Seeking shelter from the storm, a particularly nasty one at that, we (literally) stumbled into Ruthin Castle.
Though freezing cold and covered with slushy mud, we were warmly welcomed by the host and offered safe accommodations if we chose to stay. We were given a tour of the castle, it's banquet hall, kitchen, the rooms, dungeon and even "the drowning pool"*. I was excited and even more so after they told us of the ghost that haunts the parapets. And though I was game to stay, I was over-ruled and we left after a brief lunch. Why did we decide to take our chances on the roads? Because this castle was "haunted" and two in our group were "scared to death" of staying! Hell, I wanted to look for the ghost, maybe swap some stories or share some make-up secrets.
But nevertheless, we headed back out into the storm in a futile attempt to make it to London for an important meeting. What a mistake! We got halfway there when we were forced to overnight at a road-side dump before making into London the next day.
We missed the banquets, marriages, gorgeous views and the chance to rub elbows with a ghost. I need to go back, perhaps in the spring. I know the ghost will wait. She's been doing that for hundreds of years. That's why I want to discover her make-up secrets and sell them on HSN.
*a chamber filled with water and used to drown victims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb-JZPmiEOI
P.S., I've requested the title be simply labeled "Ruthin Castle". read more