Beckington, about four miles to the south of Farleigh, has another
castle, but more a castle in name than anything else. It is a fine
many-gabled house, by all appearances not older than the reign of
James I. or perhaps Elizabeth. It is close against the road, and
practically in the village, where are other lofty houses similar in
character. There is an erroneous tradition that James II. slept here
the night before the battle of Sedgemoor, regardless of the fact that
his sacred Majesty was snug in London. The house was long
neglected and deserted, and owing to stories of ghostly visitors and
subterranean passages could not find a purchaser at £100! But this
was many years ago, as will be seen from an advertisement quoted
in an old number of Notes and Queries. Things are different now, for
ghosts and subterranean passages have a marketable value.
Somersetshire abounds in superstitions as well as in old-world
villages. From the southern part of the cou
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nty come tales of people being bewitched, and it is a good thing for many an aged crone that their supposed offences are thought lightly
of nowadays.