If you’re looking for a blood-curdling day out this Halloween, you’ve come to the right place. Devon is home to several spooky stories, from disembodied hands that attempt to swerve you off the road in Dartmoor to stories of ghostly goings-on at some of the county’s best-loved buildings.
Buckland Abbey for instance is said to be haunted by the ghost of Sir Francis Drake. Apparently, after buying the abbey, he enlisted the help of the devil to get renovations finished quicker and now has to drive a hearse around Dartmoor for all eternity.
If you really like grizzly tales though, you need to visit Berry Pomeroy Castle. Located in the village of Berry Pomeroy, near Totnes in South Devon, the castle is said to be one of the most haunted places in the UK. Now managed by English Heritage, Berry Pomeroy Castle’s life began following the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror brought several Norman nobles with him, including the de la Pomeroy family, who were granted the barony of Berry Pomeroy.
Under the Pomeroys, the castle had a dry moat, gatehouse and ramparts and a wall that contained large buildings inside. Archaeological work done at the site found that the castle underwent extensive remodelling and that the remains we see today, likely originated in 15th century. The Pomeroys lived at Berry Pomeroy until they fell into financial hardship and sold the site to Edward Seymour in 1547. Edward Seymour was the brother of Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII and the maternal uncle of Edward VI. Apart from a brief time following Seymour’s execution, the castle and the land remain in the Seymour family.
The original Edward Seymour served as Lord Protector to Edward VI because of his young age, but both he and his brother Thomas fell foul of the crown and were executed. Edward Seymour’s son, (another Edward Seymour) eventually gained ownership of the castle from the crown and his son (another Edward, it was evidently a popular name among the Seymour family) eventually became the owner, becoming the Sheriff of Devon, however, he died just 2 years into his baronetcy. You can find a monument to him in the local church. His son, another Edward Seymour, was the Governor of Dartmouth and was knighted but during the English Civil War, he sided with the royalists and was captured. From here onwards, the castle began to fall into disrepair. The castle was in use until around 1694 when it was demolished by the family.
Though most of the castle’s history surrounds the Seymour family, the Pomeroys never really left. Margaret Pomeroy is suspected to be one of the ghosts that stalks the site and is known as the White Lady. It is believed that she was imprisoned in the castle dungeons by her sister, who was said to have been jealous of her beauty.
Another common ghost sighting is that of the Blue Lady, who is also believed to have come to the castle with the original Norman Pomeroys. The Seymours reportedly referred to her as being an omen of death, as she is said to lure young men to their deaths. Though no one is sure who this spirit was in life, she also has a tragic story. It is believed that she was the daughter of a Norman knight who lived at the castle and became pregnant after an assault. The spirit is said to take revenge on young men and forever stalk the halls looking for her lost child.
Both the Blue Lady and the White Lady have been spotted multiple times and even if you don't believe in ghosts, their stories are horrific enough for this time of year. They aren't the only reported spirits that terrorise the castle.
The spirit of a small girl has also been seen, as have the ghosts of guards, a lady in grey and two brothers with their horses. It is believed these two were the spirits of some former residents who drove their horses from the ramparts while the castle was under siege, possibly during the Anarchy, a time of civil war when the crown was being fought over by Stephen of Blois and the Empress Matilda. Matilda was the daughter of Henry I and was the rightful heir, but because she was a lady, her cousin, Stephen tried his luck and there was a period of civil war until Stephen eventually won the crown and then left it to Matilda's son.
Do you dare visit Berry Pomeroy Castle and meet the remaining tenants?
Header image - credit, English Heritage
