Pidhirsti Castle Підгірці

The castle is an hours drive from Lviv, Ukraine, and is closed at present but it is due to be opened as a museum and will no doubt make a great tourist spot.

It was built in 1625-1640 for the elite and royal families and has been a functioning residence for many centuries but sadly is left in a poor state now. It is in the shape of a square with five pentagonal bastions on the corners and has seen modifications to its designed. It was proven to be a well functioning fortress on more than one occasion and during WWI was captured by the Russians, they looted the precious items but did not destroy the building.

In 1939 Prince Sangusko packed up most of the valuables and went to Romania, anticipating another bout of looting and interior destruction. After WW2 the castle was used as a TB Sanatorium. In February 1956 the castle was nearly burnt down completely. The fire that broke out lasted three weeks, only the walls remained and an extreme bill of $12 million worth of damages. In 1997 it was purchased by the Lviv gallery of painting and opened as a museum.

When the Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union the castle was to be used as a presidential residence but it never came to pass. Now the Lviv gallery of arts, and lack of funds, have slowed down their renovations with plans to give it a more historical look on a future project.

There is a ghostly take attached to Pidhirsti Castle, Waclaw Rzewusky dwelled there from 1720-1779 and the rumour is that he murdered his wife by burying her alive in the walls of the castle. This was due to jealously and may be the woman in white seen by many witnesses.

Ghost Hunters International went to look into the rumours at the castle. Ukranian TV show Psychic Challenge also went there, they concluded it was haunted. GHI stated that they were confident that ghosts resided pretty much throughout the place.

Edgehill Ghosts

England’s history for a small island is quite varied and bloodied, there are lots of ghostly tales but as a result of the Royal Commissions probe the Public Record Office gave Edgehill the official recognition of having paranormal activity.

23^rd October 1662 was the first fight of the English Civil War, Royalist troops were marching to London to support the King but they were intercepted by Parliamentarian troops at Edgehill. Edgehill lies between Banbury and Warwick and the fight went on for three hours with casualties on both sides. The fighting proved to do very little, both sides saw death, the Parliamentarian troops went to Warwick Castle and the Royalists then did not venture on to London. It was a senseless death score for both sides in pretty much every regard.

Even after the smoke and bodies had cleared the battle raged on. Only a few weeks afterwards reports came in about how the terrible scene kept being regularly re-enacted. King Charles 1 was so intrigued by the reports he sent out a Royal Commission to investigate it. They witnessed the events and were able to point out faces in the crowds, including the King’s Standard bearer, Sir Edmund Verney. Slowly the frequency of replays died down until they eventually stopped altogether.

Incidentally Verny’s story does not end there, during the battle he refused to give up his role and the Parliamentarian’s cut off his hands that gripped on the standard. His hands were later identified due to a ring he wore, it bore the resemblance of the king. His hands were then returned to his home, Clayton House, for burial.

Since then Verney is said to be seen around the house, his body was never recovered from the Edgehill Battlefield and so it seems he might be trying to find a way to get himself back together one day, as he cannot rest as he is.

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