Page 18 - Oundle Life December 2023

The Talbot
Hotel
While its origins
date back as far as
638AD, the Talbot
Hotel was rebuilt
in 1626 using the stonework from the nearby Fotheringhay Castle – scene of the execution
of Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1587. It’s believed that the wooden staircase in the hotel was also removed from the castle and is the very one which Mary descended to meet her executioner.
There have been several reported sightings of Mary’s ghost walking down the staircase, and also looking out from one of the mullioned windows which had also been taken from Fotheringhay. A picture of the execution has also been known to fall from its place on the wall repeatedly, and one guest – staying in
the room named after Mary – reported the sensation of a ‘clammy hand’ forcing them against the bed.
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