Haunted Hanging's at Castle Mound, Bedford UK

Photo credit: GWB UK 2021.

Who would think that a mound of earth, held so much history?

Better still it is part of the medieval castle probably built by Henry I after the early 1100's. Only the base of the motte remains of this once substantial fortification.

Sized at 7.5 m (25 feet) high and 49 m (161 feet) wide at the top, it is now a scheduled monument.

Following the Norman invasion an earth and timber motte and bailey castle was built on the River Great Ouse, a great advantage point looking over the town with great links to the river and dominating the Saxon settlement.

It was known as Bedford Castle.

A view from the top of the mound, overlooking the river.
Photo credit: GWB UK 2021.

From the early 12th century the De Beauchamp family had reign of the castle and between them they managed to have a civil war which came to be known as the Anarchy War. Then in 1215 civil war once again engulfed England with the outbreak of the First Barons' War between King John and his rebellious Barons'. Word had reached the Barons' that William De Beauchamp, then owner of Bedford Castle and initially a supporter of King John was on the verge of changing sides. William welcomed the Barons' to the castle.

Photo from Wikipedia

Bedford Castle was retaken for King John in late 1215 by the ruthless, Norman mercenary, Falkes de Breaute. He was a loyal soldier and for his achievement the King granted him the castle which he significantly enlarged and strengthened.

King John died in 1216 and was succeeded by his 9 year old son, Henry III.

Henry III besieged the castle in 1224 following a disagreement with Falkes de Breaute. The siege lasted 8 weeks and involved an army of as many as 2,700 soldiers with equipment drawn from across the country. As many as 200 people were said to have been killed. 80 of the defenders were hung on the castle mound.

It is claimed if you stand on the mound at night and listen very carefully, you'll be able to hear the creaking of the castle gallows.

Sketch by Matthew Paris of the Keep and Tower of Bedford Castle. The gallows depicted bottom right showing the execution of the garrison.

It took 4 attacks for the castle to fall, notably the miners gained access to the inner bailey by collapsing part of the wall and then on 14th August the miners attacked the keep itself, lit a fire under the walls, cracking the stone and filling the building with smoke.

Today at the summit of the mound slabs have been laid in a circle indicating where the wall of the inner keep once stood. On some of the slabs they have been inscribed.

Inscribed slabs on the mound summit
Photo credit: GWB UK 2021.

After the surrender of the castle the king ordered it's destruction.

Below is a photo of the summit of the mound as it is today. At one time the game Bowls has even been played here!

Photo credit: GWB UK 2021.

The Cecil Higgins Art Gallery which is on the grounds of Bedford Castle has reportedly had minor poltergeist activity and is believed to be haunted by several entities including a 1930's style man wearing a bowler hat, another man wearing a dark suit and a stable boy who walks around the library.

Girls Who Boo UK made a visit earlier this month, during the daytime. The weather was sunny, with light rain and slightly windy.

The area is popular with young families and dog walkers which at times made it difficult to investigate properly.

We tried a couple of spirit box sessions at different points on the mound and tried to record an EVP on our voice tracer. The K2 meter was placed. Unfortunately no connection was made on this occasion.

Before we left we saw this doorway.

Under the mound there is a chamber.

Dungeons, torture chambers?

Sadly no, nothing to do with darkly deeds,

The brick lined chamber was ideal for storing things cold. It was built in the mid 1800's, more than 600 years after the castle was demolished.