Haunted Dudley Castle

Dudley Castle in England has been rumored to be haunted for years and was even the host to a live "Most Haunted" show back in 2002. The castle has had sightings and strange things being reported for years, the first documented instance was in 1870. It is said though that the castle was originally built in the year 1070, it was thought to have been dismantled sometime between then and when history once again begins to refer to Dudley Castle in 1264 when it was known to be in the possesion of Roger Somerie. The reason for the mention is due to Roger Somerie's refusal to go before the king to receive Knighthood and the king seized the then called Dudley Manor. The actual writ for this has been preserved and states, "Because Roger de Somerie, at the feast of Pentecost last past, has not appeared before the king to be girded with the military girdle, the Sheriff of Worcestershire is hereby commanded to seize on the honor of Dudley, and all the other lands of the said Roger within his jurisdiction, with all the cattle found upon them, so that nothing may be moved off without the king's permission. Witness the king at Wenlock."

In 1750 a fire raged out of control within the castle, it was rumored that the local military forces kept their store of gunpowder within the castle. Afraid of explosions, nothing was done to control the fire and it left not much more than a shell of what was once a magnificent castle. Today the castle is surrounded by a zoological garden, and the Keep can still be seen standing upon Castle Hill. But what of the ghosts that are said to haunt this historic structure? Glad you asked...

As stated earlier the first documented sightings were in 1870, but there are no more documented instances until the 1930's when two tourists and a guide were lounging on the steps of the Keep when an elderly gentlemen and his wife strolled arm in arm right past the three on the steps and into the Keep, when the guide chased after them, they were no where to be found. In 1953 a group went on a ghost hunt and reported that they had heard moans and groans and were persistently rushed with spots of frigid air, doors that opened and closed on their own and a multitude of footsteps, one person also reported being touched upon her shoulder. Again in the 1960's a group claimed to have the same experiences.

Many have experienced sightings of a monk walking in the Chapel, moans and groans that seem to proceed the appearance of a woman in white, who is thought to have been Dorthy Beaumont who died in the 1600's in childbirth. In the late 1970's it was reported that there were three workmen who saw a small group of shadowy hooded figures, a few months later during another ghost hunt a picture is reported to have been taken of a figure standing with his arms crossed across his chest, as if wondering what these people are doing in his castle.

There is also a rumor that an old witch may have lived in the Keep and that she and her cat were found hung on All Hallows Eve. She is believed to be the old woman that is seen dressed in sackcloth with wrappings on her feet for shoes. She has been spotted several times once within a crowd of onlookers. From the 1980s till present day many have taken photos and had strange misty shapes appear in them that were not apparent to the naked eye.