HAUNTED CHESTER
A look at some of the haunted locations in Chester City Centre England UK
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state in western Europe from the 10th century to 1707. Occupying the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain, the kingdom included modern-day England, Wales (from the sixteenth century), and for a brief period in the 15th century the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The kingdom shared a border with Scotland to the north, but otherwise was surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. At the start of the period its capital and chief royal residence was Winchester, but Westminster and Gloucester were accorded almost equal status, with Westminster gradually gaining preference and becoming the administrative capital by the beginning of the 12th century. During the 10th century, the City of London quickly established itself as England's largest town and principal commercial centre.
The kingdom broadly traces its origins to the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain and the Heptarchy of petty states that followed. The territory of what became England was unified into a single kingdom during the early 10th century. The Norman invasion of Wales from 1067 and the completion of its conquest by Edward I (formalised with the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284) put Wales under England's control, and Wales came under English law with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542. On 1 May 1707, under the terms of the Acts of Union 1707, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united to form Great Britain. Although it is no longer a sovereign state, modern England continues as one of the countries of the United Kingdom.
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Edward I of England
Edward I (17 June 1239 -- 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons. In 1259, he briefly sided with a baronial reform movement, supporting the Provisions of Oxford. After reconciliation with his father, however, he remained loyal throughout the subsequent armed conflict, known as the Second Barons' War. After the Battle of Lewes, Edward was hostage to the rebellious barons, but escaped after a few months and joined the fight against Simon de Montfort. Montfort was defeated at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, and within two years the rebellion was extinguished. With England pacified, Edward left on a crusade to the Holy Land. The crusade accomplished little, and Edward was on his way home in 1272 when he was informed that his father had died. Making a slow return, he reached England in 1274 and was crowned at Westminster on 19 August.
He spent much of his reign reforming royal administration and common law. Through an extensive legal inquiry, Edward investigated the tenure of various feudal liberties, while the law was reformed through a series of statutes regulating criminal and property law. Increasingly, however, Edward's attention was drawn towards military affairs. After suppressing a minor rebellion in Wales in 1276--77, Edward responded to a second rebellion in 1282--83 with a full-scale war of conquest. After a successful campaign, Edward subjected Wales to English rule, built a series of castles and towns in the countryside and settled them with Englishmen. Next, his efforts were directed towards Scotland. Initially invited to arbitrate a succession dispute, Edward claimed feudal suzerainty over the kingdom. In the war that followed, the Scots persevered, even though the English seemed victorious at several points. At the same time there were problems at home. In the mid-1290s, extensive military campaigns required high levels of taxation, and Edward met with both lay and ecclesiastical opposition. These crises were initially averted, but issues remained unsettled. When the King died in 1307, he left to his son, Edward II, an ongoing war with Scotland and many financial and political problems.
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The Last Invasion of Britain
This is, as will be seen, an unreliable account of the last invasion of Britain, when a motley bunch of Frenchmen were defeated in south-west Wales by the local militia, a group of women in red shawls and a girl called Jemima with a pitchfork. And the whole thing ended in the pub.
History of Wales
The history of Wales begins with the arrival of human beings in the region thousands of years ago. Neanderthals lived in what is now Wales, or Cymru in Welsh, at least 230,000 years ago. Homo sapiens had arrived by about 31,000 BC. However, continuous habitation by modern humans dates from the period after the end of the last ice age around 9000 BC, and Wales has many remains from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age. During the Iron Age the region, like all of Britain south of the Firth of Forth, was dominated by the Celtic Britons and the British language. The Romans, who began their conquest of Britain in AD 43, first campaigned in what is now northeast Wales in 48 against the Deceangli, and gained total control of the region with their defeat of the Ordovices in 79. The Romans departed from Britain in the 5th century, opening the door for the Anglo-Saxon invasion. Thereafter British language and culture began to splinter, and several distinct groups formed. The Welsh people were the largest of these groups, and are generally discussed independently of the other surviving Brythonic-speaking peoples after the 11th century.
