Chirk Castle: The Phantom Soldiers

Chirk Castle stands as a formidable sentinel on the Welsh-English border, built by Roger Mortimer in 1295 during Edward I’s conquest of Wales. Unlike many border castles, Chirk has been continuously occupied for over 700 years, making it a rare surviving example of a medieval fortress adapted into a grand country house. Its strategic position meant it witnessed countless conflicts between Welsh and English forces, and the castle’s long military history has left an indelible supernatural imprint.

The most frequently reported phenomenon at Chirk Castle is the sound of phantom soldiers marching through the castle’s stone corridors. Staff and visitors describe hearing the rhythmic tramping of boots, the clank of armor, and occasionally barked commands in archaic dialects. These sounds are most often heard in the medieval sections of the castle, particularly near the drum towers and along the battlements. The marching typically occurs late at night or in the early morning hours, and when witnesses rush to investigate, they find the corridors empty and silent.

Beyond the phantom soldiers, Chirk Castle hosts several other reported hauntings. The Adam’s Tower is said to be haunted by a spectral woman in grey who appears at windows overlooking the estate, and multiple visitors have reported feeling an oppressive presence in certain bedchambers. Cold spots move through rooms without explanation, and objects have been known to relocate themselves overnight. The castle’s dungeons, with their dark history of imprisonment and suffering, generate particularly strong feelings of unease. The National Trust now manages the castle, and while they acknowledge the supernatural reports, the phantom soldiers continue their eternal patrol, guarding a border that exists now only in memory.