Ghosts and Legends of Cornwall

If you love a good ghost story there is no better place to visit than Cornwall. Steeped in mystery, history, legends, folklore and reported ghost sightings; Cornwall is an intriguing place indeed. If you have ever thought of yourself as a ghost hunter, Cornwall is one place that you may end up being very busy.

There are such ghost hunting activities that take place every year in Cornwall. Do you think you can spend the night in a haunted castle or hotel? If you think you have nerves of steel then there are many places where you can show just how brave you really are!

Our fascination of ghosts and ghouls is somewhat satisfied by the amount of tales that are told in Cornwall. You will be hard pushed to not hear some kind of scary story being told somewhere in Cornwall.

Blackways Cove

One such story is that of Blackways Cove. A small and seemingly isolated inlet, which is not far from the beach in the north of Cornwall, Trebarwith Strand is thought to be haunted. No one can say for sure, who is haunting the cove, but there are many rumours and tales. Perhaps the cove is haunted by troubled sailors who were shipwrecked as their ships were torn apart by the treacherous waters and rocks?

Another possibility is that the cove is haunted by a mysterious local man with a twisted secret? As legend has it, a local man who had two sons, died and left all of his belongings and estate to the eldest son in the family. The youngest son was cruelly left out of the will and was left with nothing but the clothes on his back. The youngest son, feeling rage and jealously set a raging fire that quickly took hold of all the buildings in the vicinity. It wasn't until the morning after the fire that the youngest son realised his brother had peacefully passed away and left the entire estate to him.

The Legend of King Arthur

One of the most famous legends associated with Cornwall, particularly Tintagel, is that of King Arthur. What is fiction and what is fact with regards to King Arthur is somewhat blurred, although the story remains as compelling as ever.

Arthur was born in Tintagel to Uther Pendragon and his wife Ygraine. Arthur's home as king - Tintagel Castle - was thought to also be his birth place. Tintagel Castle today remains in ruins, however it is hard not to get caught up in the magic, mystery and beauty of it. On the beach not far from the castle is the cave that was reported to be the home of Merlin. Arthur was crowned the King of England after retrieving the sword Excalibur from a stone, while being guided by Merlin.

The legend of King Arthur doesn't end there; there are stories of the round table, of the quest for the Holy Grail, of Camelot, The Lady of the Lake and that of Guinevere and Lancelot. Forever immortalized in movies and books, King Arthur's legend will forever live on; and because of this, so will that of Cornwall.

Charlotte Dymond

Cornwall has such a love for ghosts and legends that some are immortalised forever. Charlotte Dymond has a story that will forever be told in the "The ballad of Charlotte Dymond" written beautifully by Charles Causley, a Cornish poet. There is also a memorial stone that marks the place where she was found on that fateful night.

On Sunday 14th of April in 1844, Charlotte Dymond was murdered. She was found on the slopes of Roughtor, which is near Camelford. Her lover, Matthew Weeks a crippled farmhand, was hanged for the brutal crime at Bodmin Goal. There is no way of knowing that Weeks actually committed the crime and many people believe he was wrongly hanged for her murder. Every year, on the anniversary of her dreadful demise, charlotte wanders the area looking for peace in her gown, silk bonnet and flowing red shawl.

Rumours of the Devil

Stories and legends of the devil are rife in Cornwall. According to legend, the devil flew across the blackened midnight sky, while carrying a large stone. This stone was reported to be to block the gates of hell. St Michael, upon seeing the devil, started a huge fight between them. The devil then dropped the stone and ever since, the spot where the stone was dropped is known as Helston, or Hell's Stone.

The Talland Ghost Hunter

Talland is a quiet, unassuming village, which is on the East coast of Cornwall. Talland is not far from Looe and Polperro, which are both fishing villages. An area that is known for smuggling infamous people, Talland had a secret. Parson Richard Dodge, a vicar in his time gained a reputation for being a ghost hunter and also an exorcist. These titles he was given was reported to be a cover for the fact he was a smuggler himself!

Dodge told everyone who would listen that he, and only he, could drive away the devil. He claimed to have met the devil and spoke of many evil demons in the area where he would do his illegal smuggling.

Jamaica Inn

Talking of smugglers – as Cornwall was rife with activities including smuggling, the Jamaica Inn was used for this purpose and has many ghost stories and legends attached to it. The legendary ghost hunting show "Most Haunted" spent a frightening night conducting experiments and coming into contact with no less than 15 different ghosts.

