Illustration by Jules
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
A servant of the castle suspects his partner of been unfaithful. Intent upon catching her in the act, he hides himself on the roof above their bed. Unfortunately, he falls and dies the next day. Soon there are reports of his corpse wandering through the town. This, of course, coincides with an epidemic that kills several townspeople. It is blamed on the "vampire." On Palm Sunday, the local priest assembles a group, and they proceed to the cemetery. Upon exhumation, the body appears engorged with blood. (It gushes out when the body's poked with a spade.) The body is dragged out of town and burned, and soon the epidemic ends.
Baldoon Castle, Scotland
Baldoons Castle ghost is mentioned in the novel by Sir Walter Scott “The Bride of Lammermuir. It is the 17th century ghost ‘Janet Dalrymple‘, she was told to leave the man she loved by her parents, instead she was forced to marry David Dunbar and went insane, she stabbed him in the bridal chamber on his wedding night. She is said to roam the castle in a blood-splattered white dress, some have seen the saddened ghost of Janet wandering pitifully among the quiet ruins, most often on the anniversary of her death. In the Lammermuir story the door of the bridal chamber was broken down after hideous shrieks were heard from inside it. The bridegroom was found lying across the threshold, awfully wounded and streaming with blood, while the bride crouched in a chimney corner, her white night-gown splashed with blood, grinning and muttering and quite mad. Apparently she never recovered and died in a while later. Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland
The nicknamed shade Green Jane has been seen at the castle. She was thought to be the daughter of an impoverished family who sent her with her baby to the castle to beg for food, but when she got there, the guards abused her then turned her away. Visitors have seen and heard her ghost stumbling down the steep steps, then going to her rescue and finding that no one was there. Many people have had feelings of been touched. Visitors also report the movement of furniture inside the castle. Rattling chains has also been heard, accompanied by stomping of feet, many say that this is the manifestation of a knight that is clad in armour.
Beeston Castle, Cheshire
The castle boasts that it has one of the friendliest ghosts in England. The ghost of a pretty lady wanders the outer bailey, but she only ever appears to children. She is seen in a lacy white dress and she looks over her shoulder. She brings a feeling of kindness to the place, she must have really like the castle. Dog walkers report that their pets refuse to enter certain areas of the castle. Deep moans have been heard coming from the well.
Berkeley Castle, Worcester
In 1327 Berkeley Castle was the scene of the infamous murder of Edward II he was gruesomely tortured with a red-hot poker. Sounds of his screams echo around the castle.
Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon
The ghost of Lady Margaret Pomeroy appears all dressed in white in the tower named after her. A second more chilling ghost resides 'the blue lady' predicts death of those who see her ! She is said to be the ghost of the Pomeroy's daughter.
Blackness Castle, Lothian
In the late 1990s a woman who was sightseeing said she was startled when she saw a knight in armour in the tower, the angry spirit chased her out of the castle. A group of ghost hunters stayed in the castle one Halloween night. They heard what sounded like furniture scraping across a stone floor in a room beneath where they were staying. On investigation, nothing was out of place, on returning to the room above, the sounds began to start again.
Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire
Mary Queen of Scots shade wanders the courtyard wearing a black velvet dress.
Bramber Castle, Sussex
Bramber Castle, Sussex. William De Braose angered King John. He escaped to Ireland with his children, only to be captured. The king ordered that his children be held hostage for William's future good behaviour at Windsor Castle. The children were starved to death there but their spectres returned to Bramber Castle and have been seen begging pitifully for bread, dressed in rags and holding out their hands, they are said to return at Christmas.
Bodelwyddan Castle, North Wales
Bodiam Castle, East Sussex
Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire
Bowes Castle, County Durham
Burgh Castle, Norwich
Carisbrook Castle, Isle of White
The well house is haunted by the ghost of a young woman strangely her disembodied face was surrounded by draperies of her dress. A young man in a brown jerkin has been seen near the moat. A woman wearing victorian dress, followed by two shadowy dogs was witness as they strolled round the castle. A full appartion was seen in broad daylight, it wore long coat also followed by 4 small dogs.
Carlisle Castle, Cumbria
A sentry may have died of shock after seeing a grey figure, he lunded at it with his boyonet. A female skeleton was found bricked up in one of the walls, its was still clad with tartan clothes and jewellery. Mary Queen of Scots was incarcerated in the building as so was Bonnie Prince Charles supporters. There is a famous 'licking stone' here, tales tell that it was worn away by prisoners tongues, the stone was moist with water, they licked it in order to stay alive.
