Behind the Scenes at Thornbury Castle
A building as magnificent as Thornbury Castle does not exist for five hundred years without gathering a few secrets along the way.
Many of those secrets are now locked in the past, but some are still enjoyed by those in the know, and contribute to the charm and atmosphere of this unique fortress.
Here are just a few of those secrets unlocked for your delight, so that next time you visit the Castle, your experience will feel even more special.
The Baron's Dining Room
The Castle as we know it today was begun by Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, but never finished, as he was beheaded by Henry VIII for suspected treason.
After a chequered history (click here to read more), the Baron of Portlethen bought Thornbury Castle in 1986 as an hotel and restaurant.
He kept a suite of rooms for himself, including a sitting room now known as the Baron's Dining Room.
He chose well; this is one of the cosiest and best-sited rooms, with windows overlooking the entrance drive to one side and the courtyard to the other.
The Baron had a playful streak, and arranged the furniture in his sitting room to the disadvantage of any hotel employee he cared to invite upstairs. Seated opposite the Baron in the late afternoon, they would find themselves squinting into the westerly sun, while he enjoyed a clear view of the room.
The Baron also gave special instructions to his carpenter Stephen Edgar when the room was panelled in oak. Fans of children's adventure stories should search the panelling for a knot; press it, and an entire panel opens to reveal a small hidey-hole containing a safe and a jar of sweets to sample as a reward. Absolute magic!
Hunt The Bathroom
Thornbury Castle's receptionists are well-used to receiving bemused phone calls from visitors who choose to stay in one particular room.
The room does of course have an ensuite bathroom, but finding it can be a challenge.
What looks like the obvious door leads to a small closet containing an ironing board. The real bathroom door is set so cleverly into the wall, and with such an unusual door handle, that it is rarely spotted.
Needless to say, that's one secret that's soon shared with the occupants.
The Chef Who Laid The Golden Egg
When Thornbury Castle advertised for a new breakfast chef a few years ago, they had no idea whom fate would send them.
It was only when "Chris the Chef" passed comment about repairing a broken chair in the dining room, that his past emerged.
He turned out to be a master craftsman who had worked on the restoration of Windsor after it caught fire in 1992, as well as the homes of Sir Paul McCartney, Bono and Mick Jagger.
Chris was swiftly relieved of his egg-cooking duties and reassigned to gilding and upholstery.
His cooking didn't stop altogether though: look carefully at the oak boards in any of the newly-restored bedrooms. They have been treated, not with commercial woodstain, but with a home-brewed concoction containing among other ingredients: mashed conkers, gin and brown ale, with a little dirt from a molehill to add colour, all boiled up for exactly 57 minutes.
If it's good enough for the Queen...
A Lasting Impression
State rooms in grand houses are designed to impress, and Thornbury Castle now has its very own state bedroom, with honoured guests in mind.
You'll find "The Tower", as its name suggests, up a winding stone staircase at the top of the Castle's largest tower, with commanding views across the vineyard, the River Severn and Gloucestershire.
This is your only chance to stay in a "state bedroom" in an English hotel, and indeed your only chance to sleep in the biggest hotel bed in England - it's a massive ten feet wide by six and a half feet long, and is fitted with two sets of sheets and blankets sewn together.
As it's such a long way to the end of the bed, you'll be pleased to hear that the footboard houses a 52" plasma television that rises up at the touch of a button - just remember to take the remote control to bed with you!
The Tower has recently been completely restored and refurbished under the guidance of English Heritage, and with Chris's know-how from his Windsor days.
No expense has been spared on the decoration. Two huge walls are screened in silk at over £100 a metre, and even the wooden panelling that skirts the room has been silk upholstered.
The icing on the cake though, is the gilding. You'll see it on the panelling, the doors, the chandeliers and even on the carved angel that tops the bedhead. It's 24 carat gold, and it glows.
The apple wood chandeliers in The Tower and its bathroom were rescued from a store of old furniture, carefully resanded and in places even re-carved to bring out the full relief of the design, then gilded in silver, platinum and gold.
Opposite the bed, a copy of a famous picture of Bacchus (Roman god of wine) sits in a vast Adam frame, splendidly regilded.
Inspiration for designing The Tower came from its original owners, the Staffords, and a sense of what they would have wanted from a state bedroom.
Like the sculptor Michaelangelo who claimed he simply removed the unwanted wood surrounding an angel in a piece of storm-damaged tree, for the restorers of The Tower it has been a case of paring back previous layers of decoration, assessing the proportions and bones of the rooms, and then working to enhance them.
While the sumptuousness of the furnishings and the supreme quality of the gilding are self-evident, they are in proportion to the stature of the room.
And when you know that your furnishings are likely to last for over two centuries (and yes, the silk can be taken down and cleaned of mucky fingerprints when necessary), it's practically an economy!
