Caldicot Castle

Caldicot Castle, a beautifully restored medieval fortress in Monmouthshire, was built in the 12th century to defend the Welsh borders during the turbulent Norman conquest period. Constructed on the site of an earlier fortification, the castle served as both military stronghold and manor house for powerful Norman lords. The castle features a formidable round keep, impressive gatehouse, and well-preserved domestic buildings within its curtain walls. After centuries of abandonment, the castle was lovingly restored in the Victorian era and again in the 20th century, becoming a museum and popular heritage site. Yet beneath its orderly restoration lies a supernatural layer that speaks to its violent medieval past.

The most dramatic paranormal phenomena at Caldicot are the phantom medieval soldiers who appear in and around the castle grounds. Multiple witnesses have reported seeing groups of armed men in chainmail and period military dress marching across the castle’s outer ward, patrolling the battlements, or standing guard at the gates. These apparitions appear solid and lifelike, often visible for several minutes before fading away or vanishing behind walls. Some accounts describe the sound of marching feet, shouted medieval Welsh and Norman French commands, and the clinking of armor and weapons when no visible source is present.

The castle’s keep is particularly active, with visitors reporting sudden temperature drops, the sensation of being watched from the upper levels, and shadow figures that dart across stairwells. Staff members have experienced unexplained footsteps in empty chambers, doors that open and close by themselves, and objects that move overnight when the castle is locked and secure. One recurring phenomenon involves a tall figure in dark robes seen in the gatehouse area, believed to be a medieval monk or chaplain associated with the castle’s chapel. The soldiers’ ghosts are most frequently encountered during misty mornings and foggy evenings, when the veil between past and present seems especially thin at this atmospheric border fortress.