Castleton, Derbyshire, England
Speedwell Cavern
Castleton Garland Day
Oak Apple Day, or Royal Apple Day as it is also known, is celebrated on 29th May. During the festivities, the Garland King (believed to represent Charles II) accompanied by his Queen, ride through the village on their beautifully decorated horses, followed by local girls dressed in white with flowers. The King is caged in greenery and flowers, and the manes of the horses have been plaited with lilac and oak leaves, and their tails with bluebells. In the early evening, the cage of greenery is removed from the king and placed on top of the church tower, symbolising the ascent to Heaven.
For further information, please read Haunted Britain by Antony D. Hippisley Coxe.
Peveril Castle
The imposing ruins of Peveril Castle stand high above the village. It is mentioned in the Domesday survey, and Peveril Castle is one of England’s earliest Norman fortresses. The keep was built by Henry II in 1176.
The castle is supposedly haunted by the apparition of a white knight standing by the ramparts.
Others have sighted a phantom hound and horse near the keep. The sounds of an "ethereal" female singing have also been reported.
Pictured left is Peveril Castle courtesy of Darren Copley.
Market Place,
Castleton,
Derbyshire,
S33 8WQ.
For further information, please read Haunted Castles of Britain and Ireland by Richard Jones.
Speedwell Cavern
The town was featured in Most Haunted: Midsummer Murders episode three, during which the team "investigates" the murder of an engaged couple said to take place in the 18th century. Much of the "investigation" takes place in Speedwell Cavern. One of the conspirators, James Ashton, is said to have confessed to the murders on his deathbed after being haunted by the dead couple. He also implicated others involved.
Speedwell Cavern,
Winnats Pass,
Castleton,
Derbyshire, S33 8WA.
Featured on Most Haunted: Midsummer Murders (2007)
For further information, please read Haunted Britain by Antony D. Hippisley Coxe.
Winnat's Pass
Winnats Pass lies to the west of the village of Castleton, in the National Trust's High Peak Estate.
It was part of a now collapsed limestone cave system, but there are traces of this ancient geology in the caverns of the area such as Speedwell Cavern at the bottom of the Pass. The steep hills on either side of the valley were formed by the action of water eroding the limestone for hundreds of years.
It is reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of Henry and Clara, two lovers ambushed and murdered here in 1758. Locals believe that on windy nights, the ghosts of the young couple can be heard begging for mercy.
Pictured left is Winnat's Pass courtesy of Rob Bendall.
Winnats Pass,
Hope Valley,
S33 8WA.
For further information, please read Haunted Britain by Antony D. Hippisley Coxe and Ghosts: Mysterious Tales from the National Trust by Sian Evans.
Location
Visitor Information
Castleton is a honeypot village in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England.
The village lies within the Peak District at the western end of the Hope Valley on the Peakshole Water, a tributary of the River Noe. The village is situated between the areas known as the Dark Peak to the north and the White Peak to the south.
Pictured left is Speedwell Cavern courtesy of Abcdef123456. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
