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South East Championships

Date:	09/10/2005		Register:
Society:	Romney Marsh SDS		Type:	Championship
Contact:	John Gascoigne
	01 227 262 903

Location:

Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst

Details:

South East Championships


Scotney Castle is located off the A 21, to the south east of Lamberhurst. The NGR is TQ 690 350.

The location of the trial, in front of the main house was quite excellent, the day was fine and warm, and the course and sheep testing. Although the sheep appeared innocuous they proved tricky to handle especially in the shedding ring, and at the pen.

WARNING! The castle is haunted by a revenue collector who was murdered about 600 years ago by one Arthur Darrell. The tax man now stays under some slime in the moat.

The fourteenth century Scotney Castle, situated in Lamberhurst, Kent, was the home of the Darell family for over 300 years and it is one of the family´s members that this ghostly tale involves.

Arthur Darrell is thought to have staged his own funeral, for not only was he supposedly seen at his own graveside, but the coffin in which he was buried was later found containing nothing but stones. Reasons as to why he staged his own funeral are unknown, but some believe that it may be linked with the murder of a revenue officer.

After his ´death´, Arthur Darrell is thought to have taken to smuggling and was eventually found out by the revenue officers. His capture led to a fight with revenue officials and in the fight he managed to kill one of them. So he would not be found out, he threw the body into the moat surrounding the castle. It is thought that the ghost that now haunts this beautiful castle is that of the murdered revenue collector. He has been seen coming from the water, dripping with slime and stagnant water and then walking to the front of the castle where he hammers on the door with his hands, seeking vengeance.