Ghosts and Legends of Devon

Devon is famously known for its hills, tors, tall cliffs, beautiful and serene holiday towns, and its scrumpy cider. However, it should also be known for its legendary ghost stories and its amount of paranormal activity.

Maybe the reason why there seems to be so many reported ghost sightings and great ghost stories and legends, is because of the fact that some of the small towns and villages that can be found in Devon are hundreds, possibly thousands, of years old.

Black House in Brixham

The Black House located in Brixham was originally built in the 14th Century. It was used by the monks as the St. Mary’s Church was being built. It may surprise you to learn that the building is in fact white, not black as the name suggests. Perhaps the name links to some deeper meaning!

There is apparently the ghost of a man from the 16th Century called Squire Hilliard that frequents the building. He looks for his son who tragically took his own life when he couldn’t marry the woman he loved. The Squire didn’t think the girl was suitable for his son and forced her to marry another man.

There are said to be very strange things that happen in the Black House on regular occurrences. Strange noises lurk in every corner, doors lock themselves when no one else is around and ghostly footsteps make the floorboards.

Is the Squire looking for eternal forgiveness and will his son give it to him?

Churston Court Inn

The stunning Churston Court Inn is a Saxon manor house and is located next to the St. Mary Church. Many ghosts have been seen here, usually that of monks that walk through walls, passages and various rooms. The Inn is now a restaurant and an Inn and has all the original fireplaces, windows and oak panelling.

Spanish Barn in Torre Abbey

Torre Abbey was originally a monastery and was founded in 1196. In 1662 after the monasteries went through the dissolution it became the much loved home of the Cary family until as recently as 1930. There is barn next to the Abbey, which is aptly called the Spanish Barn – It is called the Spanish Barn as it was used in 1588 to imprison 397 prisoners who were Spanish. These prisoners were captured by the Navy as they were fighting against the Armada. The ship they once had was then towed to nearby Torquay. It is safe to say that Spanish men who were imprisoned were not treated in the best conditions. They were overcrowded and many of them died because of the conditions they were in.

As the legend goes, one of the prisoners was actually a woman, although this was not found out until she was given her last rites as a dying prisoner. Her ghost reappears in the Meadows of Torre Abbey and she wanders looking for her husband whom she shared the journey with on the boat.

Castel-a-Mare

In 1870, a murder took place in this house that no longer stands. There are stories of a doctor who was local to the area murdering his wife in a sudden and uncharacteristic moment of madness. He then went on the murder the family’s maid as she was unlucky enough to witness the horrific murder taking place. There are variations of this story as some others say that it was a patient or a house guest that was murdered not the wife.

No matter which recollection is true – a gruesome and terrifying legend remains. The house was haunted by the young maid who witnessed the murder and was then cruelly murdered as well. Her terrified and frightened screams have been heard throughout the house on many occasions. The ghost of the maid was also known to run to the stables outside trying to escape her attacker. The horses used, when the house was still standing, would never step foot in the stables at any time.

The house was renovated and any tenants that lived in the property, not knowing its history, never stayed very long. The house was then taken down in the 1920’s and it was told that no house or building should ever be built on that same spot. However, many years later a new house was built...

Berry Pomery Castle and the ghost of the white lady

There are rumours of two ghosts in residence at this castle – One ghost of a young lady and one of an older lady.

The young lady was a member of the highly esteemed Pomeroy family in the 14th Century. The girl gave birth to a child that was a result of an incestuous relationship with her own father. The father killed the girl’s baby in an upstairs room in the castle. The ghost of the girl has been seen wandering around in complete despair and upset. The sound of a crying newborn baby has also been heard on many occasions in the upper rooms of the castle – where the baby was murdered.

Lady Margaret Pomeroy is the other reported ghost who takers up residence in the castle. It is reported that Lady Margaret had a sister called Lady Eleanor. They were both very beautiful women and Eleanor wanted to be the only one. So, she imprisoned her sister into the dungeons and she eventually starved to death. Margaret’s ghost has been seen in the area of the gatehouse. Apparently Margaret lures passersby to their death by making them fall into the dungeons. So, if you do happen to see her in the gatehouse, make sure to not fall for her charms!

The Ghosts of Lapford Village

If you are ever in Lapford village you may come across a ghost of a vicar. The ghost of Vicar John Radford is said to still wander the village as he murdered his own curate. He wasn’t punished for the atrocious crime he committed and nor was he buried in consecrated ground.