Castell Coch, Cardiff
Castle Rising, Norfolk
Castle Rushen, Isle of Man
Charleville Forest Castle, Ireland
Chepstow Castle, South East Wales
Chillingham Castle, Northumberland
Conisbrough Castle, South Yorkshire
Ghost of a grey monk, also an unhappy grey lady, she is seen at the top of the keep where she reputedly met her own death. Also strange bumping noises and whispers and ghostly candles have been witnessed here.
Comlongon Castle, Scotland
Corfe Castle, Dorset
Craigievar Castle, Aberdeen
Craig Y Nos Castle, South Wales
Culcreuch Castle, Scotland
Culzean Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland
Denbigh Castle, North East Wales
Dartmouth Castle, Devon
Dover Castle
Dudley Castle, West Midlands
Dunrobin Castle, Scotland
Dunstanburgh Castle,Northumberland
Durham Castle, Durham
Ecclesgreig Castle, Scotland
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland
Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire
Farleigh Hungerford Castle, Somerset
Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire
Glamis Castle, Dundeeshire
Six ghosts are said to haunt this lavish Victorian royal castle, they wander the rooms and corridors. The Dining room has a connecting door into the crypt which looks something like it has come out of the middle ages, it is in the crypt that there is a secret chamber, legend has it that it was here one of the Lord's of Glamis 'Earl Beardie' played cards, but as the clock struck midnight at the beginning of the sabbath the devil appeared and asked to join in the game. Earl Beardie gambled his soul away and died soon after. The chamber was promptly bricked up after foul mouthed utterances were heard, but the swearing phantom couldn't be restrained and persisted to roam the abode. Earl Beardie's spirit is said to peer at guests whilst they lay in their beds. The chapel is haunted by the grey lady, said to be the ghost of Janet Douglas, wife of sixth Lord Glamis. Also the ghost of Lady Campbell has been seen in the chapel, she was wrongly accused of witchcraft, she burned at the stake at Edinburgh Castle, her spectre is seen in silent prayer with an aura of peaceful traquility surrounding her. Glamis has seen thousands of tragic deaths, the ghosts seem to seep out of the very mortar.
Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire
Location
Goodrich, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
Built
1160 AD
Ghostly manifestations
On dark, stormy nights ghostly screams can be heard and there have been reports of a ghostly horseman, accompanied by a woman, spotted at the foot of the walls by the river.
Ghostly anomalies
Strong smells of freshly baked bread.
Brief History
Goodrich Castle in Herefordshire has a well known haunting relating to the tragic tale of two lovers. During the Civil War, Goodrich saw major action when in 1646 Colonel Birch, leader of the Roundheads, placed the Royalist garrison under siege. His niece, Alice, was engaged to one of the Royalists inside the castle. One night, just before the final assault, Colonel Birch allowed them to escape but in their frantic attempts to clear the enemy lines and cross the River Wye they missed the ford, they were swept away by the river and drowned.
Hadleigh Castle, Essex
Helmsley Castle,North Yorkshire
Hermitage Castle, Scotland
Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex
A local village girl tried to escape from been murdered by throwing herself over into the moat, unsuccessful, she was re-captured and murdered, she is thought to appear as the white lady of the moat. A phantom drummer has been seen marching along the ramparts at night, said to have died in the battle of Angincourt. Blue sparks radiate from his drumsticks.
Hylton Castle, Sunderland
A ghost known as the Cauld Boy, haunts the castle, he manifests himself without any clothes on and shivering, apparently murdered by his master Baron Robert Hylton who stabbed him to death with a pitchfork. The spirit boy also haunts the kitchens where he ransacks it if it is neat and tidy.
Kidwelly Castle, South Wales.
Knaresborough Castle, N Yorkshire
Lancaster Castle, Lancaster
Leap Castle,Roscrea, Ireland
Lincoln Castle, East Yorkshire
Lindisfarne Castle, Northumberland
Ludlow Castle, Shropshire
Lydford Castle, Devon
Notorious 12th century prison, reputed to be haunted by Judge John Jeffery's 'The Hanging Judge'. Lady Howard manifests herself here as a black hound, she also haunts Okehampton Castle.
Margam Castle, Wales
Meggernie Castle, Scotland
Middleham Castle, North Yorkshire
Known as the ‘Windsor of the north’ the castle was built in the 12th century on the site of an earlier Norman fortification. It was Richard III most favoured castle. It is reputed to be the site of a buried hoard of treasure, to pin-point the treasure you must run a round the castle three times, and where you stop the treasure will be found. Unfortunately there is no indication of where you should start. A crying of a newborn baby has been heard by visitors to the castle.
