Pronounced Howton, to rhyme with
mountain.
A mighty stronghold, it is associated with dreadful tales of bloodshed and torture.
The castle is in a fine setting and very photogenic.
It is associated with the Swinburnes
and Widdringtons families.
The Story of Archie Armstrong
Archie
Armstrong, the chief of his clan, had been captured and was
flung into the
dungeon of Haughton Castle.
Sir
Thomas Swinburne, the castle owner, had been summoned to York
by the
Chancellor, Lord Cardinal Wolsey.
Well on his way he became aware of a large key hanging from his belt.
Suddenly, he remembered – the prisoner.
Three
days had passed since his imprisonment and is was likely that
he had been
without food and water all that time.
Without
seeing the Cardinal, Swinburne turned his horse and, alarmed,
rode at
speed back north.
His
horse dropped dead at Durham with fatigue but he got another and
eventually reached Haughton at midnight, exhausted.
But
when the entrance to the dungeon was opened his worst fears
were
confirmed,
Archie Armstrong was dead.
His
features were contorted with a fearful look of horror and the flesh
of his
forearm had been gnawed away.
The
ghost of the reiver haunted the castle thereafter with dreadful
shrieks
coming from the dungeon.
A
priest was brought from nearby Simonburn to exorcise the ghost
which he
did with the help of a large black bible.
Years
later, the bible was taken away for repair and immediately the
shrieking
was heard again.
The ghost had returned.
Hastily, the bible was returned and the shrieking ceased.
Archie was at rest again.