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Hell Fire Caves

CEPI and Ghost Investigations joined together for an investigation of the infamous Hell Fire Caves.

  1. View Hellfire Caves Entrance
  2. View Into the caves...
  3. View HellFire Caves
  4. View Intrepid Investigator Jane
  5. View Lisa and Jane enter the caves...
  6. View HellFire Caves
  7. View HellFire Caves
  8. View HellFire Caves
  9. View HellFire Caves
  10. View Inner Temple
  11. View HellFire Caves
  12. View Is there a figure stood at the end of the corridor... or is it just the wall?
  13. View Plan of HellFire Caves
  14. View Numerals
  15. View HellFire Caves

Supposedly of very ancient origin these unique caves were extended in the 1740’s by the infamous Sir Francis Dashwood, founder of the notorious Hellfire Club. His aim was to provide an extraordinary addition to his landscape gardens, no doubt inspired by his Grand Tours of Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Many of his fellow dilettantes were building great Estates and landscaping gardens and temples above ground but no others dared venture underground in this way. The chalk was used to build the main road from West Wycombe to High Wycombe. This also provided employment to the Villagers of West Wycombe following a succession of harvest failures. The achievement is a true feat of engineering and quite remarkable considering they were all dug by hand. You can still see the individual pick axe marks on the walls.

On his return from his travels Sir Francis established the famous Hell-fire Club which subsequently held chapter meetings in the Caves and whose members included Lord Sandwich, John Wilkes and other senior aristocrats and statesmen. Sir Francis later became Chancellor of the Exchequer. Benjamin Franklin was a close friend and visited West Wycombe often.

Tamworth Castle

These pictures were taken on a FRIGHT NIGHTS investigation.

  1. View Battlements - Tamworth
  2. View Breakfast Parlour - Tamworth
  3. View Cooke's Bedroom
  4. View Cooke's Bedroom Tamworth
  5. View Corridor into Nursery - Tamworth
  6. View Dungeon - Tamworth
  7. View Entrance to Dungeon - Tamworth
  8. View Executioners Sword
  9. View Haunted Bedroom -Tamworth
  10. View Haunted Bedroom Tamworth
  11. View Haunted Staircase - Tamworth
  12. View Norman Exhibit - Tamworth
  13. View Norman Exhibition Tamworth
  14. View Nursery - Tamworth
  15. View Tamworth
  16. View Tamworth
  17. View Tamworth
  18. View Tamworth - Dining Room
  19. View Tamworth Castle
  20. View Tamworth Castle
  21. View Tamworth Castle -
  22. View Tamworth Dining Room
  23. View Tamworth Story
  24. View Tamworth Story Exhibit
  25. View Tamworth Story Exhibition

Tamworth Castle is sited in the town centre Pleasure Grounds overlooking the confluence of the rivers Tame and Anker. The Normans built the original motte and bailey castle some time between 1070 - 1080. In the 1180's a polygonal shell keep was built upon the motte.

The castle has had many owners and was altered many times over the centuries. The oldest surviving section within the Shell-Keep, is the north wing with its 13th century arched doorway, and there are examples of different periods of building through to the late 18th century. The most impressive room is the Great Hall with its oak timbered roof that dates from the mid 15th century.

The castle contains a museum that recreates how parts of the castle would have been used during different periods of its history. The castle is reputed to be haunted and one room even has a re-enactment of a haunting.

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