The hauntings of Warwick Castle: Things that go bump in the night revealed

Following a number of sightings around the castle, members of staff have spoken about their spine-tingling experiences and interactions with after life.

Rooted in history and horror, Warwick Castle’s ghost stories are nearly 1,000 years in the making and continue to haunt the castle to this day, from the floating Grey Lady to the ghost of murdered Fulke Greville.

The Grey Lady

Frequently spotted by the castle’s cleaners and maintenance staff, the castle’s Grey Lady has been spooking its residents for centuries.

In the nineteenth century, the fifth Earl of Warwick noted in his memoirs, “There is said to be another apparition in the form of an old woman who walks along the corridors by day. My wife has seen her twice. She moves slowly and with averted face, silent and intangible – she is gone almost as soon as seen.”

Similarly, the fourth Earl of Warwick stated in his memoirs that he woke up one morning to see an old woman looking down on him floating in the air, but later dismissed the entire story so that he would not be embarrassed.

Val Goldman, a member of the conservation team who has encountered the Grey Lady, said: “The creepiest experience I can recall was when the door to the Kenilworth bedroom from dark attic suddenly flung open by itself after having been kept locked for over 10 years.

"I have seen Lady Grey on the Kenilworth landing, walking out of the wall in black mourning clothes many times, she doesn’t let you see her face, but smells of Parma Violet perfume.”

Matt Halford, head of estate and facilities said: “I was rushing to a meeting across the Kenilworth bedroom when I felt a firm impact on my shoulder.

"Assuming it was a colleague playing a prank, I spun around on the spot to see who was there, to my complete surprise there wasn’t anyone in the room nor along the Minstrels Gallery from where I had come.”

The incident was confirmed by CCTV footage, where you can see Matt walking through the room and turning abruptly, while no one else can be seen in the room with him.

Fulke Greville’s Ghost

Fulke Greville was gifted the castle by King James I and despite his glamour and importance, he suffered a terrible death in the castle.

In 1628, after the most infamous of his servants Ralph Haywood, read Fulke’s will and discovered that his master had left him a mere £20 per year, he decided to stab Fulke twice in the stomach, leading to an agonising infection before dying 27 days later.

Greville’s ghost has been seen wandering around the staterooms, most notably haunting his portrait in the castle and keeping an eye on his relatives. It is believed that if you find a ghost at Warwick Castle, it is likely to be his.

Macauley Cleary, the castle's operations security supervisor said: “I had an unforgettable experience during a night shift in the Kingmaker attraction.

"After venturing into a room filled with eerily lifelike mannequins, suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a shadowy figure lurking in an archway.

"Rushing to investigate, I found an empty room, but the eerie feeling of being watched lingered long after.”

Rhiannon Hubbard, attractions supervisor said: “During a previous Halloween event, I repeatedly saw the same face peering around the stairs in the Royal Weekend Party area.

"I was properly scared, and only when on a Ghost Tour three years later, I saw a portrait of Fulke Greville and realised… it was exactly the same face.”

The Witch That Haunts The Castle

Moll Bloxham was a spinster who made a deal with the Earl to milk his cows, collect eggs from his hens, make butter to sell to the villagers. The townspeople however believed she added things to the products to make them go off faster, or bulked the products out so she could make more money.

Once her crimes were discovered, she was brought to the castle to be whipped, but escaped the guards while shouting a curse on the people of Warwick and ran into the tower and bolted the door behind her.

The castle guards attacked the door with axes, but as they stormed into the room, Moll was nowhere to be seen. In her place was a huge, black hound with flaming, red eyes. The dog ran up to the very top of the tower and leapt from its ramparts, plunging to its death in the river below.

When the guards reached the top of the tower it was not a dog that they could see drowned in the water, but Moll herself.

To this day, around Caesar’s Tower at the dead of night, the sounds of a dog can be heard barking and it is said to be that of Moll Bloxham, the witch that still haunts the castle.

Liam Bartlett, general manager at Warwick Castle said: “Things don’t just go bump in the night here at Warwick Castle.

"Our ghosts have haunted our corridors and courtyards for centuries, and we’re excited for you to meet them this Halloween!

"From the Kingmaker to the Kenilworth Bedroom, you might want to watch your back, as we anticipate our spine-chilling ghosts to be more active than ever come 31st October.”

Over the October half term, Warwick Castle will be hosting Halloween events both during the day and evening.

One event includes a ghost tour.

For more information and tickets go to: https://www.warwick-castle.com/tickets-passes/#tickets