There are many stories of treachery, murder and scandal from the Jamaica Inn. One such tale is of a murder. There was a strange man stood at the bar drinking from a tankard. He was summoned outside by some other people and was never seen again. His cold murdered body was found a few miles away on the moor. His death and his murderer remain a mystery. People have reported hearing his footsteps as he returned to the bar to finish his ale.

Also at the Jamaica Inn, as it was used as a stop off point for travellers and smugglers, the sound of horses' hooves late at night can be heard!

Pengersick Castle

Reported to be the most haunted place in not only Cornwall, but the whole of the UK; Pengersick castle is certainly a sight to behold. Many ghosts have been spotted over the years at Pengersick Castle including that of a little girl of 13 years old. It is reported that she danced to her death from the battlements of the castle. Two women who were murdered in the castle are said to still roam looking for justice. A man who was strangled to death and stabbed, shows his terrible demise to anyone who will watch in front of a fireplace

There are so many more ghostly sightings at Pengersick castle that it is hard to even begin to list the strange happenings here. Could you spend a night in Pengersick Castle?

The Wellington Hotel

The famous coaching Inn located in the beautiful Boscastle has quite a few ghostly residents. An 18th Century coachman has been seen strolling around the hotel. The coachman was seen to be dressed in typical 18th Century clothes such as a frock coat, frilled shirt and leather boots and gaiters. The landlord at the time was shocked to see the man disappear through a wall of the hotel, especially as he looked so real.

A mysterious misty shape has been seen floating along the landing of the first floor of the Wellington Hotel. People seem to think that the misty shape belongs to that of a girl. The girl, upset by heart break threw herself from the hotel tower rampart.

Giant Legends

Many of Cornwall's fascinating legends focus around the existence of giants. As legend would have us believe, the Penwith area of Cornwall was heaving with giants. Fearsome, loving and cruel giants roamed the Cornwall countryside just as you and I do now! Believe in giants or not, the stories are intriguing, mystical and wonderful to hear over and over again.

Jack killed a giant

This isn't your average Jack and the Beanstalk story! Jack was farmer's son who resided not far from Land's End during the reign of King Arthur. Everyone who lived in this area lived in fear and under threat from Cormoran, a giant.

Jack went to slay the giant for a handsome reward. As Jack knew he was far too small to be able to physically fight the giant, he tricked him to his death instead. Jack lured the giant from St. Michael's Mount and trapped him in a previously dug pit. While the giant stood trapped in the pit, Jack stuck his head with a pick axe, killing the giant almost instantly and then filled the hole with the earth he had dug out.

Jack became a hero and travelled the country slaying dragons and mythical beasts!

The Giant Bolster

It was thought that the giant Bolster could easily put a foot on the cliffs of St. Agnes and one on the high hill called Carn Brea just outside of Camborne. These two places are around 6-8 miles apart.

The giant Bolster was easily angered and had a foul temper, so he terrorised all that were around him. He met St. Agnes, fell in love with her and wanted her no matter the cost. She of course, didn't want to know.

St. Agnes told the giant Bolster that he would have to prove his undying love for her by completing a few tasks. She asked him to fill a hole full of his own blood on the cliff of Chapel Porth. The giant Bolster believed this was a very easy task as he has so much blood. However, the cunning St. Agnes knew that the hole was not in fact a hole, but a bottomless pit that ran into the sea.

Bolster died as his blood ran dry. There is a massive red stain on the cliffs to this day, and this is thought to be the giant's blood that he split for his love for St. Agnes.

Ralph's Cupboard

Another giant legend is that of the giant called Ralph. Ralph lived in a massive cavern, which was referred to as his cupboard. Ralph was also known as the Wrath of Portreath because of his fierce and wicked nature.

He would lie in wait for passing ships and strike them killing everyone aboard the ship. He would take some prisoners with him however, and eat them for his supper. Ralph would keep the ships and all the treasure aboard for himself. Some ships tried to sail further out to sea, so as to not release the "Wrath of Portreath". There was no distance far enough and Ralph would have no problem getting the ships and destroying everyone.

Legend has it that Ralph would hurl massive rocks, which were small to him, at the passing ships. These rocks are still apparent today; when the tide is relatively low the rocks are definitely there! The "cupboard" is no longer a cupboard and is an open gorge as it lost its roof through weather beatings.

So, as you can see; no matter where you are in Cornwall you are almost certain to come across some kind of legend or ghost story. They are all fascinating and timeless and will enthral people for hundreds of years to come.

Do you dare visit Cornwall?