Ghosts of Oxford Castle – Chapter One

October is here and that means Ghost Fest is upon us! There are plenty of events happening here at Oxford Castle which are bound to get you spooked, but in case you think the tales we tell of the ghosts and ghouls that stalk the premises are made up just to scare you, we got the team together to share our own peculiar experiences of Oxford Castle. In this special blog series, we’ll thrill you with a series of stories in the lead up to Halloween! Firstly…

Black Bess seems to have a connection with Brother Bernard, the eternally drunken monk who resided here when the chapel existed. On two occasions Bess has caught the scent of alcohol in the crypt where, whilst those above him prayed, he is said to have brewed his beer. What’s more, whilst taking a tour through the crypt one morning, Bess also believes she saw Bernard sitting in the back right-hand corner, but on second glance he had vanished and all she saw were the cold stone walls. This is not the first time Bernard has been glimpsed here; in fact that particular corner of the crypt is commonly known as ‘Bernard’s corner’ here at the castle.

With all these strange goings-on, Oxford Castle is clearly the best place to be spending the Halloween season, but if you still don’t believe us, why not see for yourself? Ghost Fest is running throughout October!