Visitors Keep Feeling Invisible Hands at This English Castle

Visitors at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, England, have experienced something that doesn’t happen on an ordinary castle tour. Invisible hands have pinched, slapped, and pushed people walking through its rooms. Others have encountered disappearing figures, moving objects, and a mysterious little boy who likes to hold visitors’ hands.

The encounters aren’t limited to tourists. Security guards have seen strange lights moving through the empty property, while employees have heard screams and footsteps with nobody nearby. In 2017, English Heritage staff voted Bolsover the spookiest historic property in the organization’s care.

The Little Boy Who Holds People’s Hands

One of Bolsover’s best-known ghosts is a young boy who follows visitors around the castle. Staff have seen him walking beside people and holding their hands, while the visitors remain unaware of his presence. Others have actually felt a child’s hand grasping theirs, only to find nobody standing beside them.

According to one of the castle’s ghost stories, the boy died after falling from a tree in the courtyard. His mother had died before him, leaving him alone, and the story connects his wandering spirit to his search for her. The child has since become one of Bolsover’s most familiar supernatural residents.

The encounters have continued into recent years. In October 2025, English Heritage shared new experiences involving a small hand guiding visitors through the Venus Garden. The garden, with its elaborate fountain and stonework, is another part of the castle where the boy has made his presence known.

A Woman Who Disappeared Through a Wall

One of the strangest encounters involved workers doing renovations at the castle. They watched a woman appear and disappear through a wall. English Heritage included the incident in its official collection of Bolsover’s ghost stories.

Another employee had a frightening experience while locking up for the evening. As she walked away from the castle, she heard someone screaming, with the sound growing louder the farther she went. She hurried back to investigate but found nobody there.

The castle’s security guards have reported unusual activity after closing time as well. Lights have appeared around the empty property. Inside the building, doors have slammed without warning, and objects have moved from where they were left.

The Horses That Never Left

Bolsover Castle was once famous for its magnificent riding house, where William Cavendish trained horses during the 17th century. Today, visitors entering the empty building sometimes notice the unmistakable smell of horses. The scent arrives even though the animals that once filled the riding house are long gone.

English Heritage has also recorded stories of ghostly horses appearing around the grounds. Some are connected to the castle’s riding school, while others form part of a much larger legend involving horses returning from the English Civil War. The stories give the old riding house a supernatural history of its own.

The Crying Baby and the Castle’s Former Owner

The Little Castle has another resident whose presence is heard rather than seen. Visitors have heard the sound of a baby crying somewhere inside the building. One local legend connects the crying to an illegitimate child who died in the castle kitchens.

William Cavendish himself also appears in the castle’s supernatural history. Women visiting his former rooms have experienced invisible touches to their legs and faces, while unusual scents have filled the air around them. English Heritage includes these encounters among the stories connected to the man who made Bolsover famous for its lavish entertainment.

There is also the Elysium Closet, a richly decorated room once associated with the name Hell Chamber. An old legend warns visitors against speaking the words “sleep no more” inside it. The story promises terrible consequences for anyone foolish enough to test the warning.

A Ghost Appears in a Family Picture

In September 2022, Adam Carnall and his partner Nicki Howson visited Bolsover Castle with their children. They attended a horse show and explored the property before returning home. Later, while looking through their pictures, Nicki noticed a ghost standing in one of the castle windows.

Adam had not noticed the figure during their visit. Nicki, however, had experienced an uncomfortable feeling while walking through several of the rooms. She described feeling sad and oppressed in certain parts of the castle.

The couple shared their experience with the local press, adding another encounter to Bolsover’s history.

England’s Spookiest Castle

Bolsover’s reputation became official in October 2017, when English Heritage asked its employees to rank the historic properties where they worked. Approximately 1,800 staff members took part, and Bolsover finished first. The castle ranked above other historic locations known for their ghosts, including Kenilworth Castle and Whitby Abbey.

English Heritage has continued collecting experiences from its staff and visitors. In 2025, the organization shared another incident involving mysterious piano music echoing through Bolsover’s halls. Earlier accounts described a piano playing inside the castle during the early morning before suddenly falling silent.

The staff still maintain a special ghost book where visitors can leave their experiences. Some come to Bolsover specifically because of its supernatural reputation, while others arrive simply to explore its beautiful rooms and gardens. And occasionally, someone discovers that their visit has included an encounter they never expected.