U N C O V E R E D

TOTTENHAM’S OLDEST & MOST HAUNTED HOUSE

B R U C E C A S T L E

H a r i n g e y

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Well, not really. Bruce Castle is a manorhouse which was probably built out ofthe bricks of an old castle. Kings andQueens might not have lived here, butthey have visited, and there’s been ahouse here for at least 1000 years - itwas mentioned in the Domesday bookin 1086.

In Bruce Castle Park is a tree that’s over500 years old. “500 years ago, all of theland would have been covered withsimilar trees,” says Robert Waite,Assistant Curator at Bruce CastleMuseum.“Just imagine all of Haringeybeing hunting ground. If you go toplaces like Epping, there are still wilddeer out in the forests and all sorts ofwild and wonderful creatures. Huntingwould have been brilliant.”

In 1514, King Henry VIII gave BruceCastle to his very close friend WilliamCompton. “William had a strange kindof job: he was Groom to theBedchamber, which meant he used towash Henry, put him to bed when hewas drunk, and probably had to wipehis bottom,” says Robert.

A CASTLE! INTOTTENHAM?

HUNTINGTHROUGHWOODGREEN

A ROYALBUM WIPE

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DID YOUKNOW... No one knowsexactly what theRound Tower wasused for but the latesttheory is they used itto keep hawks. If so,it’s probably the lasthawk mews in thewhole of Europe.

DID YOUKNOW... In the 16th centurypeople hid in BruceCastle to escape thebubonic plague.

DID YOUKNOW... The Domesday Bookis two big books thatlist everyone inEngland and whatthey did in 1086.

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People have seen faces, heardunexplained footsteps, and foundstrange footprints on the backstaircase. The people who livedopposite used to hear screams. Sowho is the ghost of Bruce Castle?

“Lord Coleraine’s first wife was awoman called Constantia Lucy,”says Robert Waite, Assistant Curatorat Bruce Castle Museum.“Helocked her in the room below theclock tower and the sound of theclock and the bell drove her mad.One night she jumped with theiryoung son, Hugh, landed outside,and died. In 1858, the localnewspaper, the EdmontonAdvertiser, ran a story sayingsomeone had seen her face at thewindow.” That was beginning of theghost story.

What’s more spooky is that eventhough the servants heard her fall,and she certainly existed, there’s norecord of her ever being buried.And she might not be the onlyghost - someone once saw a groupof 18th century figures walk throughone of the Castle walls!

HARINGEY’SMOSTHAUNTED...

DID YOU KNOW...Bruce Castle was the only museumin London to stay open when theSecond World War started.

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DID YOUKNOW...Bruce Castle gets itsname from the familyof Robert the Bruce,who fought and beatthe English at theBattle of Bannockburnin 1314.

DID YOUKNOW...This 300-year-oldpicture of BruceCastle (above) wasfound in the Castleattic in 1993 - in 37pieces! “You wouldn’tknow that a greatchunk in the middlewas actuallymissing,” says ValerieCrosby, LibraryAssistant at BruceCastle Archive.

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In the 19th century, schools weremostly just for boys, and they riskedgetting caned, beaten or evenwhipped. But when Roland Hill setup a school in Bruce Castle thingswere very different: he didn’tbelieve in corporal punishment.

“Believe it or not, in 1827, Tottenhamwas the place to have your soneducated,” says Robert Waite,Assistant Curator at Bruce CastleMuseum.“You have to imagine anice village away from London, lotsof land, fresh air, and this wonderfulmanor house. Rowland Hill thoughtit was a perfect place for a school.It was advertised around the worldso boys would come from HongKong and far flung parts of theEmpire.”

Bruce Castle remained a schooluntil 1891.

In 1837, Bruce Castle headmasterRowland Hill came up with an ideathat changed postage forever: heinvented the stamp!

Until then, postage had to be paidby the person who received a letter.Hill suggested that ‘a small piece ofgummed, coloured paper’ couldbe stuck on the outside of anenvelope to prove the postage hadalready been paid by the sender.The first stamp was the Penny Black,which went on sale in 1840.

68,158,080 Penny Blacks wereprinted, and there are well over amillion still around today.

DON’T GETCANED

SPENDINGA PENNY

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Anyone can useBruce Castle Archiveto research localhistory or their familytree - but no pens!“You really don’twant a leaky biro on14th century courtrolls,” says ValerieCrosby, LibraryAssistant at BruceCastle Archive.

DID YOUKNOW...The oldest things inBruce Castle Archiveare the court rollsfrom 1318. The Castlewould have held acourt for things likepeople who had adunghill (pile of poo)outside their housewhen they weren’tsupposed to.

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This booklet was produced byyoung people at Exposure,Haringey’s award-winning youthmedia charity, with help from BTCVand Bruce Castle. It was paid for bythe Heritage Lottery Fund.

The following young people tookpart in this project:

OPENINGTIMESWednesday to Sunday: 1pm - 5pmSummer Bank Holidays: 1pm - 5pm

Visiting groups including schoolsmay book to visit at other times. It isadvisable to book an appointmentto use the archive.

The museum and archives are freeto all visitors. The museum offers freeworkshops for schools andcommunity groups and lots ofactivities for families at weekendsand during school holidays.

For more information, or to book anappointment, call 020 8808 8772,emailmuseum.services@haringey.gov.ukor write to:

Curator Bruce Castle Museum Lordship Lane London N17 8NU

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illustration by Remi Gallet

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