Peveril Castle from Cavedale, with Mam Tor, the Shivering Mountain, in the distance. Image: Rob Bendall
Castleton is a town of old, mellow stone, winding lanes and history. On the edge of the cliff, high above the cavern, stands Peveril Castle. The position, even to the untrained eye, appears to be both impregnable and a blatant statement of dominance. With the keep perched on the edge of a sheer drop and the castle enclosure occupying a ridge high above the little town of Castleton, the Norman invaders were making it very clear who was now in charge. Little now remains to show just how important this castle was in history.
The castle is guarded by the steep slop of the hill from the town, the great cavern and the cliffs of Cavedale. From a military perspective, it is a fantastic site, giving clear views for miles across the surrounding countryside and watching over the route that runs through Winatt’s Pass and down through the Hope Valley.
The area is rich in lead and other minerals as well as being the only place in the country where the beautiful Blue John is found. The Romans had recognised the value of the area and built the fort of Navio at nearby Brough. Roman tiles, presumably from the fort were reused in the construction of Peveril castle almost a thousand years after the Romans had arrived in the area.
The castle was originally built by William Peveril, Bailiff of the Royal Manors of the Peak. The story goes that he was an illegitimate son of King William I, better known to history as William the Conqueror, who took the throne from Harold after the Norman invasion of 1066. At first the castle was probably a simple fortification built of wood, but it was soon constructed in stone and was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The seemingly rough construction is a result of the passage of time and the appropriation of good building materials. The top of the keep still shows how it was faced with smooth stone and it must have been a very impressive sight in the sun.
Model of Peveril Castle showing its precarious but impregnable position above the cavern gorge. Image: Mike Peel
Peveril established the town of Castleton, enclosing the settlement in an earthwork ditch and building the garrison chapel that became the current church of St Edmund’s; a beautiful, peaceful building with plenty of history of its own that lies at the end of an ancient corpse road.
William Peveril the Younger inherited the castle, but his lands were forfeited to the Crown after his part in the Anarchy that challenged King Henry I. The lists of royal names and events associated with Peveril Castle is long… and it would need someone with more expertise in that area of history than I to do the place justice.
Trying to unearth the myths and legends is more in my line. There are one or two hauntings, which is to be expected with a castle… as well as several others in the town and the surrounding hills. The Castle Inn tells the story of a jilted bride known as Rose, who committed suicide and who wanders the gallery in her wedding dress, while in the cellars a uniformed nurse is still on duty. Perhaps she is there to help the man in the pinstripe suit who haunts the bar… or the Restoration soldier who still walks…
In Winnats Pass you may still hear two murdered lovers pleading for help. In 1758, Allan and Clara eloped. They were travelling to the ‘runaway church’ at Peak Forest, where those eloping in defiance of their families could find sanctuary and wedlock. They were set upon by miners in the Pass and their bodies were found years later, buried near a barn. Clara’s saddle of red leather can still be seen in the town though…and the miners came to a sticky end. One was killed by falling stones, another committed suicide and a third broke his neck. They too moan in Winnats Pass…or perhaps it is the wind… The lovers are thought to have been laid to rest together in St Edmund’s churchyard.
Goosehill Hall nestles in the valley below the castle. Parts of the Hall may date back over seven hundred years to a time before the medieval knights rode in tourney for the hand of a fair maiden. Many knights were killed, but it seems that some have not accepted defeat, riding still to the joust in the grounds of the Hall.
Perhaps it is one of these knights who lingers within the castle itself, clothed in white and standing by the walls. But he is not alone, his horse still trots around the empty spaces, waiting, perhaps, for the knight to remount. Banging and clanking noises are heard within the castle at night, but no explanation has been found … as yet. And then there is the black dog that roams the area around the castle too…
The castle is not the oldest hilltop settlement. At a mere thousand years old, it is modern in comparison with the burial mounds, three and a half thousand years old, atop the Shivering Mountain. Legends and folk tales may be hard to find in Derbyshire these days… but the land is populated by the ghosts of the past, some nebulous and ephemeral, others built in stone.
Cavedale and Peveril Castle. Image: Tom Courtney at Geograph.org
A lovely post, Sue. I would love to hear to stories of some of the other ghosts.
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I drop them in from time to time when we visit various places, Robbie.
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
A fascinating look at Peveril Castle and its rich history as well as tragic lovers and ghosts roaming the ancient roads and countryside.. Sue Vincent with another great post.
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There would have to be a Black Dog involved…
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I thought you might notice that 😉
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Why is it called Shivering Mountain?
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The shale causes landslips…it is also called Mam Tor, the ‘mother hill’, because its ‘babies’ cluster round its feet from previous slides.
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Love stories. legends, folk tales about ghosts and history and famous personalities braided together. I enjoy your stories. Sue. 😀
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Thanks, Tess, I love exploring these old tales 🙂
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Reblogged this on When Angels Fly.
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Such a wonderful and rich historical post you have made Sue. I envisioned myself back in time. Thank you. Re-bogged.
