Oxfordshire
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As you have probably gathered by now, I’m rather partial to a spooky story, and one that appears in The Folklore of Oxfordshire by Christine Bloxham is that of the very early 16th-century Lord and Lady Tanfield and their ghostly chariot, in which they reportedly haunted Burford and Great Tew in Oxfordshire. A bit out…
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An interesting article about Ewelme and its church, where Alice Chaucer, Duchess of Suffolk, has an exceptional tomb. Ewelme was part of the inheritance of Matilda Burghersh. As mentioned in the earlier M&B article, Matilda’s marriage was quite literally sold to John of Gaunt by her relative and guardian, Lady Mohun. This was only possible…
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The church at Minster Lovell is very beautiful, and when my late husband and I went there about twenty years ago, it was on a very misty morning. As we walked toward the church, on the way to the ruined hall, I saw a solitary candle burning in one of the church’s latticed windows.…
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I had never heard of the Pyx Chamber at Westminster Abbey, and so I made a point of finding out about it online. I discovered it to be a fascinating corner of the abbey….as well as being probably the oldest part. It is also believed to have the most ancient door in England, which for…
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This locomotive ‘Fair Rosamund’ was the only one of its class to carry a name. It was, of course, named after Rosamund Clifford and usually worked on the Great Western Railway’s Woodstock branch, near Oxford. Rosamund Clifford (mistress of Henry II) came from Clifford Castle near Hay in the Marches. This castle was associated with…
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Originally posted on Giaconda's Blog: Mary Blandy “Alas! the record of her page will tellThat one thus madden’d, lov’d, and guilty fell.Who hath not heard of Blandy’s fatal fame,Deplor’d her fate, and sorrow’d o’er her shame?”~”Henley,” anonymous 1827 poem The case of Mary Blandy divides opinion even today. Was she an innocent victim of…
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An article about the end of stamp duty on some properties, included a smaller column from which I’ve taken the following: “….A six-bedroom family home [in Stanford-in-the-Vale] linked to Richard III sold for £2.65million after spending just three weeks on the market….[it] was once owned by Anne Neville, who was Queen Consort to Richard III….”…
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Not our period, but Amy Robsart’s is a story that has always fascinated me. Did she fall, or was she pushed…? I think we all have our theories. I believe Dudley was behind it and shot himself in the foot, so to speak, because Elizabeth took fright. She already knew she was playing with…
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Caversham is just across the Thames from Reading. The present bridge carrying the main road between the two places is modern, but it is more or less on the site of a medieval stone and timber bridge, dating from between 1163 and 1231. Sources vary as to whether it had one, two or three chapels,…
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It seems that Oxfordshire is one of our most haunted county. Maybe. But I know of a few that would claim more ghosts. At the risk of irritating a whole bunch of folk, I’ll say my next-door county of Gloucestershire has the most ghosts of all. OK, OK, don’t all shout and wave your…
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