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Devon is one of the oldest counties in England and many of the villages, towns and even the cities have a long and interesting history. So there’s no surprise that there’s plenty of ghosts hanging out in them! It also has some stunning scenery and quite lonely spots such as Dartmoor where almost anything feels like it could happen.
Let’s take a tour around some of the most haunted locations of Devon.
Haunted Devon castles
Castles are always a good bet for a few ghosts and Devon’s castles are no different.
Berry Pomeroy Castle, Totnes
Berry Pomeroy Castle often makes it to the list of the most haunted places in the UK, such is its reputation. The castle is a ruin but was originally built by Ralph de Pomeroy after being given the land by William the Conqueror. Later it was bought by Sir Edward Seymour, Lord Protector. It was abandoned in 1688.
The castle has both a White Lady and a Blue Lady. The White Lady is said to be Margaret Pomeroy who appears in St Margaret’s Tower and often waves to visitors. She was held here by her sister and starved to death.
The Blue Lady loves to get people lost and is said to be the daughter of a Norman era lord. She was raped by her own father and fell pregnant but he murdered the child. She was believed to be a death omen for the owners during Seymour times.
Other weird reports include strange lights, cold spots, a ghostly Cavalier and a woman in a grey dress.
Okehampton Castle, Okehampton
Okehampton Castle was mentioned as far back as the Domesday Book when it was home to a guy called Baldwin de Brionne. It has been home to other notables including the Marquess of Exeter who had a very busy life before being sentenced to death for conspiring against Henry VIII!
Today, the castle is a ruin but that hasn’t deterred the ghosts. First, there’s the spirit of a woman who poisoned her husband. As punishment for her crime, she travels each night from Dartmoor to the castle to pluck a blade of grass before returning home. She has to do this until the hillside is bare so she’ll be at it for a while.
Powderham Castle, Exminster
Powderham Castle is a Grade I listed building built in the 14th century by Sir Philip Courtenay. It is haunted by a Grey Lady who is most often seen in the library. Stories say she was Lady Frances, the wife of Viscount Courtenay. While not being too terrifying in herself, she is said to be a death omen for the head of the house.
A mother holding her infant is another sad ghost seen around the castle. She is believed to be the spirit of a woman found with her child in the walls of the castle during renovations. Sightings have reduced since the bodies were found and buried.
Haunted Devon pubs and hotels
Pubs are another popular haunted spots with many having a long history – but that isn’t always the case either.
Church House Inn, Torbryan
The Church House Inn was built in the mid-1300s and was a coaching inn where people stopped while travelling to and from Plymouth. People have reported a seated monk appearing in the bar area and sometimes in the lounge.
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Visitors have reported seeing a man staring over the cot of children staying in the hotel. One dad followed the man only to have him vanish at the bottom of the stairs. Another ghost is said to be tall and bald, wearing black clothes. There are also reports of doors slamming for no reason and the feeling of being watched.
Churston Court Hotel, Brixham
A genuinely old building, the Churston Court Inn was built in the 12th century. Agatha Christie stayed here and used it as a hideaway for one of her characters in the Great Train Robbery.
It is now a listed building with several ghosts. These include spirits of monks from the time when it was a monastery for the church next door. Occasionally, a single monk also appears in the kitchen.
Candles tend to blow out in the main room where there’s no breeze before lighting again.
Farmer’s Arms, Woolsery
The Farmer’s Arms is said to be home to a poltergeist that interestingly only appeared after an ancient well on the ground was discovered and unsealed. The 20 foot deep, Saxon well had been sealed but a heavy piece of rock was lifted without realising what was under it during renovations.
Now the poltergeist is said to harass female employees. There are also reports of flying objects and one time, the landlady was even pushed off her stool.
The Royal Castle Hotel, Dartmouth
The Royal Castle Hotel sits beside the River Dart and has done since the 17th century. It is said to be haunted by a ghostly carriage and horse with horse hooves and the sound of the carriage doors being heard before it departs.
