Ghosts of the castle

The Grey Lady

Two young entertainers were hired in the summer of 1987 and camped each night in the courtyard. Here, high walls cut out noise, in the evening white mist drifts through the doorways and eddies into pale twists. Late one evening they saw on top of the castle mound the dark hazy shape of a woman. This was the last sighting of the Grey Lady by staff, though many visitors report seeing her. Catering staff saw her in the window of the chapel in the 1970’s and during the 1960s she appeared to two keepers in the old aquarium.

The Grey Lady could be Mrs Dorothy Beaumont. She was the wife of the Royalist Second in Command when the castle was besieged by Parliamentary forces in May 1646 and died of natural causes, perhaps childbirth. The Parliamentary Commander allowed her funeral cortege to the Church at the top of the town, but not Dorothy’s husband.

The Black Monk

From time to time, a monk in a black habit appears. Staff have seen him three times in the past few years, once at the entrance to the keep and twice in the window of the Castle’s Chapel. Near the Castle are the ruins of St James Priory, founded in the late 1100s. It was given to Benedictine Monks from Much Wenlock Priory who wore black habits.

The Medieval Lady

There are many rumours of a medieval female spectre. She has only appeared once to staff when she won a fancy dress competition. In 1983, there was a medieval evening with side shows and a prize for the best costume. In the crowd the judges saw an elderly woman wearing a sackcloth shift and grey shawl with feet wrapped in sacking. She looked very different from the others and so authentic that they awarded her the prize, but she disappeared. The officials on the gates were certain that she had not slipped past.

The kitchen area is said to be very active and the undercroft is said to take peoples breath away with fright.the tunnels under where the castle stand are also said to be haunted by several spirits that are heard shouting and screaming.