Devon villages and towns, so many dating back hundreds if not thousands of years have long had their fair share of ghouls and ghosts. And Torbay is no exception. Only a short way from any of our Duchy Hotels, the following places can be visited (preferably not on a dark and windy night). But it’s best to know their stories first:

The Black House in Brixham, which is actually a white house, was built in the 14th century and was used by monks when St Mary’s church was being built nearby. The ghost of Squire Hill who lived in the 16th century is said to return to the Black House to seek his son whom he prevented marrying the young girl he loved and who consequently hung himself. It’s still a strange place where doors lock for no reason even though the bolts are not drawn, where horses’ hooves are heard on what sounds like cobblestones outside and where noises and mysterious lights are recorded.

Churston Court Inn is said to be the visiting place for a medieval monk who has been seen walking through the passages and rooms. Candles that have been put out mysteriously relight on their own.

Torre Abbey in Torquay was founded in 1196. In 1588, nearly 400 captured Spanish prisoners, at the time of the Armada, were held in the tithe barn next to the abbey. Few survived the dreadful conditions and one seaman was actually discovered on death to be a woman. Her ghost has been seen in Torre Abbey meadows by the waterfront, looking wretched.

In Middle Warbury Road, Torquay, a house stood once called Castel-a-Mare. In about 1870 this was where at least one murder took place, said to be the murder of the maid of a doctor who went insane and strangled the poor woman. The house was abandoned and stood empty for many years and then demolished in 1920. Sightings of the maid’s ghost were reported for years. Recently, a new house has been built in the long-empty space and the builders have reported that they felt the atmosphere of the place was strange and unpleasant.

We haven’t had any reports of ghosts at our Duchy Group hotels where the atmosphere is generally reported to us as extremely pleasant indeed. But it’s a good place to tell a yarn or two – in complete comfort of course.

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