Goodrich Castle History and Haunted StoriesGoodrich Castle is a beautiful Medieval castle that's worth an afternoon's visit. It's also reportedly haunted by ghosts from the civil war.
Goodrich Castle is a Norman medieval castle which now lies in ruins. It is located to the north of the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, England, and controls a key location between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye. Goodrich Castle is among the very best preserved English medieval castles.
Goodrich Castle is a gorgeous, ruined Medieval castle that is well worth an afternoon's visit.
Goodrich Castle History
Goodrich Castle is thought to have been constructed by Godric of Mappestone, not long after the Norman invasion of England in the 11th century. The castle is located in The Marches, the green England-Wales border counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire. These spaces have been always a site of fierce border disputes between the English and the Welsh within the early Medieval times. Despite its location within the Marches, Goodrich Castle was seldom bothered by marauding Welshmen. Instead, the castle used to be an elaborate home for noble households, including the De Valances, who rebuilt and modernised the castle in the 13th century.
The first construction of the castle was once the mighty square Keep, which was finished in the mid-12th century. You can see a part of that early Keep in the photograph beneath. The Keep is made from a green-grey stone, while the remainder of the castle is built in red sandstone.
In the 13th century, William de Valance, a noble, undertook an enormous reconstruction of Goodrich castle and was once responsible for building most of the structures that you'll be able to see these days. William de Valance was the uncle of King Edward I and half-brother of King Henry III. He wasn't very much respected by other nobles - he used to be regarded as somewhat of an upstart, but he was well-connected. He lived in the castle with Countess Joan. The family are more likely to have built the chapel, extended the Great Hall, made use of a buttery, and loved their elaborate kitchen with two bread ovens.
Goodrich Castle Siege during English Civil War
Until the 1640s, Goodrich Castle was well cared for and remained a phenomenal example of Medieval castle development. Unfortunately, the castle was brought to ruin throughout the English Civil War during the 17th century. At this time in 1646, the Goodrich Castle was occupied by the Royalists. The Parliamentarian forces, underneath Colonel Birch, discovered that the castle was too well fortified to attack directly, so they bought in artillery to siege the castle. During this siege, mortars destroyed the pipe carrying water into the castle, and the storage tanks in the courtyard. This left the protecting garrison relying on the older castle well.
At the height of the siege, the Parliamentarian forces used an enormous mortar cannon named "Roaring Meg" to wreck the North-West tower. Roaring Meg was able to fire gunpowder-filled shells weighing 85-90 kilograms.
With restricted supplies and the castle becoming increasingly more damaged, the Royalists in the end surrendered. The castle was subsequently deliberately damaged by the Parliamentarian forces so that it would not be made defensible or liveable again. The castle was returned to its owner before the occupation; however, the damage was too extensive to fix so it was left to ruin.
Ghost in the Macbeth Tower
The Great Keep at Goodrich Castle is often referred to as Macbeth Tower, after stories of an Irish chieftain imprisoned within the dungeons. The dungeons had been housed in The Great Keep. Legend has it he died attempting to escape and his ghost has been said to haunt the tower. According to local folklore, a ghostly haze can from time to time be seen in the dungeons, for which there is not any explanation.
A Tales of Forbidden Love
Local folklore additionally tells a story from the siege during the English Civil War. It is said that Colonel Birch's niece, Alice Birch, fell in love with a good-looking Royalist, Charles Clifford. According to these stories, the two attempted to escape before the final assault, however, they both died in a flash flood while trying to cross the River Wye. They now live on as ghosts on the site.
On stormy nights it is said that the spectral couple can be seen on a phantom horse wading into the wild waters of the Wye. On other occasions, the apparitions have been sighted staring sadly from the ruined ramparts of Goodrich Castle.
View my Goodrich Castle Photos photo gallery!
Getting to Goodrich Castle
Goodrich Castle is located in Herefordshire and is 5 miles south of Ross-on-Wye off the A40. Parking is available at the site.
