Ten Cornish Ghost Stories

We start our Cornish ghost stories with one of the county’s most haunted woodlands. Kennall Vale in Ponsanooth is rumoured to be teaming with supernatural activity. At first glance, this wooded valley looks like nothing more than a peaceful nature reserve. However, investigate a little closer and you’ll discover rusted water wheels and the remains of what used to be the UK’s largest gunpowder works. 

In 1838 a freak accident resulted in a gunpowder explosion that destroyed five of the mill buildings and killed husband and father of ten, William Dunstan. His spirit is said to haunt the area, wandering the moss-covered ruins where he spent his final hours.

📸: Cornish Bird Blog

This Cornish village pub in Hayle has a very peculiar and gruesome name you won’t be forgetting in a hurry. Formerly known as The New Inn, this local pub has a bit of a reputation, following a rather grim tale back in the 80s. 

In 1980, a former landlord of The New Inn had a nasty shock after he pulled up a bucket from his well, only to discover it filled with blood instead of water. According to the landlord, the bucket contained the mutilated corpse of a local smuggler. Some argue that this is just a rumour. The more likely explanation being that the bucket contained red liquid from the run-off of a local tin mine down the road – but the name stuck and The Bucket of Blood is now a popular spot for a pint, especially around Halloween. 

📸: The Bucket of Blood

We couldn’t write a list of top ten Cornish ghost stories without mentioning the most famous haunted spot in Cornwall. The Jamaica Inn first reported paranormal activity back in 1911, when sightings of a highwayman in old-fashioned clothing were noted by locals. 

Today it attracts the bravest of ghost-hunters and thrill seekers to stay. Guests often recall hearing strange footsteps or the sound of horse hooves and cart wheels running over cobbles, catching glimpses of ghostly figures in the hallways, and witnessing other unexplained mysteries.

📸: The Jamaica Inn

Pengersick Castle in Praa Sands is noted as being one of Britain’s most haunted spots. Visitors immediately note an inexplicable aura of sadness upon stepping foot on the grounds. Over the years, ghost sightings have been high – from Alexander the black cat, to the red-eyed demon dog, and the white orbs that have been captured on camera. However, the most commonly seen spirit is that of ‘The Ghostly Woman’. 

She is reported to appear in the early hours of the morning by one of the bedroom windows of the castle, before gliding over to the bed, lying down and clutching at her stomach in pain.

📸: Pengersick Castle

Back in the 1700s, Poldark Mine employed hundreds of men as tin miners. Far down below the surface lay a labyrinth of dark, damp tunnels where these brave workers would inch their way down unstable ladders with no safety equipment and only candlelight for vision, using dangerous methods including gunpowder to extract their precious Cornish metal. 

Unsurprisingly, this treacherous labour resulted in tragic accidents and deaths back in the 18th century, and by the 20th century, Poldark Mine was abandoned. Resurrected in recent years as a tourist attraction, some visitors wanting to learn about the mining heritage have gotten more than they bargained for – with lots of people claiming to hear voices and strange noises deep in the tunnels, and spotting eerie clouds of mist in photographs where spectres are rumoured to haunt the underground maze.

You’ll find plenty of Cornish ghost stories at Trerice Manor in Newquay. Built in Elizabethan times, the impressive manor house has stood tall for over 400 years – and today it is a popular National Trust site. However, many believe it to be haunted by several ghosts. 

One story tells of the wicked Lord Arundell who seduced a young servant girl, only to abandon her when she fell pregnant. Heartbroken and desperate, the girl committed suicide and her ghost now lingers the grounds. She is never spotted visually, but her phantom can be detected by dramatic temperature drops, the rustling sound of her skirts, and an unexplained scent of lilac in the air.

📸: Trerice House and Garden

Even ghosts like to make the most of a photo opportunity every now and again, and that’s exactly what happened down at Church Cove in Gunwalloe a few years ago. In 2020, a couple took a selfie in the old church graveyard when a frightening figure appeared on screen. Something similar occurred back in 2005, when a tourist took a photo, capturing a shadowy silhouette of a tall man in a bowler hat.

📸: Visit Cornwall

Just a 10 minute walk from The Falmouth Hotel, you’ll find Pendennis Castle – Henry VIII’s coastal fortress, constructed in the 1500s to protect Cornwall from French and Spanish invaders. Over the years, the castle defended itself against many threats and attacks – including a very famous, well-documented siege in 1646. The royal family at the time were trapped inside the stone walls for six months, surviving in dire conditions. 

Whilst there are said to be several ghosts that haunt Pendennis Castle, the most commonly reported incident involves the disembodied screams and heavy footsteps from the kitchen maid who fell to her death while carrying food to the imprisoned royal family.

📸: Aerial Cornwall

In Cornish folklore, mermaids were seen as the symbol of lust, perceived as tempresses that lured innocent sailors to their watery demise. That’s what makes the story of The Mermaid of Zennor such an interesting tale. Legend has it that a mermaid became entranced by a mere mortal choir boy, Matthew Trewhella, as his beautiful voice carried from the Church of St Senara to Pendour Cove. 

Every Sunday, she would hide at the back of the church, completely mesmerised by Matthew’s voice – until she could contain her infatuation no longer. The mermaid lured the boy down to Pendour Cove, where he was never seen again. Today, you can visit the beautiful church in the village of Zennor and find the 500 year old ‘mermaid’s chair’. Be sure to take a stroll to the tiny cove, now known as Mermaid Cove, where it is said you’ll hear the melodies of the two lovers in harmony, between the crash of the waves.

📸: Zennor Church

Finally, Cornish ghost stories don’t get more frightening than The Beast of Bodmin Moor. Since the 1980s, sightings of a ferocious black cat with daggers for teeth and resembling the size of a leopard have been reported more than 60 times. Whilst there is no evidence to prove such a beast roams the moors, many avoid walking there alone. 

Alongside the beast, spirits are also rumoured to haunt the area. A young servant named Charlotte Dymond was murdered on Bodmin Moor by her jealous boyfriend on the 14th April 1844. On the anniversary of her death every year, her ghost is said to haunt the moors.

📸: Cornwall Guide