A number of kingdoms formed in the area now called Wales in the post-Roman period. While the most powerful ruler was acknowledged as King of the Britons, and some rulers extended their control over other Welsh territories and into western England, none were able to unite Wales for long. Internecine struggles and external pressure from the English and later, the Norman conquerors of England, led to the Welsh kingdoms coming gradually under the sway of the English crown. In 1282, the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd led to the conquest of the Principality of Wales by King Edward I of England; afterwards, the heir apparent to the English monarch has borne the title Prince of Wales. The Welsh launched several revolts against English rule, the last significant one being that led by Owain Glyndŵr in the early 15th century. In the 16th century Henry VIII, himself of Welsh extraction as a great grandson of Owen Tudor, passed the Laws in Wales Acts aiming to fully incorporate Wales into the Kingdom of England. Under England's authority, Wales became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 and then the United Kingdom in 1801. Yet, the Welsh retained their language and culture in spite of heavy English dominance. The publication of the extremely significant first complete Welsh translation of the Bible by William Morgan in 1588 greatly advanced the position of Welsh as a literary language.
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What is PRINCE OF WALES? What does PRINCE OF WALES mean? PRINCE OF WALES meaning & explanation
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What is PRINCE OF WALES? What does PRINCE OF WALES mean? PRINCE OF WALES meaning - PRINCE OF WALES definition - PRINCE OF WALES explanation.
Source: Wikipedia.org article, adapted under license.
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Prince of Wales (Welsh: Tywysog Cymru) was a title granted to princes born in Wales from the 12th century onwards; the term replaced the use of the word king. One of the last Welsh princes, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, was killed in battle in 1282 by Edward I, King of England, whose son Edward, born in Caernarfon Castle, was invested as the first English Prince of Wales in 1301.
Since the 14th century, the title has been a dynastic title granted to the heir apparent to the English or British monarch, but the failure to be granted the title does not affect the rights to royal succession. The title is granted to the heir apparent as a personal honour or dignity, and is not heritable, merging with the Crown on accession to the throne. The title Earl of Chester is always given in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales. The Prince of Wales usually has other titles and honours.
The current and longest-serving Prince of Wales is Prince Charles, the eldest son of Elizabeth II, who is Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other independent Commonwealth realms as well as Head of the 52-member Commonwealth of Nations. The wife of the Prince of Wales is entitled to the title Princess of Wales. Prince Charles's first wife, Diana, used that title but his second wife, Camilla, uses only the title Duchess of Cornwall (or of Rothesay when in Scotland) because the other title has become so popularly associated with Diana.
Cestyll Cymru - Castles of Wales
Video from my trip to the UK last year. The castles shown here are Conwy, Penrhyn, Caernafon and Rhuddlan. The music is 'O Sacred Head, Now Wounded' and 'Lord of Our Growing Years' performed by Kildare. Sorry about the choppy editing - this was my first time using KDEnlive, and was done using a ten year old computer.
Aerial Video of The Mumbles, Swansea.
Aerial Video of The Mumbles in Swansea, South Wales created by James Williams.
You're welcome to share the video on your website, but can you please embed this video and not download it then upload elsewhere.
Thank You.
Dedication to the SWEET town of Rhuddlan!
Soundtrack is Budsmokers Only - Bone Thugz & Harmony
St Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire
Exploring the Pembrokeshire coastline at St Govan's Head. Check out the website at for more information about this fabulous coastline.
House of Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet (/plænˈtædʒənət/ plan-TAJ-ə-nət) was a Western European royal dynasty that came to prominence in the High Middle Ages and lasted until the end of the Late Middle Ages. Within that period, some historians identify four distinct royal houses: Angevins, Plantagenet, Lancaster and York.
