Bramber Castle Investigation

Bramber Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle formerly the caput of the large feudal barony of Bramber long held by the Braose family. It is situated in the village of Bramber, West Sussex, near the town of Steyning, overlooking the River Adur.

It is thought that the Normans were the first to build a fortification here around 1070. The de Braose family owned the castle except for a short time when King John (1199-1216). This family owned the castle until the last male occupant died in 1326. It was then passed to the Mowbrays. During the first Civil War it was held by a Parliamentary garrison under James Temple and Simon Lentner.

In 1208 King John ordered the de Braose family’s arrest. De Broase himself was outlawed, his lands seized and his wife, Maud (or Matilda) and eldest son, William, imprisoned and starved to death in Windsor Castle. This brutal prosecution shocked the other barons, who began to rebel against the king’s injustice.

Address: Castle Lane, Bramber BN44 3WE, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 370 333 1181

Hauntings: Some of the tales are a little different than perhaps the historical aspect of the family. A source said that two of William’s sons were captured and starved. It is these two children that are sometimes seen wandering the grounds of Bramber Castle at night in search of their father. Locals say that this only happens after the pubs have closed for the night.

A white riderless horse has been heard and seen on moonlit nights galloping around the moat. Nobody knows who it belongs to. A possibility that it is a sporting horse of young William de Lindfield.

In the 15^th Century, Lord Hubert de Hurst occupied the castle. Being a man in his 50s, he was married to Maud of Ditchling, nearly half his age. The 25-year-old Lindfield was having a affair with Maud, which Hurst later discovered.

Lindfield rode into the castle one evening and was never seen again. He was imprisoned in a vault beneath the house and Hurst bricked up the vault’s entrance. Many years later the house was destroyed by Parliamentarians and a skeleton was discovered crouched in a corner of the old vault. Perhaps it is Lindfield’s steed which is seen today waiting for the return of his rider.

Police patrolling the streets have heard a high-pitched wail just around midnight.

Equipment setup: Only hand-held equipment was used like digital recorders and cameras during our visit here.

Experiments performed: A single ordinary EVP session was performed on one of the ruined walls. No real-time devices were used.

Personal experiences:

Dale Kaczmarek: To me this was a very quiet but somewhat sad location. I envisioned what this ruined castle must have looked like in its heyday. The solemn walls and moat is all that remains of this once beauty stronghold. I did not feel anything out of the ordinary here while visiting.

The Ghost Research Society investigated Bramber Castle on June 17, 2023. Team members included: Paul Adams and Dale Kaczmarek with help from Sylvia Shults

Evidence collected:

Voice Bramber.MP4 – while conducting an EVP session on one of the ruined walls, a question was asked, “Can you say hello?” I recorded what I believe to be a “voice” in the background.

Conclusions: Paul, Sylvia and I were the only people here at the time of our EVP session. Paul brought a wonderful lunch which we partook in the shadow of this once gorgeous edifice.

There was a beautiful church, The Parish Church of St. Nicolas. It was built by William de Broase in 1073 as part of his castle residences and defenses. The church is still in regular use even today.

One can only imagine what Bramber Castle would have looked like in the 11^th Century and feel the sorrow and despair of the de Broase family. No wonder this location is considered by many to be quite haunted.