Okehampton Castle - Lady Howard's Ride

Okehampton Castle, the largest castle in Devon, sits dramatically on a spur above the River West Okement. The ruins are haunted by one of England’s most terrifying ghosts: Lady Mary Howard, a 17th-century noblewoman cursed to ride from Okehampton Castle to her former home at Tavistock every night in a coach made from the bones of her four dead husbands, pulled by headless horses and accompanied by a phantom hound.

Lady Howard, who died in 1671, was rumored to have murdered some or all of her husbands to inherit their estates. According to legend, she was cursed to make her nightly journey, and each night she must pluck a single blade of grass from the castle grounds. Only when every blade of grass is gone will her torment end. Witnesses describe seeing a skeletal coach careening along the old road between Okehampton and Tavistock, driven by a pale woman in dark clothing, the sound of hooves and wheels echoing through the night though nothing visible passes by.

The haunting has been reported for over 350 years, with generations of local residents claiming to have witnessed Lady Howard’s phantom ride. The legend has become deeply embedded in Devon folklore, and the ruins of Okehampton Castle are considered the starting point of her eternal journey. Visitors to the castle, particularly after dark, report feelings of being watched and occasionally glimpse a dark figure moving among the ruins. The tale of Lady Howard serves as both ghost story and moral warning from Devon’s dark past.