A common retrospective view is that Geoffroy V de Plantagenêt founded the dynasty through his marriage to Matilda, the daughter of Henry I of England. From the accession of their son, Henry II in 1154, via the Treaty of Winchester that ended two decades of civil war, a long line of 14 Plantagenet kings ruled England, until 1485 when Richard III was killed in battle. The name of Plantagenet that historians use for the entire dynasty dates from the 15th century and comes from a 12th-century nickname of Geoffrey. Henry II accumulated a vast and complex feudal holding with his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, which extended from the Pyrenees to Ireland and the border of Scotland, that some modern historians have called Angevin Empire.
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North Wales: Feisty and Poetic
Rick Steves' Europe Travel Guide | We get to know North Wales, as we visit the castle-within-a-castle in Conwy, peek into 16th-century domestic life at Plas Mawr, go down deep in the Llechwedd slate mine, and up high in Snowdonia National Park, then stroll through a Beatle pilgrimage in Liverpool.
© 2006 Rick Steves' Europe
King Longshank's Iron Ring of Castles in Wales
2017 SATW Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition Entry
The Queen's Head Pub Glanwydden
The Queen's Head pub is a beautifully cosy hotel located in Glanwydden, North Wales. They work to provide wonderful cuisine, taking full advantage of the quality local produce. A warm welcome is always given.
HOUSE of PLANTAGENET - WikiVidi Documentary
The House of Plantagenet was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The name Plantagenet is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses – the Angevins who were also Counts of Anjou, the main body of the Plantagenets following the loss of Anjou, and the houses of Lancaster and York, the Plantagenets' two cadet branches. The family held the English throne from 1154, with the accession of Henry II, until 1485, when Richard III died. Under the Plantagenets, England was transformed, although this was only partly intentional. The Plantagenet kings were often forced to negotiate compromises such as Magna Carta. These constrained royal power in return for financial and military support. The king was no longer just the most powerful man in the nation, holding the prerogative of judgement, feudal tribute and warfare. He now had defined duties to the realm, underpinned by a sophisticated justice system. A distinct national identity was shaped by c...
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Shortcuts to chapters:
00:02:50: Plantagenet
00:03:52: Angevins
00:06:06: Origin
00:07:55: Arrival in England
00:10:08: Angevin zenith
00:17:29: Decline and the loss of Anjou
00:21:20: Baronial conflict and the establishment of Parliament
00:26:23: Constitutional change and the reform of feudalism
00:28:19: Expansion in Britain
00:33:43: Conflict with the House of Valois
00:38:25: Descendants of Edward III
00:41:04: Demise of the main line
00:43:39: House of Lancaster
00:47:57: House of York
00:54:54: Tudor
00:57:06: De La Pole
00:58:32: Pole
01:01:31: Stafford
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Copyright WikiVidi.
Licensed under Creative Commons.
Wikipedia link:
GHOST of Wepre Park & Ewloe Castle,nr Connah's Quay in Flintshire, Wales.
Originally established next to an ancient forest, Wepre woods and estate are described in the Domesday book, situated within the Hundred of Atiscross, measuring 0.5 leagues.The park is home to Ewloe Castle
Ewloe Castle, which was built around 1257, is a relic of a brief triumph that the Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd had over the English Crown and the Anglo-Norman Marcher Lords in the mid 13th century. Until then, this part of north east Wales had been the starting point for repeated Norman invasions of Gwynedd for more than 150 years.
Legends say the castle is haunted by the ghost of 'marching men' and, in the surrounding 160 acre woodland between Connah's Quay and Ewloe, Nora the Nun is said to walk.The area had already written itself into the history books as the Battle of Ewloe in 1157 saw 200 Welshmen led by Owain Gwynedd, who was then king of north Wales, nearly kill English monarch Henry II.
