Hidden away within the grounds of the UK's premier tourist attraction lies a derelict Gothic mansion, the original Alton Towers. Few visitors are aware of its existence or the haunted folklore surrounding it.
Alton Towers was built on Bunbury Hill. The site originated as an Iron Age fort before 1000 BC and remained so until Saxon King Ceolred of Mercia established it as his fortress in AD 700. Through the 1100s, the fort had various uses and owners until it was granted to crusader Bertram de Verdan for his service in the Holy Land wars.
Eventually, the estate passed to the Talbot family. The first Earl of Shrewsbury, John Talbot, spent much of his life fighting alongside Henry V. The family maintained close ties with the nation's rulers.
Initially named Alveton or Alton Lodge, the house served as a summer residence for the earls. The 15th Earl, Charles, took great interest in the property. From 1800 to 1852, expansion work was continuously carried out or planned. By Charles's death in 1832, the mansion had become a prime example of Gothic architecture.
In 1821, Charles, Earl of Shrewsbury, was returning to the castle on a winter's night when his stagecoach was halted by an old woman. Angry, he demanded to know her purpose. The homeless, hungry woman begged for money, but the earl refused. She then cursed him: "For every branch that falls from the old oak tree, a member of your family shall die." Dismissing the curse, the earl continued his journey. That night, a violent storm broke out, and a branch fell from the tree. Later, a family member fell ill and died mysteriously. The earl ordered servants to chain the tree to prevent further branches from falling. The tree remains chained to this day.