Spooky Stories From Medieval Castles On Halloween!

If you've been reading our Medieval Castle Blog during the month of October you will know that we have been recounting 'white lady' ghost stories at some of Britain's medieval castles. Well, for those of you who haven't had enough and want yet more spooky stories for your Halloween bedtime reading, let us point you in the right direction ....

Haunted Castles In England
Haunted Castles In Scotland
Haunted Castles In Ireland
Haunted Castles In Wales

On a personal note, one of the most 'spooky' castles I have ever visited has to be Hermitage Castle in Scotland. It is difficult to explain but the moment you set eyes on the castle it really grips you and holds your attention. It has a powerful, eery appearance and when you see it close up and then enter inside the ruins the atmosphere is very intense. Hermitage Castle is set close to a river, in open countryside and with views to distant fields and hills all around. It has to be one of the most distinctive of medieval castles I have ever seen - though not one that I would relish revisiting. There was a coldness to it that even now is clear in the memory as I write this post. See our dedicated page on Hermitage Castle and read about 2 of its ghost stories.

Haunted Castles - The White Lady Of Denbigh Castle

Here is our third "White Lady' ghost story.

Denbigh Castle in Wales was built in the late 13th/early 14th century by Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln in England to whom King Edward I had granted the territory after the last native Welsh prince had been defeated in 1282 AD. Having 700 years of history, the castle has doubtless seen its fair share of strange events! The ghost story of "The White Lady" at Denbigh Castle is one that many people swear to have witnessed in person with many reported sightings of a 'White Lady' around the castle, usually gliding around the footpaths near the Goblin Tower and surrounded by a glowing white mist. In recent years (1999 AD) 3 youths hit the local headlines when they reported being terrified at the sight of the 'White Lady' standing beneath the Goblin Tower of the castle from where they said she "glided" down the hill toward them.

There is a great video clip from a BBC TV programme where paranormal investigator Mike McManus recounts a vigil at the haunted ruins of Denbigh Castle. Spooky stuff!

For more detail on this fascinating Welsh castle go to our dedicated Denbigh Castle page.

Read more about haunted castles in Wales on medieval-castle.com

Haunted Castles - The White Lady Of Glamis Castle

Here is our second 'White Lady' ghost story.

Glamis Castle in Scotland is reputed to be haunted by more than one lady in fact but we will just look at "The White Lady" in this post. There has been much discussion about who she might have been in real life but the general concensus seems to point to the possibility of it being the ghost of Janet Douglas, wife to the 6th Lord Glamis back in the 16th century. After his death she became wife to Archibald Campbell then later imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle and finally burnt at the stake on Castle Hill on a charge of witchcraft. For more detail on this and other hauntings at the castle go to our dedicated Glamis Castle page.

Read more about haunted castles in Scotland on medieval-castle.com

Medieval Castle Ghosts - The White Lady Of Tamworth Castle

One of the most common 'apparitions' in ghost stories is that of the 'white lady'. There are many legends that tell of some tragic story and the end result is that of a haunting by a white lady.

In the next few posts we will share some of the white lady stories that we have come across in our research on medieval history and medieval castles.

Here is the first ....

• Tamworth Castle in England - There have been many reports of "ghostly happenings" in Tamworth Castle but one of the most famous is that of the White Lady. According to local folklore, a young woman was captured and locked in the castle tower by Sir Tarquin. Over time she fell in love with him and after he was killed by Sir Lancelot du Lac she mourned her lover so much that she threw herself from the battlements. It is believed her ghost walks the castle battlements weeping and people have reported not only seeing the apparition but also hearing her mournful cries.

Read more about haunted castles on medieval-castle.com

A Haunted Castle For TV's "Most Haunted"

It's October again with Halloween just around the corner. So we're going to discuss all things 'spooky' this month on our Medieval Castle Blog. From legends to true, live witness accounts we've got some great medieval castle ghost stories to share with you!

First we will look at Carlisle Castle - a fabulous piece of medieval castle architecture in Britain in the county of Cumbria. With no less than 900 years of history to its name, Carlisle Castle has seen some truly turbulent times and has associations with many famous people. These include King David I (King of the Scots) who died there, William Wallace who once tried to attack the castle, Mary Queen of Scots who was imprisoned there for a time at the behest of Queen Elizabeth I, Bonnie Prince Charlie who also attacked the castle, and, in the 20th century, Rudolf Hess who during WW2 made an overnight stop at the castle on his way South having been taken prisoner in Scotland where he landed his plane. One can well imagine the intensity of some of those historic visits! It's not surprising then that Carlisle Castle is rumoured to be haunted. So much so that the TV series "Most Haunted" visited the castle this summer to film one of their shows (due to be aired some time this month). The shows producers are giving little away but have admitted during their stay, the team experienced mysterious footsteps in the gatehouse, strange phenomena in the Keep and something very unusual around one of the cherry trees in the castle's grounds. If you think it might not be genuine, think again ... staff at the castle have reported seeing mysterious figures on many occasions, especially on the top floor of the Keep.

Having visited Carlisle Castle myself I can honestly say that it has an intense atmosphere about it. The dungeons are particularly eery. See our photographs of the castle dungeons and you will know what I mean!