The fight in Ewloe wood was close to where the ruins of Ewloe Castle stand.BATTLE OF Ewloe here
But beginning in the early 1230s, the Princes of Gwynedd had had started to gain the upper hand against the Anglo-Normans and Plantagenets who had taken territory in North Wales. Eventually by the late 1250s, the Welsh had reached Ewloe retaking lands up to the England–Wales border. A fortification had existed on or near the site since the Battle of Ewloe (Welsh: Brwydr Cwnsyllt) in 1157, when the Welsh successfully ambushed an English force under the command of Henry II (as they marched to Twthill at Rhuddlan). The English king only narrowly avoiding being killed himself having been rescued by Roger, Earl of Hertford.
Wepre Park is one of North Wales’ most popular destinations for family fun, however the Connah’s Quay beauty spot has a terrifying dark side...
The park has an illustrious past having once been part of the Wepre Hall estate, however nothing now remains of the hall now after it was demolished in the 1960s.
The grounds are also home to the remains of Ewloe Castle which was built by Welsh Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1257.
But despite the picturesque surroundings, legend tells that the ancient woodland is a hive of paranormal activity and when darkness falls things go bump in the night.
The park has long had a reputation for being haunted with sightings including a floating Nun called Nora, a pack of spirit dogs, a singing woman, and even a phantom army complete with a headless horseman.Undoubtedly its most famous ghoul is Nora the Nun who is said to haunt the Rosie pool and has been spotted by dozens over the decades floating over the waterfall and in the castle grounds.
It’s thought that she drowned in the Rosie pool after giving birth to an illegitimate child and unable to live with herself threw the baby into the water.
While other popular stories say she had her head cut off after an affair with a monk or was possibly hit by a bomb near the waterfall.
Over the years people have described her as an “angry faceless nun” with some claiming to have heard her humming while walking across the top of the waterfall.John Williams from Connah’s Quay said: “I can remember seeing Nora one night during a midnight walk by the waterfall with my dog. My dog started whining and when I looked up I saw her floating across the waterfall and could faintly hear a humming noise. But then she vanished into thin air.”
It’s also claimed that a pack of ghost dogs roam the woods, which are said to come from a pet cemetery at the old Wepre Hall where generations of family dogs were buried with their own headstones.While others say that if you go down to the castle late at night when it’s stormy the sound of drumming and the noise of a marching of an army can be heard, with some even claiming to have felt the wind of passing horses.
???????? ???????? The Awesome CAD WEST Low Flying Jet Site In Wales Mach Loop.
This was my first visit to the Mach Loop Whilst on holiday in north Wales in 2009. It was awesome, I was very lucky, on my first day there were over 30 passes, and on my second day loads of Typhoons and a F-15. The photographers up there were a very friendly people, and I would like to thank all of them, for the tips and advice they gave me about the Mach Loop. Cad West was definitely my favorite site on the loop.
Conwy Castle Flyover
Conwy Castle and surrounds, north Wales, March 2015. Filmed using a GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition, mounted on a DJI Phantom 2 with Zenmuse gimbal. Monitored through a Vonista Black Pearl equipped with Fatshark antennae. Sound disabled
2.CASTELL FFLINT
Flint Castle (Welsh: Castell y Fflint) located in Flint, Flintshire, was the first of a series of castles built during King Edward I's campaign to conquer Wales.
The site was chosen for its strategic position in North East Wales. The castle was only one day's march from Chester, supplies could be brought along the River Dee and there was by a ford across to England that could be used at low tide.
ConstructionBuilding work began in 1277 under Richard L'Engenour, who would later became Mayor of Chester in 1304. The castle and its earthworks were built by 1,800 labourers and masons using local Millstone Grit ashlar and sandstone. In November 1280, the Savoyard master mason James of Saint George began overseeing construction at Flint for Edward I.[2] He remained at the castle for 17 months. James of Saint George then moved onto Rhuddlan to oversee its completion.
When work ceased in 1286, Flint Castle had an inner ward and an outer bailey. They were separated by a tidal moat and were connected with gatehouse and drawbridge. A plantation town was also laid out beyond the outer bailey. The inner ward had three large towers and a detached keep. This isolated tower protected the inner gatehouse and outer bailey. In total expenditure, Edward I spent £6068.7.5d. creating the fortress and the town[1] (£2.5 million as of 2008).
