Berry Pomeroy Castle: The most haunted castle in England?
Last Updated on 13th February 2022 by Sophie Nadeau
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I love a good ghost story. Don’t you? Well, when I heard that Berry Pomeroy Castle is rumoured to be the most haunted castle in England, I just knew that I had to pay a visit to its ruined walls! Even more so after I’d seen a couple of YouTube documentaries on the Castle with my Mum late one evening (and then failed to sleep well afterward)!
Situated on Dartmoor, it sits in the very heart of a region that is no stranger to ghost sightings and paranormal activity. From the devil’s supposed visit to Brentor to the mysterious castle that sits in the heart of Lydford Village, there’s no shortage of folklore in the area!
With rumours of ghosts aplenty- yes, you did just read ghosts in the plural- the ruins of this former medieval mansion lie about 10 minutes by car from the fun and quirky and alternative town of Totnes. From evil children to friendly ladies, there’s no telling who or what you may encounter on even the briefest of visits!
It was a cold, wet and gloomy day when I arrived. No ‘horror story’ beginning intended- the weather really was pretty bad! But was the stormy sky really a sign of things to come? Was it foretelling what may well have been a spooky experience?
Contents
A brief history of Berry Pomeroy
To put things in context for you, I’ll share a little bit of ‘castle’ backstory! Berry Pomeroy Castle sits in the middle of, well, nowhere. So maybe that’s where all these ‘most haunted Castle in England’ stories started.
Since the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, people have settled on the land at Berry Pomeroy and its surrounding countryside. The area is rich in history and full of ruins.
Berry Pomeroy Castle (the ruins that we see today) was started in around 1560 by the Pomeroy family. Although the castle had soldiers and many fortifications, its position at the top of a steep hill meant that it was never likely to be attacked.
From 1600 onward, ambitious extensions to the property were started. The family wanted the Castle to end up as the largest and best stately family home in Devon. Like I said: it was an ambitious project!
The extensive building works were never completed and Berry Pomeroy was completely abandoned by 1700. It was too far from the surrounding towns, too remote to be of any use to anyone. Instead, it has long been the site of teenage initiations: who can stand being at the Castle the longest?
Today, Berry Pomeroy Castle is owned and managed by English Heritage. You can visit and take the chilling audio tour that leads you through the ghostly sightings.
The ghosts of the most haunted castle in England!
The White Lady
I’m not sure why female ghosts always end up being described by the colour of their dress but there we go! The white lady is meant to be the ghost of Lady Margaret Pomeroy. The myth tells that her sister Eleanor was a jealous and mean woman. When the man who Eleanor went for her sister, Margaret, Eleanor locked Margaret in the dungeon. There, Margaret tragically perished.
It’s said that unfortunate witnesses can often see her rising out of the dungeon (which is a really damp and somewhat creepy space) and wandering the ramparts. People who claim to have seen her say that she comes accompanied by feelings of depression, uneasiness, and sadness.
The Blue Lady
The story, dating back as far as the 18th century, tells of a lady dressed in blue. She is meant to be a particularly mean and spiteful ghost. Even evil. She is meant to be the daughter of one of the Norman Knights who inhabited the previous castle on the land where Berry Pomeroy now sits.
The story tells that she was forced into an incestuous relationship with her father, resulting in a child. Her father was so angry that he strangled the child. In her grief, she died. She is now said to haunt the castle, wandering the empty rooms and luring unsuspecting men to their deaths.
How to Visit Berry Pomeroy Castle
Berry Pomeroy is located a short drive away from the town of Totnes and can easily be visited over the course of a few hours. As public transport options are quite limited, the easiest way to reach Berry Pomeroy is with your own car.
The castle is owned and managed by English Heritage. As such, the castle is free to visit for members of English Heritage, though non-members will have to pay. As of 2022, a ticket to the castle online (the cost of admission plus a donation) is £7.60.
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Happy Halloween !
Gramps place was the biggest and baddest castle of its day. It is reported that the POMEROY coat of arms was slightly changed to say SOMERSET and avoided bettele during the prayer book wars. Two Brothers with their horses are said to have leaped to their death during the same time. Other tales as these do have a historical truth with a matching tale of some distress.
I have ancestors from Berry Pomeroy and have driven through it plenty of times on the old road from Torquay to Plymouth- driving through it on a dark winter night and hoping that your car doesn’t mysteriously break down!
