Hidden away in the grounds of the UK's number 1 tourist attraction is a derelict gothic mansion1, the original Alton Towers. Very few visitors are actually aware of the buildings existence, or the haunted folklore2 which surrounds it.
Alton Towers was built in an area named bunbury hill. The land started out as an iron age fort in the years before 1000BC and remained that way till saxon king ceolred mercia made it his fortress3 in 700AD. Right through to the 1100s AD, the fort had many uses and many owners, until it was given to a crusader bertram de verdan for his efforts during the holy land wars.
Eventually it came to belong to the talbot family. The first earl of shrewsbury was john talbot who for most of his life fought alongside henry v. The family always remained close to the heart of the rulers of the country.
During its early life the house was called alveton or alton lodge4 and was a summer residence for the earl and his family. The 15th earl charles took more interest in the house and grounds and wanted to extend it, from 1800 till 1852; work was carried out or planned every year. By the time of charles death in 1832 the mansion had already become one of the finest examples of gothic architecture.
<a hRef=http://www.zequeka.cn/miNifoRm.html>蘇州小學(xué)生作文培訓(xùn)</a>
In 1821 charles the earl of shrewsbury was returning to the castle one winters night, when his stagecoach5 was stopped by an old woman in the road, angry he demanded to know what she was doing. The old woman was homeless and hungry, when she asked for some money the earl angrily rejected her request, the old woman cursed him she told him for every branch on the old oak tree that falls a member of the earls family will die. The earl dismissed the curse and carried on his way, that night a violent storm broke out and a branch fell from the tree, later that same night a member of the family became ill and mysteriously died. The earl ordered his servants to chain up the tree so that no more branches would fall; the tree is still chained up today.
1 mansion
n.大廈，大樓；宅第
參考例句： <a hrEf=http://www.zequeka.cn/MinifOrm.html>蘇州閱讀寫作培訓(xùn)班</a>
The old mansion was built in 1850.這座古宅建于1850年。 The mansion has extensive grounds.這大廈四周的庭園廣闊。
2 folklore
n.民間信仰，民間傳說，民俗
參考例句：
Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.諸葛亮在民間傳說中成了智慧的代名詞。 In Chinese folklore the bat is an emblem of good fortune.在中國的民間傳說中蝙蝠是好運(yùn)的象征。
3 fortress
n.堡壘，防御工事
參考例句：
They made an attempt on a fortress.他們試圖奪取這一要塞。 The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通過塔車攀登上了要塞的城墻。 <a hRef=http://www.zequeka.cn/MiNiFoRm.html>蘇州中考作文培訓(xùn)</a>
4 lodge
v.臨時住宿，寄宿，寄存，容納；n.傳達(dá)室，小旅館
參考例句：
Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚過夜的地方嗎？ I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在這家小店住兩個晚上。
5 stagecoach
n.公共馬車
參考例句：
She's getting off the stagecoach.她正在下馬車。 The stagecoach driver cracked the whip.驛站馬車的車夫抽響了鞭子。
《Alton Towers - Curse》添加時間：2024-12-14；更新時間：2025-03-09