Flint, which was sited on the western shore of the River Dee estuary, could be supplied by river or sea. Its harbour was protected by a defensive wall. The castle lies opposite to the English shore and Shotwick Castle in England. Before the river's course was drastically changed in the 18th century, passage across the estuary at this point could be made directly by boat at high tide or by fording at low tide.
Unique fortress design
The isolated keep defended the gateway and drawbridge between the inner ward and outer bailey.The castle is based on medieval French or Savoyard models where one of the corner towers is enlarged and isolated.This independent structure served as both corner tower and keep or donjon, like at Dourdan, France. Flint's keep has been compared to the donjon at Aigues-Mortes, France. Edward I would have been familiar with Aigues-Mortes having passed through the fortress on the way to join the Eighth Crusade in 1270.
The keep is an impressive structure. Its stone walls are 7 metres (23 ft) thick at the base and 5 metres (16 ft) above. Access was gained by crossing a drawbridge into a central entrance chamber on the first floor. Originally there would have been at least one additional storey. These floors had small rooms built into the thick walls. A timber gallery was built on top of the keep for the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales in 1301. On the ground floor is a vaulted passage that runs all the way around the inside of the keep.
Flint's design was not repeated in any other castle built by Edward I in North Wales. The layout at Flint remains unique within the British Isles.
History
The massive stone keep, curtain wall and three-storey corner tower.Flint was the first castle of what would later become known as Edward I's Iron Ring. A chain of fortresses designed to encircle North Wales and oppress the Welsh. Its construction began almost immediately after Edward I began the First Welsh War in 1277.
Five years later Welsh forces under the command of Dafydd ap Gruffydd, brother of Llywelyn the Last besieged the castle in an attempted uprising against the English Crown. In 1294 Flint was attacked again during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn; this time the constable of the castle was forced to set fire to the fortress to prevent its capture by the Welsh. The castle was later repaired and partly rebuilt.
With the conclusion to the Welsh Wars, English settlers and merchants were given property titles in the new town that was laid out in front of the castle. The plantation borough was protected by a defensive ditch with a wooden palisade on earth banking. Its outline remains visible in streets patterns.
In 1399 Richard II of England was held by Henry Bolingbroke at Flint before being returned to London.
During the English Civil War, Flint Castle was held by the Royalists. It was finally captured by the Parliamentarians in 1647 after a three-month siege. To prevent its reuse in the conflict, the castle was then slighted in accordance with Cromwell's destruction order. The ruins are what remain today.
Present dayFlint Castle, which has been managed as public monument for 90 years, is now maintained by Cadw, a Welsh-government body that protects, conserves and promotes the building heritage of Wales. Access is free and via a path. Most parts of the castle, such as the isolated keep, are open to the public.
Conwy and Castle, Wales
Conwy is a great place to visit for a day out or weekend break.
Built for Edward I, by Master James of St George, the castle is amongst the finest surviving medieval fortifications in Britain. In a word, exceptional. You can’t fault it, from the grandeur of its high towers and curtain walls to its excellent state of preservation. An estimated £15,000 was spent building the castle, the largest sum Edward spent in such a short time on any of his Welsh castles between 1277 and 1307. Money well spent.
Two barbicans (fortified gateways), eight massive towers and a great bow-shaped hall all sit within its distinctive elongated shape, due in part to the narrow rocky outcrop on which the castle stands. You won’t find Edward’s concentric ‘walls within walls’ here. They weren’t needed. The rock base was enough security in itself.
Some say it is the most magnificent of Edward I’s Welsh fortresses. To get the full picture, head for the battlements. Breathtaking views across mountains and sea.
If the outside impresses (and it will), wait until you go in. With an outer ward containing a great hall, chambers and kitchen, and a more secluded inner ward with private chambers and a royal chapel, it is very easy to imagine how Conwy functioned when the royal entourage were in town.