Ghostly Goings-On
You would expect a building steeped in so much history to have a few resident ghosts, and Thornbury Castle never likes to disappoint.
Ghost hunters claim to have successfully taken "orb pictures" at the Castle, apparently showing the energy fields of former residents. Just look up "Thornbury Castle orbs" on the Internet to see for yourself.
History records that Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII, spent time at Thorbury Castle as a teenager and kept greyhound dogs as pets.
Recently the manager received a telephone call from a lady who said she and a friend had enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Castle, but had been surprised to see a greyhound walk through the Oriel dining room, as she understood the hotel had a “no dogs” policy.
The only explanation Mr Jarvis could offer was a brief history lesson about Princess Mary...
No collection of ghosts would be complete without a grey lady, and during the Second World War a soldier stationed at the Castle reported seeing a lady in a grey dress walking along the battlements...
One of the Castle's ghosts understands the importance of caring for guests: this mystery maid has been known to help residents in the Gloucester Room into their bath, even helping to remove their socks and shoes!
Thornbury Castle's best known ghost however is Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford and stepfather to the Duke of Buckingham. You can see his image on the key cupboard by the hotel's reception desk, carved by carpenter Stephen Edgar.
In Jasper's day, the area on the first floor of the castle now occupied by offices was reserved for gentlemen only. It seems Jasper is unhappy that today's office ladies offices have invaded his space, and makes his presence felt.
He turns on the photocopier and pushes objects off shelves – once he dropped a first aid box from the top shelf right in front of Julie, former PA to the Baron of Portlethen.
A clairvoyant who visited the offices claimed she could see Jasper Tudor, dressed in a long dark coat and a pointed hat, indicating to her to keep her distance.
Interestingly, a quieter time was enjoyed by all when there was a man working in the office.
Jasper may also operate in the Library, where books have been known to jump out of bookcases. Once a history of myths and legends flew across the room, narrowly missing once of the office ladies walking through.
Hold on tight to your drinks...
Now and again, guests report noticing people in their rooms in the middle of the night. A little girl who stayed in the Mary Tudor room drew a picture of a man she said had visited her in the night, and the picture bore a remarkable resemblance to Jasper Tudor.
Youngsters seem to notice the ghosts more than adults: the children of one family being shown to their room refused to go in, saying they didn't like the people who were in there. The room was of course empty.
Indeed some of the ghosts are children, or child-like in their behaviour, such as the one who pulled at the skirt of a member of staff, and the lonely boy and his dog who turn on the television in the Tudor Room. One has even responded to a challenge to come and play, setting a rope pull by one of the bedroom doors swinging.
One evening, as two "turn down" girls were walking back to the Castle from a fireworks display in the grounds, they noticed a couple of children in the window of the Plantaganet suite, laughing, talking to each other, and pointing at the fireworks.
The girls went straight up to turn down the beds in the suite, only to find it empty.
Faces In The Stone
If you get the feeling you're being watched as you wander around the Castle, you may be right: there's a face in the stone embedded above the staircase that leads you to the Portlethen and Bedford rooms.
And then there's the grumpy gargoyle. Rescued by Chris, he's been named Brian after manager Mr Jarvis.
"Brian" has been banned by his namesake from any of the bedrooms in case he frightens guests, and is likely to find himself gilded and installed in the gatehouse.
Mysteries Still To Be Solved
On the south side of the Castle you'll see part of the outer wall extends in a U-shape. This is divided down the middle into two rooms.
Strangely, one room is larger than the other, and the suspicion is that there may be a priest hole in the blocked-off space.
A Victorian tunnel starts at the entrance to the former dungeon (now the wine cellar), runs under the courtyard, and comes up by the (now unused) Castle well.
It's highly likely that there was a tunnel linking Thornbury Castle and St Mary's Church, so the blocked-off triangle might lead underground.
It's currently covered up by a fitted desk, but could one day be opened up.
Meanwhile, Chris the chef-turned-gilder who has a good memory for pictures claims the portrait of the Cavalier hung above the main staircase has a mind of its own: he's convinced that over the years the good Cavalier has turned around and is now facing the wrong way.
Maybe Chris has been breathing in too much home-brewed woodstain, but it's certainly true that if you look closely at the Cavalier's foot, his buckle appears to be on the inside rather than the outside...
It's Your Castle
Keep these secrets to yourself, or share them with others – it's your choice.
Just be aware that there is much more to learn – and what better excuse for a return trip to Thornbury Castle?
Thornbury Castle Hotel Ltd.
Castle Street, Thornbury, BS35 1HH
Tel: 01454 281182
Website: www.thornburycastle.co.uk
Email:
Thornbury Castle Hotel is part of the von Essen private collection of hotels: www.vonessenhotels.com
Thornbury Castle on MyThornbury
