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| With Treguard himself Hugo Myatt |
Altar dedicated to Nemesis, Chester
The Chester amphitheatre is one of the
largest known from Roman Britain. Half of the Eastern and northern
sides are visible and accessible to the public and well worth a
visit. Constructed at around 70AD by Legion II Adiutrix and abandoned
at around 350. To the right of the northern entrance there is a small
room called the 'Nemeseum' which contains an altar dedicated to
Nemesis the goddess of fate, divine vengeance and retribution. The
inscription reads: DEAE NEMESI SEXT - MARCI ANVS V S - EX VISV
("Dedicated to the goddess Nemesis by Sextus Marcianus, after a
dream.") Discovered in the excavations in the 1960's it is
believed that offerings would have been made before a performance at
the amphitheatre to prevent an untimely death. This is a replica, the
original is on display in the Grosvenor Museum equally worth a visit.
Jurassic Golf Bridgemere
Creswell Crags, Holbeck
Not only was this limestone gorge on
the Derbyshire/ Nottinghamshire border once inhabited by Ice Age
animals such as hyenas, mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, and migrating
herds of reindeer, horse and bison but humans too! The site contains
several caves that were once inhabited by nomadic human groups
between 55,000 and 10,000 years ago making Creswell Crags the most
northerly point on earth to have been visited by our ancient
ancestors. Having not only discovered tools formed
from stone, bone and ivory there they also recently discovered 13000
year old engravings of deer, birds, bison, and horse there making it
the oldest art gallery in Britain? At the East End of the gorge there
is a museum and education centre filled with wonderful finds that I
strongly suggest you look round, oh and book their tours- well worth
a visit.
Constructed on a former Iron age fort during the late 13th century by Dafydd ap Gruffydd brother of former Price of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Standing on a red sandstone ridge 100 feet above the Clwyd valley and overlooking a strategic river crossing the land was granted to Dafydd ap Gruffydd by Edward I in gratitude for his assistance during the invasion of North Wales. It was then taken over by Reginald de Grey who strengthened and extended the castle in 1295. Many years later, 1826 in fact a grand house was built over the south-eastern quarter of the castle and in 1923 the castle became Britain's first private hospital for the investigation and treatment of obscure internal diseases before closing in the 1950's. It was then transformed into a hotel in the 1960s and has remained one ever since. One notable guest who stayed there was Prince Charles who spent the night before his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969.
Bestwood Lodge Hotel, Arnold,
Nottinghamshire
Ten miles from Sherwood Forest and
reputedly haunted by orange seller, actress and long time mistress
to Charles II Nell Gwynn who's spirit is said to be responsible for
the mysterious smell of oranges discovered in rooms frequented by
children. Staff at the hotel have also reported figures walking
around the corridors and disappearing shortly after along with
disembodied voices coming from the cellar, where bodies are said to
be buried. In one instance a member of staff changing a barrel
reported the lights going off and a voice asking, “Can I help
you, Sir?” Bestwood Lodge has been a hotel since the 1970s and a
very nice one it is too, a popular venue for wedding functions and
as a result the lady at the front desk had no interest in answering
my questions regarding the spectres at the hotel.
The
Manor House, County Durham.
Once
a farmers’
dwelling built between the 15th and 16th centuries this building has
at some point existed as a convent, a court house and orphanage
before becoming the rather nice hotel and country club it is today.
Apparently room six is haunted by a young crying boy looking for
this mother who may or may not be the ghost seen on the upper floor
reportedly searching for her son. Random cold spots and floating
objects have been reported throughout the property, although Mrs
Jones and I did not stay in room 6 we did hear a strange child like
sounds early in the morning... make of that what you will.
Ok then, Last one to 2017 is a rotten egg!
* A few hours later we lost Debbie Reynolds!
"Tradition"? Previous Years
2015
2014
© Arfon Jones 2016. All images are
copyrighted throughout the world.
