Emily Chan
Today, Chillingham Castle has a reputation for being one of the most haunted castles in England. It’s said that more than one hundred ghosts roam the property.
The castle has existed since the thirteenth century. It was built to be used as a monastery and was the home of the Grey family. Then, in 1296, it was destroyed by a Scottish raid. Afterward, the building officially became a castle and was reconstructed with more fortifications.
In 1298, King Edward I stayed at the castle while heading to the Battle of Falkirk, where he fought and defeated William Wallace. Thus began the Scottish-English war.
During the Middle Ages, England wanted to own Scotland, but the Scottish people resisted. Chillingham Castle was located near the border between Scotland and England and was often attacked by the Scottish. However, their attempts were in vain because of the castle’s thick walls.
One man named John Sage was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Scottish people. John Sage was a callous, cruel, and cold-blooded killer with access to his very own torture chamber.
Previously a lieutenant, he lost the ability to fight after an injury to his leg. Armed with a bitter hatred toward the Scottish and a number of torture devices, he took his frustrations out on them. For over three years, he tortured more than 50 people each week.
Sage’s torture chamber, filled with his various tools, is open to the public, although it is not the original chamber. The actual place where he performed his grisly acts has been sealed off.
Some of the devices he used were “the wheel,” “the iron chair,” and “the rack.” The rack was used to stretch a person until their joints popped. Sage also liked to starve, boil, and impale his victims to death.
Additionally, the castle’s courtyard has seen a ton of violence. After the Scottish-English war was over, the English burned their adult prisoners to death in a huge bonfire. The children were hacked to death. The ghosts of prisoners and even John Sage himself have been seen wandering the courtyard.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