The Ghosts of Bodmin Jail

The Bodmin jail – Bodmin Gaol – was originally built in 1777 and rebuilt again in 1840 and in the 1850s. This was to accommodate the growing number of incarcerated prisoners. There were 55 hangings that took place here and 51 of those hangings were made public. The prison was closed during 1922 and the last hanging was in 1909.

You may hear scary, heavy footsteps walking behind you or voices screaming and shouting. Misty apparitions have also been seen here. There seems to be an air of sadness and misery in the prison and you may just feel it as soon as you walk into the Bodmin Prison. There are quite a few ghosts that still reside here including that of Matthew Weeks who was hanged for murdering Charlotte Dymond.

Anne Jefferies was starved here as she was reported to be a witch. She survived for at least 3 months being starved and this only increased people’s beliefs that she was indeed a witch.

Tiverton Castle

The Tiverton Castle was built through the reign of King Henry the First by the 1st earl of Devon who was called Richard de Redvers. It was in 1539 that the lands were confiscated by Henry the Eighth and the Earl was killed. Not all of the original building remains now as some of the castle was dismantled and used in other structures after the civil war. A family of the name of Courtney lived in the castle during its history and the ghost of the youngest girl in that family walks the remains now. The young girl was playing hide and seek, she hid herself in a large wooden chest that the family used. She became trapped and suffocated within the chest. Apparently the body was not discovered for years after the original event took place.

Ghosts of the Bedford Hotel

The hotel itself is in Tavistock and used to be a refectory for the Benedictine Abbey. It was destroyed in 1539 and a home was built on the same spot in 1725. It wasn’t until 1848 that the home was converted to a hotel by The Duke of Bedford.

Residents have heard a young girl playing and laughing in the corridors, and it is generally thought that she is in fact an ancestor of the Duke of Bedford. Diners in the restaurant have also reported seeing a young girl in the area and when they look again, she is gone.

The Ghosts of Shaldon Bridge in Shaldon

The Shaldon Bridge crosses the River Teign; this bridge has had many ghost sightings and reports are extremely recent – only going back to the mid 90s. Apparently, a young boys clothing was found on the bridge – no one ever owned up to owning the clothes and nobody has ever been found. Another person reported seeing a tall, cloaked figure in the middle of the bridge. Seconds later, he had disappeared as quickly as he showed up.

Kingsbridge Inn in Totnes

There are thought to be a lot of ghosts residing in this Inn, but the main figure that seems to appear is that of Mary Brown. Mary was a young barmaid who worked there in the 17th Century. She was apparently murdered viciously by her employer and the body was buried somewhere in the building. Mary appears only to women who she senses a connection with – maybe she wants someone to find her body buried in the building and lay her to rest.

Monks Retreat in Broadhempston

The Monks retreat is actually a pub in an ancient village on the top of a hill. It is thought that the name of the pub comes from its local connections with the nearby Church built by St Peter and St Paul.

The ghost of the Monks retreat is a friendly one and watches over the people and the building itself. Reports of a monk have been sighted on many occasions alerting people to danger. A candle started to damage the table and there was a risk of a fire – the monk is reported to have tapped on the table to get someone’s attention to put out the candle.

The Ghosts of the ABC Cinema in Plymouth

The ghosts in the cinema like to make themselves seen. Light shows by ghosts possible named Jessica, Minnie or Winnie and a man named Jack. Reports of full ghosts and apparitions have been seen of a young girl.

People have reported being touched and whispered to by the ghosts who live in the ABC cinema – it is not known why or how they got there. Perhaps they were involved in a tragic accident or maybe they just loved the place so much that they never want to leave.

Kitty Jay’s Grave

The legend of Kitty Jay and the grave is well known around Devon. It is a fascinating story and there may be more elements of truth in it than people think.

Kitty Jay was so called as Kitty was a nickname given to her by a farmer’s son who admired her. Her name was thought to be Mary. Kitty fell in love with the farmer’s son and soon became pregnant after a secret affair with him. Kitty worked at the farm for slave labour and was released after becoming pregnant; she was also branded as a slut by the other residents of the farm.

Kitty had nowhere else to go, no family to turn to and no one to help her. Kitty then decided to take her life as well as that of her unborn child’s. She hanged herself in a barn nearby and was found later. As the legend goes, many people have reported seeing strange and misty figures at the grave and flowers are always at the grave, but no one knows where or from whom these flowers come from.