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Thank you so much, Mary. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
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Welcome
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I love learning about new castles, well new to me, I think next time we are that way, Castletown is a must, as from your posts it sounds very interesting 🙂
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Castleton is well worth a stopover.. it is a lovely little town 🙂
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It certainly looks like it, I am guessing there are a lot of nice old towns and village up there. We really must have a holiday up there and explore 🙂
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I could spend a lifetime there (if I had one left at this stage:) ) and not get bored of the landscape and ancient sites 🙂
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Oh well its definitely worth a holiday then, with a recommendation like that 🙂
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Fabulous countryside, great little pubs, castles, stone circles, wonderful old churches… should be right up your street 🙂
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Oh yes indeed 🙂
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🙂
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What a beautiful and isolated place perched on the precipice like that. I love learning the history. Some great photos too. 🙂 Great post.
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Thanks, Diana, I’m rather fond of Castleton 🙂
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This Norman castle is very similar –almost identical — to a castle in the Golan, north of Israel. The castle is just below what would now be the Syrian border, I am betting the same people built both of them. It’s difficult to find data about those medieval castles in Israel, but if you have any information about what these people may have been doing there during the Crusades, I’d be really interested to hear about it!
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England didn’t really get involved in the Crusades officially until later, although some of our knights did. In the aftermath of the Norman Conquest here, the Normans were probably too busy consolidating their position for a while. But as they had come over from France, the architectural similarities are easily explained as Europe was heavily involved in the Cusades from the end of the 11thC.
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The one up in the mountains by Golan is built literally on two peaks, just like that one. That’s why it caught my eye. I didn’t even know the castle was there, but suddenly, it was above us on the mountain. Remarkably similar. Maybe from one of the middle European countries … but really SO similar. I didn’t realize there were so many medieval castles in Israel. Turns out, there were many, though most have fallen to ruins. This one, though was in excellent condition. In Israel, back then, you could just run all over the place and if you fell off the mountain, oh well. I didn’t fall off the mountain, though I really wish i’d had a camera!
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I somehow can’t imagine either of us without a camera…though I didn’t really get addicted till a few years ago .
I imagine, with the Crusades and the centrality of various religions to daily life and that area, there must be a lot of medieval European traces there…
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I was just “out of cameras” at that point in life and it wasn’t a great place to buy a camera, either. Insanely high taxes on foreign made things … and almost EVERYTHING was made overseas.
The entire country is a giant tel. It’s kind of amazing. You can dig anywhere and find something. Roman or Greek or Arab or Turkish … The pieces are literally EVERYWHERE. I miss that. A lot.
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I can imagine…on both counts…
I’m out of cameras here too, with a cracked lens on the Lumix. We fell… and as uusual I noticed th lens before the bruises 😦
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If you didn’t live so far away, I would give you a camera. I actually have enough spares. What a pity. I had to wait a long time to buy a camera, basically until I went back to the States. it was my longest time without a camera.
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Mine is still working…just… but it will have to be replaced when I can.
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Excellent post, Sue. You always manage to combine interesting history with real people stories. This one is quite good!
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Thanks, Jennie… the old tales and places fascinate me.
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Me, too! 🙂
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🙂
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You conjure up a landscape rich in myth and history effortlessly. I always feel immersed in the place while reading
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Thanks, paul…I just want to share the things I love 😉
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A most interesting look into history, myth and folklore, Sue. You do it so well. 🙂 ❤
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Thanks, Debby. It is easy to write about what you love 🙂
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Much truth in that Sue. 🙂 x
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🙂 x
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A most excellent ending to the cliffhanger! 😀
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It had to be done…and that castle really does hang on the cliff 🙂
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Wow what an incredible location and a history to match! Beautiful pictures, Sue. I’m curious though… why is Mam Tor called the Shivering Mountain?
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Mam Tor is largely made of layers of shale and the frequent landslips gave it the name.
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Ah I see. So practical a reason. Is Mam then a reference to the maternal, as in mother earth?
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Indeed… though it also has a practical reference; the shale slides create small hills, so have built a circle of ‘children’ around the mother’s feet.
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I love that! 😊
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So did I 🙂
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I love this post, Sue – this land is just chock full of ghosts and legends, isn’t it? So much crammed into a couple of small green islands.
I also love the explanation you gave Ali about Mam Tor – it’s really rather sweet! 🙂
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That’s the official explanation, though with its shape, a hillfort, settlement and burial cairns on the top, I wonder how far that name really does go back…
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Hmmm. Yes, layers upon layers, as they say…
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There is so much still to explore there…
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Absolutely 🙂
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🙂
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Pingback: Writing Links 2/2717 – Where Genres Collide
Reblogged this on Stuart France.
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Very interesting post, Sue and great photos. Have you read the ballad (http://www.darkpeakandwhite.com/henryclara.html)? It’s quite clever and dark and brooding. KL ❤
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No I hadn’t come across that page… but I have now 🙂 Thank you! ❤
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Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.
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Thanks, for reblogging, Viv xxx
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