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san4uzel · Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Posts: 72 Location: British

Lumley Castle, Chester-le-Street

Lumley Castle was built by Sir Ralph Lumley in the late 14th Century.
He obtained permission from the bishop in 1389 and from the king (Richard II, a friend of Lumley) in 1392 to convert the manor house built by his father into a castle.

The Lily of Lumley was the first wife of the builder of the castle, Sir Ralph, later Lord Lumley.
Like her husband she was an ardent follower of Wycliffe, the church reformer.

One Winters evening, While her husband was away, two priests, entered the castle and tried to persuade her to return back to the Catholic Fold.
However, she was unsympathetic, so to save her soul the priests lured her into a bedroom and killed her.
They moved her body down the mural staircase to the basement of the castle and threw her body into a well.

A few days later, an ill woman was taken from Lumley village, to a near by convent where she was brainwashed to state that she was Lilly of Lumley.
When the young woman died the priests informed Lord Lumley, that his wife was found wondering the village in a state of fever and illness, and was given haven at the convent, where she died.
Her husband seeing no reason to disbelieve the story accepted it.

Known walks of Lilly Lumley are the staircase to the basement.
She has also been seen in bedrooms of the castle, also dressed in white.
There have been stories of phantom footsteps, both in the rooms of the castle and also on the stairs, and also strange cries and sobbing.

In the grounds of the castle, and in the surrounding area ( especially the woods and golf course), She can be seen, dressed in a white bloodstained dress.

It is said that she has terrified many a golfer and motorist by appearing in front of them, and then when approached or ( in the case of the motorist) hit by the car, disappears.

Today Lilly of Lumley can still be seen wondering her castle and grounds.

The castle is now a 5 star hotel, a haven for ghost hunters looking for a glimpse of Lilly Lumley.