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The Ghost of Okehampton Castle

07 February 2015
They say that the ghost of Lady Howard haunts the ruins of our own local castle every night. We didn’t catch her presence though at our first visit there in legendary Dartmoor on our way home from the supermarket one sunny day. She apparently murdered her four husbands and is seen at midnight riding in a bone carriage led by a massive dog with flashing crimson eyes, whilst being driven by headless horsemen on her journey from Okehampton Castle to Tavistock. The castle was built around 1068 and it’s easy to imagine gallant knights riding through the lush wooded spur chasing damsels in distress or ladies softly chuckling amidst the morning sunshine whilst partaking of fine English tea and delicate cucumber sandwiches instead. It is the largest ruined castle in Devon, which fell to ruin in 1558 after the last owner was sentenced to jail by King Henry the VIII. How tragic we thought, when the ambience of more romantic days still lingers on here, as if it were the last traces of expensive scent wafting through the ruins in the breeze.