Ghost Army of Penrith Castle

Penrith Castle resides in northwest England near the border with Scotland. It was constructed in 1397, probably on an old Roman fort site, to help protect the town of Penrith, which was sacked by the Scots in 1345.

 

Eventually, the castle was granted to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, future King Richard III, who lived there between 1471 and 1485. Thereafter, Penrith Castle never served as a residence again but was used as headquarters for Parliamentarian General John Lambert during the English Civil War in 1648. The structure was dismantled in the mid-17th century. However, a phantom army still visits occasionally.

In 1735, a farmer was startled by a procession of an army marching across the fell near the castle on Midsummer's Eve. The fortification was vacant for nearly 100 years and had no army nearby, so people considered him irrational. But a few years later, on Midsummer's Eve, several other people witnessed the phantom army marching in rows of five near the castle. Over the next several years, people reported seeing the army in the same area but growing in size over time. Eventually, the army consisted of foot soldiers, cavalry, and carriages, thereby taking a significant amount of time to cross the fell and disappear over the hillside. It was hypothesized the army existed as part of another dimension as no footprints, hoof prints, or carriage wheel marks were ever located.