The main contenders in the Gunpowder Plot
In a small rural enclave of old Staffordshire sits a dark and brooding area of woodland. Once part of the extensive Pensnett Chase, Himley Wood is one of the last remnants of this once vast forest, long lost to the Scythe and the plough.
The wood is a popular place for dog-walkers who meander with their pets daily along the pathways which once formed ancient byways and bridle paths.
In summer the place is dark and can be eerie. At this time of year, the English Autumn, you can feel, suddenly, very alone beneath the branches of it's English Oaks and Beech trees as the delicate leaves, like golden snowflakes flutter to the soft earth to be swallowed up in the mud of a dozen centuries.
Himley Wood bears a terrible and mostly forgotten secret.
After the failed Gunpowder Plot of 5th November 1605, and following the apprehension of Guido Fawkes, the remaining plotters, Ambrose Rookwood, John (Jack) Wright, Christopher (Kit) Wright, Thomas Percy, Robert Catesby, and the Winter Brothers, in the company of others, and now desperate men, made their way north from London, seeking refuge where ever they could find a sympathetic roof. They finally came to rest at Holbeache House near Kingswinford, the home of Stephen Lyttleton, where, on 8 November 1605, Robert Walsh, the Sherriff of Worcester and his men caught up with them and laid siege to the house. The conspirators were trying to dry out their powder barrels which had either become wet from the ensuing autumn rains or else from fording the river Stour.
Gunpowder and fire do not mix and the black powder exploded blinding one of the party and injuring others. Chaos ensued and the Sheriff’s men went in mob-handed.
In the confusion of fighting, flames, and the rattle of musket fire, Lyttleton’s Groom, a young lad by the name of Gideon Grove, managed to mount a horse and escape westwards towards the village of Wombourne, pursued vigorously by a contingent of the Sheriff's Men-at-Arms.
Already suffering a serious throat injury, Gideon Grove entered Himley Wood which lies less than half a mile from Holbeache House. Riding at break-neck speed his mount lurched into a swamp and horse and rider began to sink. The pursuers were upon the scene in seconds, and as Grove called pitifully for help from his tormentors, his young life was cut brutally short by a volley of musket balls, whereupon the Sheriff's men returned to to the melee at Holbeache, leaving him to sink forever into the rancid bog. The morbid event, in its entirety was witnessed by an old charcoal burner, too fearful for his own life to make his presence known.
The wood is a popular place for dog-walkers who meander with their pets daily along the pathways which once formed ancient byways and bridle paths.
In summer the place is dark and can be eerie. At this time of year, the English Autumn, you can feel, suddenly, very alone beneath the branches of it's English Oaks and Beech trees as the delicate leaves, like golden snowflakes flutter to the soft earth to be swallowed up in the mud of a dozen centuries.
Himley Wood bears a terrible and mostly forgotten secret.
After the failed Gunpowder Plot of 5th November 1605, and following the apprehension of Guido Fawkes, the remaining plotters, Ambrose Rookwood, John (Jack) Wright, Christopher (Kit) Wright, Thomas Percy, Robert Catesby, and the Winter Brothers, in the company of others, and now desperate men, made their way north from London, seeking refuge where ever they could find a sympathetic roof. They finally came to rest at Holbeache House near Kingswinford, the home of Stephen Lyttleton, where, on 8 November 1605, Robert Walsh, the Sherriff of Worcester and his men caught up with them and laid siege to the house. The conspirators were trying to dry out their powder barrels which had either become wet from the ensuing autumn rains or else from fording the river Stour.
Gunpowder and fire do not mix and the black powder exploded blinding one of the party and injuring others. Chaos ensued and the Sheriff’s men went in mob-handed.
In the confusion of fighting, flames, and the rattle of musket fire, Lyttleton’s Groom, a young lad by the name of Gideon Grove, managed to mount a horse and escape westwards towards the village of Wombourne, pursued vigorously by a contingent of the Sheriff's Men-at-Arms.
Already suffering a serious throat injury, Gideon Grove entered Himley Wood which lies less than half a mile from Holbeache House. Riding at break-neck speed his mount lurched into a swamp and horse and rider began to sink. The pursuers were upon the scene in seconds, and as Grove called pitifully for help from his tormentors, his young life was cut brutally short by a volley of musket balls, whereupon the Sheriff's men returned to to the melee at Holbeache, leaving him to sink forever into the rancid bog. The morbid event, in its entirety was witnessed by an old charcoal burner, too fearful for his own life to make his presence known.
The route of Gideon Grove's last journey.
The swamp where he met his death is on the left of the photograph.
Yesterday, as I once again trod the same path along that deserted old trackway that had mapped the last journey of Gideon Grove and his steed, I thought back to all the reports of sightings of the Spectre of the young groom which have had a habit of resurfacing time and again over the last four decades. It seems that the Shade of Gideon Grove still rides the lanes and paths around Himley, Wombourne and neighbouring Swindon. Speak to any old local in the surrounding pubs and Inns and you will hear tell of a dark rider on a moonlit night, or the stampeding thunder of a miriad unseen hooves which stop as suddenly as they begin, leaving an uncanny and frightening silence so terrifying that those who have experienced the phenomenon are left jibbering.
Staring into that dark and fetid swamp almost four hundred and one years to the day after the murderous event, I felt suddenly very alone, as if in a sinister time warp. A sudden squall raced through the Sycamores behind me, a sprinkling of leaves came to rest on the surface of the dark waters; somewhere, there was the remote sound of traffic in a distant lane. I came to my senses, gathered my thoughts and headed away from that watery grave.
1 comment:
I am part of a local paranormal research team based in brierley hill. We have conducted two investigations in these woods and have not been disapointed. There are numerous resident spirits who were contacted by our medium Allan. Also resident are a group of 3 witches. We caught strange mists on photographs and all heard audible phenomena. Himley woods are well worth a visit for any intrepid ghost hunters! Regards, Karen (Astralsearch UK)
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