she died of the mortal wound she received. The lover, being the last man standing was so devastated with the loss of the young woman that he stabbed his own heart and died holding her.
Meanwhile, back at Featherstone Castle (which would have been little more than a peel tower then), the Baron awaited their return. After many hours he sent out servants looking for the hunting-wedding party but to no avail. Late in the evening as the Baron was sat asleep in his great hall, the wedding party returned, riding through the main gates and making their way to their allotted banquet places. As the Baron awoke sometime after midnight he was greeted by the ghosts of his guests, clearly showing the wounds that had been inflicted upon them and the distress on their faces, before they faded away. Tradition has it that on the anniversary of the wedding, the ghostly wedding party are said to be seen riding from Pinkyn Cleugh to Featherstone Castle or according to some accounts they appear in the banquet hall re-enacting their ghostly wedding feast.
Another gruesome part of the story is the Raven Stone which is said to still remain near the castle. This cup stone is said to have held some of the blood of the lover after he killed himself and ravens are said to have come down and drank the blood, probably whilst feeding on the corpses lying around.
The Castle is now a private home, lucky enough to know the owner and have a good wander around this beautiful place.
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