Angel watching over
My life is like a broken stair winding round a ruined tower and leading nowhere. Tennyson
Once upon a summer day in a hedgerow humming with honeysuckled bees, we made a chilling discovery. A mausoleum lay hidden in the greenery, and housed within it, twin lead coffins, side-by-side. We peered through the open grill with a mixture of terror and morbid fascination as my father explained that it was Lord and Lady Mc Kenna of the nearby castle, who had chosen a corner of a nearby field to be their final resting place. 
Decades later, the window has now been blocked up, the tangle of hedgerows cleared and a fallen angel reinstated to guard over the tomb. Tennyson’s line is inscribed beneath and alongside of it:
What a volume in a word, an ocean in a tear, a sent heaven in a glance, a whirlwind in a sigh.
Martin Tupper
McKenna Castle, or Ardo House as it is also known, has macabre tales of smuggling, a lynched heir and a buried child. The castle, though ruined, still stands with its ghosts and its memories. When I returned there a few weeks ago with my sisters, I couldn’t help imagine all of the souls who had lived and worked there and what a bustling place it must have been, with its stables, a walled orchard and wonderful cliff-top views. 
Despite the chilling stories I have read about the history of the place, the overwhelming feeling is one of poignancy for the couple who lie side-by-side in a corner of a field that will be forever theirs. Love endures, and may they rest in peace on this All Hallows Eve…
Sounds like an idyllic place to immerse yourself in history, both the real and the imagined. You’re right—if only we could hear the whispers of the real past. But it’s magical, poignant, and thought-provoking to imagine what they might be all the same. And in a beautiful setting like this, not at all hard to guess why the Lord and Lady of the manor would long to stay tucked up there for eternity. Thanks for ‘taking us there’!
xo,
K
What a great story and a beautiful resting place for them! 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Patsy 🙂
You’re welcome!
Beautiful – your images resonate with the story.
Thanks Finola, I added an effect to add a sense of spookiness, given the weekend that was in it. 🙂
Beautiful landscapes, ancient ruins, old myths and legends – what a wonderful place to live in!
Thanks Andelieya, they are a great source of inspiration for many.
Wonderful post, Patsy.
Thanks Jean!
You’ve told a tale well Patsy … making me want to know more … for what reason was a corner of a nearby field chosen as their final resting place I wonder .. I ‘d love to have had a wander round such a place . Looks very atmospheric from your photos .. *chill
It’s a wonderful place Poppy. It was warm and sunny the day we visited and the ivy clad walls were literally humming with the sound of bees. We were blackberry picking so it was great to have the opportunity to have quiet time remembering my earlier visit there as a child.
What a great post Patsy 🙂 🙂 , I love these kind of places such great history and very interesting – Thank you 🙂 🙂
Thanks Nigel. If only those walls could tell their secrets. 😊