The story says that it comes from when William and Queen Mary were due to meet here to travel from the Netherlands to London. William ended up in Torbay due to a storm and the carriage was sent to collect Mary. Not sure how this ended up as a ghost though!
The Fisherman’s Cot, Bickleigh
While the Fisherman’s Cot looks like an old pub, it was actually built in the 1930s as a fishing lodge. It has had a few notable guests over the years, including Paul Simon who was said to have written Bridge Over Troubled Waters after seeing a floor from the pub window.
There’s a young woman who haunts the pub. She’s a cheerful character who is most active around the bar areas. The other ghost around the pub is less cheerful – a headless horseman. He is seen riding across Bickleigh Bridge and the sound of the horse’s hooves are often reported.
The Three Crowns Hotel, Chagford
The Three Crowns Hotel was built in the 13th century as a manor house. It was said to be haunted by the ghost of Sidney Godolphin, a soldier and poet who was wounded in battle and brought to the hotel to recover but died. His spirit is often seen walking through the hallways and often through walls that have been added in recent years.
Haunted Devon houses
From normal family homes to grand manor houses, there are a few spooky stories associated with the houses of Devon.
Chambercombe Manor, Ilfracombe
Chambercombe Manor dates from the 11th century and was the home of the Champernon family. A woman haunts it who sought help after a shipwreck but while she found shelter in the house, no one was there and she died.
There was also a concealed chamber with a woman’s skeleton on a four-poster bed. A ghostly face has appeared in photos taken in the manor, perhaps relating to this.
Rougemont Hotel, Exeter
The Rougemont Hotel location has a long history including being a debtors’ prison that was run by a Mr Howard, a guy with a less than sterling reputation. Some of the relics are still around as historical items including the pole where people have hanged and the shackling irons in the cellars.
There’s a Grey Lady said to haunt the hotel and is seen walking the staircases, usually in the early hours. She actually dates from more recent times and was a hotel guest who accidentally gassed herself in her room.
Saltram House, Plymouth
Saltram House is a National Trust property, a Georgian house with gardens and surrounding woodland. It is home to a murdered maid who is still seen as a hooded figure around the dining room and some of the corridors.
Shute Barton Manor, Axminster
Shute Barton Manor was home to Lady Jane Grey but the property changed hands after her unsuccessful attempt to take the throne. There is a female spirit that haunts the house but it is unclear if it is the most famous resident.
Other haunted locations
Then there are all those stories and places with odd happenings that don’t fall into the category above. Let’s look at some of those.
Buckland Abbey
Buckland Abbey was purchased back in the 16th century by Sir Francis Drake with plans to renovate it and he managed the feat in just three nights – because he called the Devil to help.
As punishment for this, Drake drives a black hearse through Dartmoor every night followed by a pack of hounds. At the Abbey can be found Drake’s Drum that he used to call the Devil and this is where he finishes his nightly trip.
The drum is also said to sound when England is in danger.
Hound Tor, Dartmoor
Hound Tor is said to be the home of the tale that inspired the Hound of the Baskerville for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The tor stands near Bovey Tracey and is home to a HellHound with glowing eyes, a shaggy coat and powerful limbs. It was seen as recently as 2009 when a photograph was taken showing something similar in size to a small pony.
Postbridge, Dartmoor
Postbridge and the surrounding area is known for a particularly strange and spooky story that keeps resurfacing. The Hairy Hands has many different tales but all involve disembodied hands that attempt to gain access to cars when they have broken down in the area.
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Score Chapel, Ilfracombe
Score Chapel’s graveyard has been the focus for hauntings and also rumours of black magic since the chapel was abandoned. Plans to transform it into a house were stopped, some said because the graves of stillborn children in the graveyard would be disturbed.
Wistman’s Wood, Dartmoor
Wistman’s Wood is another location that often makes it to lists of the most haunted places in the country. Many locals avoid it after dark because it is said that there were once Druid rituals held here around the boulder known as The Druid’s Stone.
While there aren’t many specific ghosts mentioned, it is a spooky spot and there are also a lot more reports of adders, the UK’s only poisonous snake, in the area than is usual.
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