Island Life Magazine Ltd December/January 2018 | Page 58

Local history
In two bedrooms ancient contraptions
that were designed to heave canvas
escape shutes were still beneath the
windows, looking like museum exhibits.
Off of one of the bedrooms was the
green bathroom, described as Queen
Victoria’s - she used to often come and
stay here as a princess with her mother
the Duchess of Kent and later with
Prince Albert. In fact they considered
buying the castle, but thought the price
was too high.
In another of the bathrooms was the
special tub with surround shower that
Germany’s Kaiser insisted upon before
he came to stay. Ancient bottles were in
an equally aged bathroom cabinet.
At the far end of the castle steps lead
down to a covered courtyard that was
Water Dragon
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“There were echoes
of its former glory
when parties lit
the castle windows
and the inhabitants
danced until dawn.”
currently being used as a chicken coop.
From here the kitchens led off - one
with the original spit roasting apparatus
above the range oven.
High above a dodgy looking walkway
led across this courtyard to rooms that
clearly hadn’t been used for decades.
These must have been the servants’
quarters. In one a stack of suitcases
were inches deep in dust.
An ice house was at the farthest end
of this part of the castle, beneath a
circular courtyard. The rooms around
it with metal grills to let in daylight,
resembled cells, but were probably just
fortified larders.
Beneath the castle were cellars
containing a billiard room, complete
with full sized billiard table, and a huge
stone swimming pool that had been
heated by pipes around its interior.
Another basement room housed
spooky naked mannequins that once
wore historical clothing when the castle
was open to the public.
It will be very interesting to see Norris
when the new owners restore it to its
former glory.