Cape Town, South Africa is known as the oldest town in the country and is dubbed as the “Mother City.” Many tourists love to go there because of its touristy spots such as colonial buildings and breathtaking views.

Some of the most famous stories to the locals, however, pertain to the ghosts in the Castle of Good Hope.

A view of the Castle of Good Hope from above. (Link: https://www.afar.com/places/castle-of-good-hope-cape-town-8d142a4d-9714-4a85-9d65-8c5f456ee05a)

The History Of Castle Of Good Hope

The Castle of Good Hope was built in the 17^th century by a company called Dutch East India. All over South Africa, it is one of the oldest colonial buildings and it originally served as a replenishment station for ships passing the waters of Cape Town during their voyages from the Netherlands to Indonesia. To locals, the infrastructure is simply referred to as the Castle or Cape Town Castle. It was home to a church, a bakery, workshops, living quarters, and many other facilities.

A photo showing one of the shops inside the Castle of Good Hope. (Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:De_Goewerneur_Castle_of_Good_Hope.jpg)

By 1936, the Castle of Good Hope was declared as a historical monument, thus it was protected. By the 1980s, extensive renovations have been completed in order to preserve the historical monument.

The Ghosts That Appear In The Castle Of Good Hope

According to reports, the first paranormal sighting too place years before it was declared as a historical monument. Sometimes in 1915, a tall man, estimated to stand 6 foot and 5 inches, was seen on the castle’s walls. He reappeared in 1947 and has allegedly been a mainstay. The man was reportedly seen jumping off of one of the sides of the castle and even walked between two fortresses.

Another famous ghost in the Castle of Good Hope reportedly belonged to the former governor in the area named Pieter Gysbert van Noodt. He died back in April 12, 1728 and it was the same day that he sentenced seven soldiers to death. These soldiers were said to have attempted to leave the military. Because of the sentencing, one of the soldiers cursed the governor. According to those who saw the governor, he was slouched over his desk and had a terrifying look on his face. It is unclear what the governor’s cause of death was. To this day, when the governor’s ghost appears, he reportedly curses on passersby.

The Castle of Good Hope also had a dungeon where wrongdoers were tortured and some convicts were left there. Per the facts, the dungeon had no windows and during the winter, the waters rose three foot within one minute causing some of the inmates to drown. Because of this, some guards in the Castle of Good Hope now do not want to make rounds in this area because they reportedly feel like there is a big vacuum trying to suck them in.

A photo showing the dungeon at the Castle of Good Hope. (Link: https://seeksghosts.blogspot.com/2016/03/castle-of-good-hope.html)

In one of the guard rooms, the voice of a man and a woman arguing are said to be heard often. Also, lights switch on and off on their own in one of the fortresses. A woman called Lady in Grey, on the other hand, is said to be running all around the castle and running hysterically while covering her face. However, when a woman’s body was recently excavated, her ghost was no longer seen or heard in the Castle of Good Hope.

Lady Anne Barnard is said to be haunting the large hall of a beautiful ballroom in the castle. Her ghost is said to be seen during the times when parties are held for important people. Also, when a secluded pool called the Dolphin pool was restored from Lady Anne Barnard’s own drawings, more people claimed they saw her. She reportedly bathed in the pool while naked.

A photo showing Lady Anne Barbard. (Link: https://seeksghosts.blogspot.com/2016/03/castle-of-good-hope.html)

A photo of the Dolphin pool. (Link: http://lugerda.blogspot.com/2012/05/castle-of-good-hope.html)

Another ghost belonged to a soldier who hung himself using a bell rope. He was tasked to ring the bells at the bell tower. After the soldier’s death, the bell tower was sealed and accordingly, the guard still rings those bells to this day.

A photo showing the entrance of the Castle of Good Hope where the bell tower is. (Link: https://theculturetrip.com/africa/south-africa/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-castle-of-good-hope-cape-town/)

Castle of Good Hope is open to tourists

If you want to see for yourself if the ghosts really appear, know more about the entrance fee and when is it open to the public here – http://www.capetown.travel/visitors/see-do/arts-culture/heritage-history/fun-facts-about-the-castle-of-good-hope/.