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A 17th century foot guard and a mysterious grey lady who frightened generations of the Luttrell family are just some of the spookier residents of Dunster Castle.

The castle dates back over 1,000 years

With over 1,000 years of history, the castle has had many residents including royalty and prisoners who were left to rot in the dungeons.

The castle, near Minehead, rose to prominence during the English Civil War when Charles I used it as a rallying point for his supporters.

Estate manager John Wood said听the castle has "a lot of history and a lot of people died here."

Perished spirits

When the war broke out, the King's soldiers and the inhabitants were besieged. They were forced to eat their own horses to save themselves from starvation.

Ghost hunter John lives in the castle

The Roundheads threw decaying corpses into the castle to infect their enemies food supplies. Disease and starvation led the Cavaliers to capitulate.

Even in victory, the castle invoked such fear that Oliver Cromwell had it destroyed. Today only its shell remains- haunted by the spirits of those who perished inside it.

Some tradesmen even refuse to work there, especially in the servant's hall as they feel they are being accompanied- even dogs have refused to go into the castle!

Estate manager John Wood said they have had mediums and psychics in to assess the ghostly ghauls.

The stairs have been exorcised

He said when they went into the Victorian kitchen they saw plenty of orbs and a young servant girl who was crouched down in the dumb waiter, hoping no-one will notice her.

"When the mediums opened the hatch to her hiding place, a piercing scream was heard on the other side of the castle," he said.听

Even John, who lives in the castle, has experienced strange goings on in the castle. He said every night at around 10:45 he hears a loud bang. He believes this is the spirit of the soldier performing the changing of the guard outside the Princes' room.

The National Trust, which owns the castle, has even had the staircase outside the Prince's room has also been exorcised to get rid of the unwanted inhabitants.