Castle Rising

The 12th century Norman keep is said to be haunted by Queen Isabella, mother of Edward III. She was the lover of Roger Mortimer and had her husband, Edward II, murdered to secure power for herself and Mortimer.

Edward III eventually seized power from his mother and had Mortimer executed. It's claimed that he then had Isabella imprisoned in the castle. She eventually went mad and supposedly died there in 1358. Since then, her tortured screams have been reported echoing from the upper rooms of the keep.

Sadly, much of the legend surrounding this tale is untrue! Isabella did indeed live at the castle but was free to travel to her other properties and died in Hertford in 1358. She was buried in Greyfriars by Newgate in London. Her ghost is said to haunt the site of the graveyard, holding the heart of Edward II in her hands.

However, people still claim to hear screams and maniacal laughter coming from the castle in the early hours of the morning. So if not Isabella, who or what is behind the terrifying sounds?

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