A phantom woman said to lure visitors towards a deadly fall, a forgotten demon that takes the shape of a black dog and the ghosts of soldiers singing beneath Dover Castle are among the stories in a new book exploring England’s haunted castles.
The Haunted Castles of England, published by Pen & Sword Books, brings together centuries of ghost stories, local folklore and reports of paranormal encounters from castles across the country.
Its author, Neil R. Storey, has spent more than 30 years investigating paranormal activity across Britain. An award-winning historian and author of more than 50 books, he has researched historic hauntings through original records, photographs and eyewitness accounts.
In this interview with Spooky Isles, Neil discusses the castles that made the strongest impressions on him, his discoveries and a personal ghostly encounter he experienced with his mother.
SPOOKY ISLES: Neil, which castle in the book is your favourite, and why?
NEIL R. STOREY: My favourite is Chillingham Castle. It has been in the same family hands for centuries, it is so historic, it has real atmosphere.
The castle has a long recorded history of hauntings, it is still active and they warmly welcome those who come to investigate its ghosts.
Which castle surprised you most when researching its ghost stories?
Dover Castle and the tunnels beneath it have stories of ghostly manifestations such as the headless drummer boy and a phantom Royal Navy officer who has been seen on numerous occasions by visitors, and even the ghostly voices of soldiers singing have been heard.
But it is the fact that its ghosts have been investigated there for so long that surprised me.
Dover Castle was the setting for one of the first recorded paranormal ‘lock-ins’ during the 1930s.
Then there were also instances of a Spring Heel’d Jack frightening local women at nearby St Margaret’s in 1904 that saw ghost hunters act as decoys dressed in women’s clothes in an attempt to draw him out.
Did you personally visit every castle featured in the book?
I have personally visited most of the castles in my book over the years but, as I point out in my introductory comments, some of the castles are family homes. They are not open to the public, we must respect that and just enjoy the stories.
Which castle had the strongest atmosphere when you visited?
The haunting at Berry Pomeroy Castle was the first castle haunting that really frightened me when I started reading about ghosts when I was a youngster.
I wondered if it was because the story of the phantom woman who would try to draw me into a dangerous area of the castle where I may fall to my death was so deeply embedded in my psyche that I found the place so scary.
All I know is when I visited the ruins the place not only felt haunted, it felt unsettling.
No wonder newspapers in the 1930s declared: ‘She is, probably, the most ominous and dangerous ghost in England.’
When discussing Berry Pomeroy Castle with those interested in the paranormal and with those who have no such interest, I have found they have experienced the same feelings there.
Was there a castle ghost story from your childhood you particularly wanted to include?
I wanted to include the story of sighting figures from centuries before on the entrance stairs to Castle Rising in Norfolk.
Said to be haunted by Queen Isabella ‘The She-Wolf’ of France, when visiting the castle in the early 1980s a mother and her son (11) both saw a woman and child in ‘medieval’ clothes pass close by them holding her toddler’s hand as it made its way down the tall steps of the castle.
A chilling tale, especially as it was my Mum and I who were visiting the castle!
Find The Haunted Castles of England on Amazon.
What did researching the book teach you about the difference between old folklore and modern ghost stories?
When researching old hauntings of castles it is great to see where the legends and folktales attached to the castles began and how there is usually more than a grain of truth in the stories that have been handed down.
Which haunting do you think has changed most through years of retelling?
I have tried to focus on finding the oldest accounts of the hauntings for my book and leave readers to decide how the stories have changed through retelling over the years.
Was there a ghost story where you found stronger historical evidence than expected?
I was delighted to find the origin stories for many of the hauntings checked out very well.
I was particularly pleased to uncover accounts of strange manifestations being captured on photographs in the early 1950s at Hastings Castle and the story of a séance with members of the local authority and castle staff participating in April 1954, where the medium went into a trance and claimed to be in touch with a nun of the Order of St Agnes, who died in mysterious circumstances in 1080.
Did you uncover a forgotten or little-known haunting that became a favourite?
I uncovered the story of ‘Briggy Dobbie’, a demonic lantern man at Barnard Castle in Durham.
Well-known and feared in the town during the 18th and 19th centuries, he is all-but forgotten today.
He was said to live in the castle walls. He would appear when you least expected him or could be summoned by the foolhardy when his name was said thrice in quick succession (à la Beetlejuice), or if his name or image was used in a prank or said in mockery.
When in his more mischievous moods Briggy Dobbie assumed the shape of a huge black dog or barguest, and was in the habit of seizing upon those who had been out on the town drinking and, as they made their way home, he would roll them in the gutter.
After researching so many haunted castles, has the experience changed your view of ghosts?
My own belief in the paranormal is as strong as ever, but what my investigation of these haunted castles has taught me is some castles have an atmosphere that oozes history and sense of place from the moment you enter them.
Some, however, seem like there is little or no atmosphere about them in daylight when there are members of the public around, but after dusk falls, after all the visitors have gone home and it gets dark, what a difference that can make.
If you have the chance to investigate a castle in an arranged visit with a small, quiet group of paranormal investigators, the results can be remarkable, but never forget some nights may be far more active than others.
The Haunted Castles of England by Neil R. Storey is published by Pen & Sword Books. Buy The Haunted Castles of England on Amazon.
