Pengersick Castle

The remains of Pengersick Castle, a fortified tower house, loom over a landscape of holiday lets, its location being a matter of metres from the golden stretch of Praa Sands. The idyllic setting belies an inglorious past, in which one Henry Pengersick, its 14th century owner, committed enough acts of atrocity to ensure some vengeful souls and secure a ‘most haunted in Britain’ reputation for the site. With ‘Pengersick’ meaning ‘head of the marsh’, and ‘Praa’ meaning ‘hag’s cove’, the  place-names themselves suggest an area seeped in myth, mystery and magic.

On the day we visited, any  paranormal phenomena that may exist were not in evidence. Perhaps a sunny summer’s day is not conducive to ghostly meanderings. What was in evidence was the love and devotion that has been poured into the restoration of both castle and grounds over the past years, by the Pengersick Historic & Education Trust.

With just the two of us present, we felt privileged  that Jay, one of the trustees and driving forces behind the Pengersick project, provided us with such a detailed tour, encouraging us to handle artefacts- serious muscle is needed to fight with a broadsword-and explore as we wanted. The layout of the tower reminded me of a lighthouse, with its one room per floor: in each, the era-appropriate furnishings also have stories to tell, such as the bible box, the tea-chest, the Elizabethan trunk.

The visit was a highlight of our week in Cornwall, even if the supernatural side of things stayed silent. That said, neither of would care to spend the night at Pengersick Castle.