Monmouth Castle, Wales
Morton Corbet Castle, Shropshire
Muncaster Castle
Newark Castle, Notthinghamshire
Nottingham Castle, Nottingham
Nunney Castle, Somerset
Okehampton Castle, Devon
Every night at midnight Lady Howard rides a coach made from the bones of her four dead husbands and with a skull on each corner of the roof. Also a headless coachman is her driver !
Old Wardour Castle, Wiltshire
Orford Castle, Suffolk
Peel Castle, Isle Of Man
Pendragon Castle, Cumbria.
Under the foundations of Pendragon Castle there is treasure ! This legend is quite bizarre; if you decide to try your hand at unearthing the gold, you may be confronted by a spectral black hen, which promptly scratches and pecks until the hole is refilled ! A spectre of a horseman gallops towards the castle whilst a grey lady glides her way through the castle walls.
Pengersick Castle, Cornwall
Penrith Castle, Cumbria
Pevensey Castle, East Sussex
Pontefract Castle, West Yorkshire
Location
Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Built 1070 AD
King Richard II was murdered here, no-one has yet spotted his ghost.
Monk figures seen walking around the outskirts near the catholic chapel and 2 figures of children seen playing near the dungeons. Holding a large axe, this figure walks around the ruins of the castle. a black monk walking from the remains of the kitchen towards the steps up to the ruins of the Queen's Tower. Strangely the monk is always seen walking from west to east, never in the opposite direction. The monk has been seen by quite a lot of people over a considerable period of time and they are of all ages and different backgrounds and "when you hear it from so many people you start to believe it." Sightings are usually around 5pm". Ghostly foosteps have been heard in the magazine area.
Porchester Castle, Hampshire
Pickering Castle, North Yorkshire
Pudhoe Castle, Northumberland
Chanting has been heard coming from the chapel area. A white horse silently walks around the outer ward of the castle; one night a man that lived in one of the blocks saw that horse running towards him. In the 1950's a lady witnessed noises like a ball being bounced against the wall but when she looked, no one was there. Another couple heard water being thrown at a door with force. One night a heavy oak table was flung to the floor in the hall, apparently the noise was that loud the residents thought that there had been a gas explosion.
Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire
Rochester Castle, Kent
Ruthin Castle,North Wales
Sandal Castle, West Yorkshire
A phantom dog has been witnessed at the castle.
Scarborough Castle, North Yorkshire
Scotney Castle, Kent
Sherborne Old Castle, Dorset
Sir Walter Raleigh who was executed for disobeying orders and was beheaded in 1618 - walks the grounds of the castle, his shade appears at midnight on Michaelmas Eve "headless" !
Skibo Castle, Scotland
A ghostly white lady flits through the castle at night, her nocternal roamings are precipitated by terrified screams and blood curdling moans. The grisly remains of a woman's skeleton was found hidden behind one of the castle walls, only after the re-burial took place that the hauntings ceased. A local girl had gone missing, there was talk that she was murdered by the Castle's keeper. In 1898 American millionaire Andrew Carnegie bought the ruined estate. Carnegie's grandson Rosewell Miller the third, saw the female phantom one night, she was seen drifting silently along one of the third floor corridors where she turned into one of the bedrooms, Rosewell followed her but she had disappeared into thin air.
Skipsea Castle, East Yorkshire
Slains Castle, Scotland
Snape Castle, North Yorkshire
Southsea Castle, Hampshire
Spofforth Castle, North Yorkshire
Stafford Castle, Staffordshire
Stokesay Castle, Shropshire
St Michael's Mount, Cornwall
Tamworth Castle, Staffordshire
Location
Tamworth, Birmingham.
Built 1070 AD
History
Tamworth castle is of Norman motte & bailey design with a shell keep. The present stone structure replaced the first timber tower surrounded by a palisade which was built shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
Ghostly manifestations
The black lady, the white lady. The Black Lady is allegedly the ghost of a nun called Editha who founded her order in the 9th century; her nuns were said to have been expelled from a nearby Convent by Robert de Marmion.
Ghostly anomalies
Spirits have been heard and seen wandering through the 'Haunted bedroom' and the staircase.
Tattershall Castle,Lincolnshire
Tintagel Castle, Cornwall
Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire
Tynemouth Castle, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Walworth Castle, County Durham
Warkworth Castle, Northumberland
Warwick Castle, Stratford
Wigmore Castle, Herefordshire
Yester Castle, East Lothian
