Ghosts of Hastings Castle
Hastings Castle resides high atop a cliff overlooking the old town of Hastings and the English Channel towards France. Initially, William the Conqueror built a wooden motte and bailey castle, which was used as a resting place for his army before heading north to face King Harold at the Battle of Hastings.
Hastings Castle evolved from a wooden structure to stone with an outer curtain wall and a central keep. The keep and curtain wall no longer exists as the cliff's edge collapsed, causing those sections to fall over the edge. Today, only ruins remain, but the castle and its ties to the Norman Invasion make it an essential part of English history. The castle ruins are still home to a few restless spirits.
As Richard tells the story ...
Inevitably, with a building of this age, the spirits of those who lived here long ago have been known to cross the paths of modern-day visitors. Occasionally, the apparition of a woman in a brown-hooded cloak has been seen on West Hill below the castle. According to some accounts, she carries a baby in her arms. She makes her way towards the castle's south wall and, on reaching it, she and the baby simply melt into the stonework. Some hold that she is the ghost of a Victorian girl who had an affair with a fisherman, who then abandoned her. Unable to bear the shame, she killed herself and the baby. Since then, their ghosts have made periodic returns to relive the tragic event.
- Richard Jones
Other spiritual activity includes sightings of a female ghost dressed in white in the former tilt yard next to the castle where jousting tournaments were often held. In addition, the spirit of Thomas Beckett has been seen wandering the castle grounds.
Additional unexplained activity regarding Hastings Castle occurred during the 18th century when its ruins reportedly appeared in their original entirety to sailors viewing it from the English Channel.
