Treasure or Toffee Wrappers?

The local BBC news reported this morning that English Heritage is planning to send a remote camera down the well at Beeston Castle. The well, hewn into the sandstone rock for at least 124 metres, is believed to be the deepest in Britain. There have long been rumours of treasure at Beeston. The story goes that Richard II, when on his way to crush a rebellion in Ireland in 1399, hid gold and jewels at various locations. When Henry Bolingbroke usurped the throne, much treasure was recovered, but many believed some was still hidden. Beeston has been searched before for the missing loot; after all this time, the team are far more likely to find rusting coins and old toffee wrappers.

The best treasure at Beeston, apart from its unique history, is the fantastic view from the castle, and the wealth of wildlife which has made its home there.
Images: The well at Beeston Castle, and the Victorian gatehouse built by Lord Tollemache in 1846, © Sue and Nigel Wilkes.

A Mighty Fortress

The Beeston Castle area is one of my favourite places in Cheshire; we’ve had many smashing walks along the Sandstone Trail there. The weather was so lovely today that we had an afternoon out and enjoyed a stomp along the Trail from the Castle to the Candle Workshops and back again. The hedgerows were full of blackberries; there were a few pheasants trundling about, and we saw a pair of buzzards mewing and circling high above us. The Castle was built in the C.13th by Ranulf, sixth Earl of Chester. The mighty fortress was ‘slighted’ during the Civil War, so it falls short of its former splendour, but it’s still an impressive landmark, towering high above the surrounding countryside. Beeston was believed to be impregnable, and when a raiding party sneaked inside the Castle during the Civil War (supposedly by treachery), its commander Capt. Steele surrendered; he was later executed for cowardice.

Image: Beeston Castle from the bridge over the moat. © Sue Wilkes