Description of Area
*The original castle was of motte and bailey construction. The castle includes a large mound, the motte, on which is situated the keep. The 11th century keep was square but was added to in the 14th century to create a rectangular building which survives as a ruined structure three storeys high. To the north-east of the motte is the main bailey of the castle, which contained buildings essential to the housing and feeding of the castle's occupants. The surviving buildings are mostly of 14th century date and many of the original buildings in the bailey would have been demolished to make way for them. The bailey buildings provided shelter for the inhabitants of the castle, store rooms and activity areas including domestic rooms, a great hall, stables, a chapel and kitchens. The defence was provided by curtain walls along the north and south sides of the bailey while a double gatehouse connected by a corridor provided a formidable entrance to the castle at the north-eastern end. The castle site also contains further ruins to the north-west of the motte, within a compound north of the stream which runs through the site.
Reported Possible Activity
Sighting of hell hounds, carriage and lady mentioned below.
Brief Summary of History or Legend
Okehampton Castle is said to be home to the spirit of a woman who found a great deal of joy in poisoning any man who was silly enough to take her for his wife.
As punishment for her terrible deeds during her time among the living, the sinister widow is forced to make a nightly journey from Dartmoor to Okehampton Castle in order to pluck a single blade of grass before returning home. The story goes that only once the hillside is stripped bare will the woman’s penance be completed. While this is most certainly a horrible way to spend your afterlife, the murderous wife can take solace in the fact that she at least gets to ride in style. Those who have encountered the woman on one of her countless journeys report that she travels in a carriage composed of the bones of the men she murdered, driven by a headless chauffeur and guided by a demonic hound.
Okehampton Castle
Investigation Report
We arrived and set up equipment. EVP was placed in a small side room next to the area we set up our base. This was situated close to the entrance to the castle the first two rooms on the left as you walk through the ruins. Skies were clear no breeze. We started with a bit of quiet time just listenening and calling out to the spirits to communicate with us. We got no response so Ros went for a walk around the immediate area with the camcorder. She walked about 200 yards from base too another large room also to the left. This had a nasty feel to it. In the far left corner of this room there was a shaft that led to what looked like a tunnel but it was caged off so could not be investigated. Ros heard nothing in this area so crossed to the other side and looked into one room. A smaller room for some reason much lighter than the rest. Again didn't hear anything.
Ros returned to Derry who was sat in base area listening. Derry said she didn't feel at all comfortable with it there. It fealt very dark and negative. Ros suggested doing some glasswork as we have to try something to gain communication so set up table. Ros and Derry encouraged spirits to communicate using the glass for fifteen minutes but we had no responses from the spirits on the glass. Whilst we were doing the glasswork though, we did hear a lot of strange unexplainable noises and dogs barking and snarling. This was verry late gone 11pm and no one was out walking their dogs. There is a legend that says the hell hounds have been seen and heard here so in our opinions that is what we heard as they did not sound at all freindly!! Not long after this Ros heard a loud noise and fealt like someone or something was stood behind her so she jumped out of her chair turned around with her torch on but nothing was behind her. Ros felt she had to look at the high stonebuilt wall too her left so she shone her torch up to the top of the wall and there was a small white entity with big black eyes staring at her from the top of the wall as if playing peekaboo and as soon as the torch hit it, it dropped very quickly behind the wall. The wall is about 15 feet high and has a shear drop on the other side. There was no noise of any animal or solid being landing on the ground and no flapping of owls wings as it dropped it just vanished. We then heard a very disturbing scream. This happened several times so we decided that was enough for the night packed up our kit and went to leave. The feeling of dread and fear was overwhelming at this point and as we were walking down the steps towards the green area at the front of the castle the screams were still occurring then it was much louder and heading straight for us very quickly. We looked at each other fear in our eyes we literally ran like two Mo Farah's doing the 100 meter sprint to the fence and back to the car!! The screams can be heard on the EVP section. It sounds a lot quieter on the EVP than it actually was believe me !! The screams continued when we were in the car but did not appear to cross the castle boundaries. Safe to say it was an interesting, exciting but very scary night spent at Okehampton Castle. What a place it is. We will be brave and investigate here again in the future but we will be sure to have more human presence next time !!