Berry Pomeroy Castle: The White Lady and the Blue Lady

Rising from the wooded hillside near Totnes, Berry Pomeroy Castle is considered one of the most haunted castles in England. Two spectral women have been seen here for centuries: the White Lady, who wails from the dungeons where she was starved to death by her sister, and the Blue Lady, a more sinister presence who appears to lure visitors to their deaths. The castle’s history of family betrayal, imprisonment, and tragedy has left an indelible supernatural mark.

The White Lady: Lady Margaret

The Legend

Lady Margaret Pomeroy was imprisoned by her jealous sister, Eleanor. She was locked in the dungeons and left to starve to death, her crime being her greater beauty. Her punishment was a slow death in darkness.

The Haunting

Her ghost appears rising from the dungeon ruins, dressed in flowing white and wailing and crying. Sometimes, she walks the ramparts, a figure of tragedy and sorrow. Witnesses describe a woman in white appearing suddenly, accompanied by sounds of sobbing and feelings of overwhelming sadness, alongside cold spots near the dungeon and a sense of someone trapped. The sisters’ rivalry, with both loving the same man and Eleanor jealous of Margaret’s beauty, fueled the tragedy. When Eleanor gained power, she imprisoned her, walled her in the dungeons, and let her starve slowly, and Margaret’s ghost has never forgiven.

The Blue Lady: The Dangerous Ghost

A Different Presence

Unlike the tragic White Lady, the Blue Lady is sinister, appearing beautiful and beckoning, and she lures people toward danger, associated with sudden deaths. A malevolent entity, she is a far more dangerous presence.

The Warnings

Local legends say that to see the Blue Lady means death. She leads people to the tower where they fall to their deaths, representing an omen of doom. Not all ghosts are harmless.

Her Identity

Various theories surround her identity: the ghost of a woman wronged, a servant killed at the castle, or perhaps even Eleanor herself, condemned for her cruelty and now spreading death in turn. Over the years, visitors have reported a woman in blue beckoning toward ruined stairs, and those who follow feel compelled, with several narrow escapes reported and a genuine sense of danger.

Documented Encounters

Over the years, visitors have reported a woman in blue appearing suddenly, beckoning toward ruined stairs. Those who follow feel compelled, and several narrow escapes have been reported, accompanied by a genuine sense of danger.

The Castle’s Dark History

The Pomeroy Family

The original owners held the castle from Norman times, were involved in rebellion, known for cruelty, and had multiple dark legends. Their ghosts linger, a testament to their troubled past.

The Seymour Family

Later owners built the Tudor mansion within, leading to further tragedy. The castle was abandoned and left to ruin, but never truly empty.

The Curse

Local belief holds that the castle is cursed land, built on suffering, steeped in blood, and cannot be peacefully inhabited; the spirits won’t allow it.

Other Phenomena

The Dungeon Spirits

In the underground areas, multiple presences are often felt, not just Lady Margaret, but potentially other prisoners, accompanied by cold drafts with no source and the sounds of chains.

The Crying Child

Sometimes heard, a child crying in the ruined nursery areas, no child to be seen, perhaps a Pomeroy infant lost to history.

The Cavalier

A male ghost, seen in the ruins wearing civil war era clothing, walking the battlements, his identity unknown, but he still guards the castle.

Modern Investigations

Paranormal Research

Many teams have investigated Berry Pomeroy, consistently reporting activity, including EVP recordings of voices, photographs with anomalies, and documented temperature drops, alongside high levels of reported phenomena.

Ghost Hunters’ Favorite

Berry Pomeroy is regularly investigated, featured in documentaries, and known worldwide among researchers, delivering consistent activity and being one of Britain’s most active sites.

English Heritage

Now managed by English Heritage, the castle is open to the public, offering ghost walks that explore history and hauntings, with staff having their own stories.

Visiting the Castle

The Experience

Visitors report strange feelings in the dungeons, photographs with unexplained mists, sudden cold spots, feelings of being watched, and occasional sightings continue.

The Setting

The atmosphere is one of ruined walls and towers, surrounded by thick surrounding woods and an isolated location, making it easy to imagine ghosts, but imagination doesn’t always explain everything.

The Warning

Local advice is to respect the spirits, don’t mock or provoke, especially avoid the Blue Lady, and take care near ruined stairs; the castle claims victims still.

The Question

Two women haunt Berry Pomeroy Castle. One is a victim – Lady Margaret, starved to death by her jealous sister, forever trapped in the dungeons where she died. The other is a predator – the Blue Lady, who appears beautiful and beckoning, leading the unwary toward fatal falls. For five centuries, they have walked these ruins. The White Lady weeps, wanting to be free. The Blue Lady watches, wanting company. Visitors to Berry Pomeroy come for the history and the atmosphere. Some experience more than they expected. The castle is beautiful in its decay. But beauty here has always been dangerous. Lady Margaret was beautiful; it killed her. The Blue Lady is beautiful; she kills others. Come to Berry Pomeroy if you dare. See the ruins. Feel the history. But if you see a woman in blue, beckoning… don’t follow. Others have. They didn’t leave.

Sources

• Wikipedia search: “Berry Pomeroy Castle: The White Lady and the Blue Lady”
• Historic England — Listed Buildings — Register of historic sites