Dunster Castle Ghost

Dunster Castle Ghost has made an ineffaceable mark on visitors who were curious enough to visit Dunster Castle and experience the horror for themselves. The strategically situated castle provides picturesque views of the Avill Valley and the scenic hills and valleys of Exmoor National Park in Somerset. But not everything that is beautiful and presents a picture of serenity holds a spotless history. Dunster Castle has 1,000 years of legacy and houses many secrets related to the otherworldly that will surely make your spine tingle with the many stories of its castle ghost. Dive into the hauntings of the castle that are logic-defying.

Dunster Castle Ghost Stories

The ancient Dunster Castle and its castle ghost are accountable for giving many visitors and staff sleepless nights with unprecedented ghost sightings, screams, and many more, which would be unveiled in its stories.

The castle ghost ‘The Grey Lady’ has often made her appearance known to the visitors during Dunster Castle ghost tours. She has been sighted in many sections of the castle, namely the Library, the Billiard Room, and the connecting corridor that flanks the two of them. But she has been frequently seen on the flight of oak stairs that lead down the said corridor as if her spirit has a connection to the spot. The wife of the first administrator of the castle often exclaimed ‘that something evil was haunting those stairs’, and it has been proven true by many. Her horror had broken all bounds when she asked her husband to summon a medium to exorcise the stairs to get rid of the spirit plaguing the spot. Following her request, a medium was summoned who performed the exorcism, but even that could not stop the ghost from haunting the staircase. A few days later to this incident, a member of the staff was walking down the stairs and felt cold and got a strong feeling that she was not alone. 

Visitors have often seen her gliding up and down the staircase and then suddenly vanishing into a wall leaving the person chilled to their bones. A Legend surrounding the castle claims that ‘The Grey Lady’ may have been a servant girl abused by the castle keeper and had possibly died at his hands a few centuries back.

However, it seems that the castle ghost preferred haunting the staircases as there exists another spot she frequents, an elegant 17th-century grand carved oak and elm staircase. It was an elaborate work, likely carved by the sculptor Edward Pearce the Younger. One of the eerie stories linked to the beautiful masterpiece of a staircase is of a young aspiring local artist who visited the castle to capture the staircase’s eccentric beauty. She occupied a spot on the foot of the stairs and began sketching. She was so immersed in the sketch that she had the sudden compulsion to draw the form of a young girl descending the stairs. The inclusion of this mystery figure was unintentional and what is even more surprising is that there was not a soul visible on the stairs at the time. ‘The Grey Lady’ is definitely an active castle ghost, but she is not the only ghost to wander Dunster Castle.

During the Dunster Castle ghost tours, the visitors have often claimed to have seen a man in a green National Trust shop, which happens to be adjacent to the old stable block marked as haunted by staff and guests alike. The stables have been an area where visitors experienced a feeling of dread and have gone as far as to suggest that it is being haunted by spirits whose murders may have taken place there. A strange encounter was recorded when the shop manager of the National Trust shop was closing for the day when she caught sight of someone dressed in green walking past the entrance to the shop advancing towards the old stable block. Assuming him as a guest who had not seen the closing sign, the manager followed him, but by the time she reached the entryway of the shop, the man had absolutely disappeared. However, this was not the only time the Green Man had made an appearance in the stables. He has been seen countless times on the far end of the block by visitors curious to encounter the ghost who have felt a sudden chill go down their spine. Stories of visitors witnessing strange, floating green orbs at the far end of the stable block have surfaced that make us believe the existence of the otherworldly.

The ghost castle has been surrounded by peculiar stories that test the strength of your guts. One such story is about the oubliette residing in the right-hand tower in the dark pit, where men and women were thrown to leave them to starve to death during medieval times. During the late 19th century, excavation revealed that a previous excavation conducted during the early 1700s of the oubliette unearthed a ghastly secret. A 7 feet tall male skeleton was discovered, considered a giant along with others. The skeleton was discovered chained to the wall, bound by his wrists and ankles, seemingly left there to starve to death like many others. Haunting screams of men and women have been heard coming from the oubliette beneath the gatehouse. It is believed that his remains still lie at the bottom of the oubliette. It is presently covered and tiled over; however, the knowledge of what lies below makes the visitor’s skin crawl. It is also known that dogs refuse to climb the steps next to the gatehouse, being wary of the area and opt to wait patiently by the door for their masters.

Hauntings related to the Civil War have also surfaced when a cleaner employed in the castle claimed that she once encountered the apparition of a strange man. He was dressed in an old-fashioned military uniform that was later used by troops as a dormitory during the Civil War. Another story was of a group of tourists visiting the castle in 1951 while on top of a hill suddenly heard a large number of marching contingent approaching them. However, they could not see anyone, and the sounds grew so loud that they all hurried from there, stopping only when they reached the base of the hill.

Summary of Dunster Castle Ghost

Dunster Castle Ghost has frightened many but has also fascinated guests to no extent. The ghost castle also offers visitors to delve into its many mysteries and stories. The staircases and the stables have been the most favourites among the visitors. However, they have not backed down from taking the famous Dunster Castle ghost tours. Do you believe the stories? Would you be up to the challenge and visit the castle?

If you liked reading about Dunster Castle Ghost, you should also read about Ballygally Castle Ghost & Muncaster Castle Ghost!