Nunney Castle

The construction of Nunney Castle began in 1373 by Sir John de la Mare. Sir John was well received in royal circles and as a symbol of his growing staus, he was granted a royal licence to build the castle by Edward III. Having just returned from a military campaign overseas, Sir John styled his castle on French architecture that he had seen on his travels. The castle was well protected by a moat, drawbridge and Bailey wall yet did not see any conflict until The English Civil War. The castle at this point was owned by a Catholic family called The Praters. The head of the family, Colonel Richard Prater, was on the side of the royalists and Nunney remained one of the last strongholds to be taken by Parliamentarian forces. Yet, take it they did. In September 1645, the parliamentary army led by Lord Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, descended upon Nunney Castle. The castle was surrounded by two regiments of soldiers who opened cannon fire on the north side. Richard refused to surrender and bravely hoisted a crucifix flag above the castle. Fighting lasted for two days until Richard and his men were forced into surrender. Sadly, the castle was never repaired after the damage caused by Cromwell's men. It felt into disrepair and over the subsequent years became a shell of it's former glory. Nunney Castle is now a romantic ruin managed by English Heritage and open to visitors to explore. With a castle as old as Nunney, it will be no surprise that several hauntings have been reported here. A cloaked female figure is alleged to have been seen roaming around the moat. Who she is is up for debate, but some locals believe her to be the ghost of a witch who was put to death outside of the castle's walls. A more prolific haunting in this location is that of a phantom hitch hiker. Witnesses describe a man in his 30s, dressed in modern day attire, standing on the A361 thumbing a lift. If a kind soul stops to pick him up, he will enter their car and soon after, simply vanish. The same 'ghost' has also been spotted on the lane leading to the castle. In addition, some visitors claim to have been hit by small stones and others have reported deep feelings of unease and of being watched by unseen eyes.