Berry Pomeroy Castle Ghosts and HauntingsBerry Pomeroy Castle now lies in ruin, but has many stories linked to it and although now only an empty shell it retains an eery atmosphere.
History of Berry Pomeroy Castle
The land was given to Ralph de Pomeroy by William the Conqueror as a reward for his loyalty and support during the Norman invasion and the battle of Hastings. The Norman part of the gatehouse dates back to the late 13th Century. The castle remained in the hands of the Pomeroy family until the late 1540's when it was acquired by Sir Edward Seymour. Seymour was the Lord Protector, and the brother of Jayne Seymour, third wife to Henry VIII.
Edward Seymour made quite a few enemies during his time as Lord Protector, he was ousted by the Earl of Warwick and imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1549, where he was sentenced to death. He was executed in the tower on January 22nd 1552.
The castle remained in the hands of the Seymour family and continued to be occupied by them up until 1688 when it was abandoned. It was badly damaged during the Civil War and was further damaged by fire in the early 18th century, after which no one wanted to live there due to its dark history.
Haunting of Berry Pomeroy Castle
There have been many ghost sightings and strange phenomena in and around the castle. The most frequent ghostly apparitions appear to be the ghosts of a White Lady and a Blue Lady. The White Lady haunts the dungeons and rises from St Margaret's Tower to the castle ramparts. According to legend, she is Margaret Pomeroy, who was imprisoned by her sister Eleanor who was jealous of both her beauty and her affection for the man she had designs upon. Margaret died slowly and painfully as she was starved to death in the dungeons. Witnesses who report seeing this figure associate her with feelings of depression, fear and malevolence.
The Blue Lady is a more sinister character and appears to be free to roam the castle. Like a Siren, she lures people to the dangerous areas of the castle and tries to push people over the edge. According to legend, she is the daughter of one of the Norman Lords. She was raped by her father, who then later killed the child. Some witnesses say that the blue lady is actually the ghost of the child.
Recent investigations into the haunting of Berry Pomeroy Castle have resulted in many reports of strange apparitions, equipment failures, unnatural sounds, strange lights and other unworldly encounters.
Some visitors to the castle who have taken a small souvenir, such as a small stone, have quickly returned it as they have felt that a part of the foreboding and evil has followed them home.