Lovely write up. I live near to it and only one correction I would make is that Berry Pomeroy is in the South Hams countryside and is not on Dartmoor.
Used to work at Berry Pomeroy Castle its a beautiful place. Although managed by English Heritage it is still owned by the Seymour family.
I don’t like exploring haunted places on my trips or even cemeteries or ghost tours as I get scared! The architecture of the castle itself looks scary to me but thanks for sharing the interesting stories behind the castle!
Wow the story was so interesting but the castle looks somehow scary! The best place to visit those days, just before Halloween
Looks like a great place to host a Halloween party haha
maybe it is true that the place was haunted. The old building that has long been abandoned, will be the place to stay ghosts. I am very afraid of ghosts, I hope not see ghosts.
This looks haunted even in day time. England has a lot of haunted places. We had a chance to visit a haunted night tour in Edinburgh, but we did not dare to 😉
Oooh the pictures and back story already have my spine tingling! I do love a good haunting! 😀 This place definitely goes on my bucket list!
I heard of this while living in London, and was actually considering paying a visit but I really didn’t have the courage to go. You’ve described a haunted place as a charming old place one must visit. Also, I wonder what it would be like visiting at night!
Spooky places do have a charm and in this case, the place really looks eerie. I sure would love to visit this one. Making a note of this one . How did you fare with the visit? did you have goose bumps when going through those halls?
Oh I love spooky and haunted experiences! This would be the ultimate place to visit for me. Like a fairytale castle too!
Very interesting post, so much history! Each of these ghosts have a story. I can imagine this to be a highly sought after place to conduct filming at too, although I wouldn’t want to hang around after nightfall. It definitely has that creepy vibe!
A castle standing in the middle of nowhere is quite interesting, and maybe the previous life of this castle is quite elegant, and full of rich stories. I find this place so interesting and somehow beautiful, perfect for a wedding photo shoot, with these old age remains.
I love ghost stories! I actually live in the most haunted town in Dorset and I recently took a ghost tour where I found out that there is actually a ghost in the building I live in. He’s a friendly ghost though, not like the Lady in Blue at the Berry Pomeroy castle. 🙂
Oooooh…that really looks haunted. Have you ever considered the biggest factor that makes a place look haunted is the absence of people? There’s not a soul aside from you in these…how did that happen?
Interesting story behind the castle.I love reading about myths and legends.But as for scary stuff no I am a scary cat. The ruins of the castle are rather beautiful.
This is very interesting. I love visiting such places. This infact looks scary during the day time as well. One thing I really like is to know more about the place history.
What an interesting story! I love a good ghost story but I personally prefer to learn about ghost stories from afar haha I’m too much of a scaredycat
I love a good ghost story and this castle seems full of them! It definitely gives off a creepy vibe! So rustic and worn. I bet it has incredible stories
This castle does look spooky. Oh yes, I love ghost stories and even more if they are about castles. I went to the oldest haunted house of UK but not this castle although it does remind me of my time in a haunted castle during Halloween last year. 🙂
What a creepy castle full of ghosts! I was living in the UK for 2 years and sadly never got to Dartmoor to see this for myself. What makes it even more creepy is that it is in the middle of nowhere.
Looks scary even during the day. What makes it scary is the there is so much dense vegetation all around and of course the fact that its all ruins. I can imagine how scary this place is at night.
This place looks really creepy! And the ghost stories really don’t help 😀 I am a bit of a scaredy cat, but I’d push myself into visiting Berry Pomeroy castle. I have a soft spot for old castle, and this one would be quite the experience.
Brave soul. I love ghost stories as well though! Great picture with the red jacket…has an eerie feel to it. Did you have a chance to see the castle at night at all?
I love visiting castles! Not sure I’ll say that if I encounter these ghosts you mentioned, especially the White Lady! Nevertheless, the pictures are very nice and make me want to visit the Berry Pomeroy castle!
I love me a good ghost story. I would love to be able to visit here!
Incredible place to see. England is full of mysterious places that keep adding to my list of sites to see sooner or later. This one would certainly be one of them. I love the atmosphere, the rough landscape and the stories of ghosts haunting the manor.
I love such ghost stories! The castle looks wonderful!
very interesting!