Okehampton Castle - 2023
Investigation Report
Arrival & First Impressions
We arrived and set up equipment in the first two rooms on the left as you enter through the castle ruins. EVP recorder was placed in a small side room adjacent to our base area, situated close to the castle entrance.
We began with quiet time—listening and calling out to spirits to communicate. No response was received initially.
Exploration – The Ruins
Ros conducted a walkthrough of the immediate area with the camcorder, travelling approximately 200 yards from base to another large room on the left side of the ruins. This room had a distinctly unpleasant feel to it. In the far left corner, a shaft led to what appeared to be a tunnel, though it was caged off and could not be investigated. Ros heard nothing in this area. She then crossed to the opposite side and looked into a smaller room—for some reason much lighter than the rest of the castle. Again, nothing was heard.
Base Area
Ros returned to find Derry seated in the base area listening. Derry reported feeling very uncomfortable—the atmosphere felt dark and negative.
Glasswork Attempt
We set up the table and encouraged spirits to communicate using the glass for approximately fifteen minutes. No responses were received through the glass itself. However, during the session we heard numerous strange, unexplainable noises—and dogs barking and snarling. This was very late, past 11pm, with no one out walking dogs at that hour. Note: There is a legend that the Hell Hounds have been seen and heard at Okehampton Castle. In our opinion, this is what we heard—the sounds did not seem at all friendly.
Escalating Activity
Not long after hearing the dogs, Ros heard a loud noise and felt as though someone or something was standing directly behind her. She jumped from her chair, spun around with torch raised—but nothing was there. Ros felt compelled to look at the high stone wall to her left. She shone her torch up to the top of the wall—approximately 15 feet high.
Visual Sighting
A small white entity with large black eyes was staring down at her from the top of the wall, as if playing peekaboo. The moment the torchlight hit it, it dropped very quickly behind the wall. The wall has a sheer drop on the other side. There was no sound of any animal or solid being landing on the ground. No flapping of owl wings. It simply vanished.
The Screeches
We then heard a very disturbing screech. This happened several times. The feeling of dread and fear became overwhelming. We decided that was enough for the night and packed up our equipment to leave. As we walked down the steps toward the green area at the front of the castle, the screeching continued—then grew much louder and appeared to be heading straight toward us, very quickly. We looked at each other, fear visible in our eyes, and ran. We sprinted like Mo Farah doing the 100 metres—to the fence and back to the car.
The screeching continued once we were in the vehicle but did not appear to cross the castle boundaries.
(The screeches can be heard on EVP recordings posted separately. They sound quieter on the recording than they actually were—believe us.)
Communication Experiments
Glasswork (Base Area)
Attempted for approximately fifteen minutes. No spirit responses received through the glass.
Calling Out (Base Area & Exploration)
No direct responses received.
EVP Recording (Side Room)
Recorder placed throughout investigation. Screeches captured on recording.
Auditory Phenomena
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Strange unexplainable noises throughout glasswork session
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Dogs barking and snarling—late at night with no dog walkers present (possible Hell Hounds of legend)
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Loud noise behind Ros prompting her to turn around
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Disturbing screeches—repeated multiple times
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Screeching increasing in volume and appearing to approach investigators rapidly
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Screeching continuing after investigators reached car but not crossing castle boundaries
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Screeches captured on EVP (posted separately)
Environmental & Physical Effects
Derry:
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Felt very uncomfortable in base area
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Atmosphere felt dark and negative throughout
Ros:
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Felt presence standing behind her—nothing visible when she turned
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Compelled to look at high stone wall
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Visual sighting of small white entity with large black eyes at top of wall
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Entity dropped behind wall with no landing sound
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Overwhelming feeling of dread and fear prompting departure
Large Room (200 yards from base):
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Distinctly unpleasant, nasty atmosphere
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Caged shaft leading to inaccessible tunnel
Smaller Room:
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Noticeably lighter than surrounding areas—no activity detected
General:
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Escalating sense of dread and fear as evening progressed
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Both investigators experienced visible fear prompting immediate departure
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Activity appeared to cease at castle boundary
Conclusion
An intense and ultimately frightening investigation at Okehampton Castle that was cut short due to escalating phenomena and overwhelming feelings of dread.
Key Observations:
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The Hell Hounds – The sounds of dogs barking and snarling heard late at night, with no logical source, align with the castle's long-standing legend of spectral Hell Hounds. The aggressive, unfriendly nature of the sounds lends weight to this interpretation.
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The White Entity – Ros's sighting of a small white figure with large black eyes perched atop a 15-foot wall—watching her as if playing peekaboo before dropping silently out of sight—remains unexplained. The sheer drop on the far side and complete absence of landing sounds rule out any conventional animal or person.
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The Screeches – Repeated disturbing screeches that escalated in volume and appeared to pursue the investigators as they fled the site. The fact that these sounds ceased at the castle boundary suggests whatever produced them is confined to the grounds. EVP recordings captured these screeches, though they sound quieter on playback than experienced in person.
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The Atmosphere – Both investigators independently noted the dark, negative, oppressive energy of the location—particularly in the base area and the large room with the caged tunnel shaft.
Evidence Summary:
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Visual sighting of white entity with black eyes
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Possible Hell Hound vocalisations (barking, snarling)
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Disturbing screeches captured on EVP
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Screeches appearing to pursue investigators
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Activity ceasing at castle boundary
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Strong negative atmosphere affecting both investigators
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Physical sensation of unseen presence behind Ros
Overall: Okehampton Castle proved to be one of our most intense investigations to date. The escalating nature of the activity—from strange noises to possible Hell Hound sounds, from an unexplained visual sighting to pursuing screeches—created an atmosphere of genuine fear that prompted our departure.
The castle's reputation as one of Devon's most haunted locations is well-deserved. The legends of Hell Hounds and restless spirits appear to have foundation in ongoing phenomena.
We will return to investigate further in future—but with greater numbers for safety and support.
What a place.