The Castle, nestled in Cumbria, believed to be standing on Roman remains, is a key part of the region’s history. Whilst the Pennington family have recorded evidence of this historic house as being their home since 1208 when lands were granted to Alan de Penitone, some records go back further suggesting that the family have been here since at least 1026.

A castle was built in the later 13th century and enlarged in the 14th when a pele tower was erected on Roman foundations (which would date back to 79AD), part of its fabric being incorporated in the south-west tower. A coin from the time of Emperor Theodosius (AD380) has been found, and there is also a Victor ring.

It was the fifth Baronet, created first Baron Muncaster who carried out far-reaching renovations inside and out including planting most of the large hardwood trees and founding the library, and his great-nephew Gamel Augustus, fourth Lord Muncaster who shortly before his death in 1862 instructed Anthony Salvin, whose main interest was military architecture and who was very fashionable, to update the house.

Salvin covered the courtyard, built by first Lord Muncaster, converting it into the present Drawing Room, with its much-admired barrel ceiling which was the work of two Italian plasterers. It was redecorated in 1958 by Lady Pennington-Ramsden.

The fifth and last Lord Muncaster, Gamel’s brother, died in 1917 and the Muncaster estate passed to his mother’s family, the Ramsdens, who carried out extensive works in the gardens and brought many of their possessions, including the Ramsden family portraits, to Muncaster. In those days the estate still extended to 23,000 acres.

Muncaster Castle is a fine example of one of the Lake District and Cumbria’s favourite historic houses.

“This family derive their pedigree from Gamel de Pennington, who was a very considerable person, before and at the conquest as appears by several ancient rolls, registers, and records; from whom, the present Sir Joseph Pennington, is derived, in a lineal descent of numerous ancestors of note” so quotes the author of “The English Baronetage” published in 1741.

While there are numerous Gamels in Pennington history so it becomes difficult to know to which the above might refer, if the author of the “English Baronetage” is correct then the Penningtons were an important family in Cumberland before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Tracing the early family tree is difficult as few documents survive from this period, further complicated by reuse of popular family names Benedict and Gamel, together with John, Joseph and William in later generation. Gamel even makes a fairly recent reappearance with the 4th Lord Muncaster, born in 1831.

The Pennington family have recorded evidence of Muncaster being their home since 1208, when the lands were granted to Alan de Penitone although some records suggest that the family were at Muncaster back as far as 1026.

In 1464 Sir John Pennington gave shelter to Henry VI, wandering after the Battle of Hexham. Many years later in 1783, John, Lord Muncaster erected the tower known as Chapels to commemorate the place where the fugitive King was supposed to have been found by the shepherds. The legend tells how Holy King Harry on his departure left his drinking bowl behind in gratitude, saying that as long as it should remain quite whole and unbroken the Penningtons would live and thrive in the place. Today the Venetian glass bowl is still intact and is known as the ‘Luck of Muncaster’.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the family married well and in 1783 when there was a vacancy in the Irish Peerage, the fifth Baronet was created first Baron Muncaster. He was a friend of Pitt and long a Member of Parliament. He carried out extensive works at Muncaster, including planting most of the large hardwood trees, and it was he who started the present library. He was succeeded by his brother, General Lowther Pennington, who in his youth was a hot head. While serving in America he killed a man in a duel called for a “foolish quarrel about humming a tune”.

Shortly before his death in 1862, his grandson Gamel Augustus, fourth Lord Muncaster, instructed Anthony Salvin the famous architect to renovate the house, giving us the castle largely as we know it today.

In 1917 Gamel’s brother, the fifth and last Lord Muncaster, died without children and the estate reverted to his nearest relation on his mother’s side, Sir John Ramsden, on condition that his second son changed his name from Ramsden to Pennington. A notable family in their own right, the Ramsdens had played a significant part in the history of Yorkshire, as well as owning other estates. It was Sir John who started planting rhododendron seedlings at Muncaster from his other great garden at Bulstrode, Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire, a Somerset family estate which he inherited through his mother. Sir John was the great grandfather of the Castle’s current owner Iona Frost Pennington.

Muncaster is the only historic home in the UK, as far as we know, which still appoints an official Fool. The tradition of keeping an official fool or jester dates back many centuries but the best known fool in Muncaster’s history was Thomas Skelton, or Tom the Fool, who reigned in the mid-16th century.

The Castle’s archives show records of the purchase of his jester’s motley and his portrait hangs in the Castle.

Tom’s pranks weren’t always so amusing though. Apparently, he would sit under the chestnut tree on the Cannon Bank which now bears his name and if people asked him directions and he didn’t like the look of them, he would send them on a route over the estuaries bound to lead them into quicksand.

Unsurprisingly, Thomas Skelton is strongly linked to the ghost stories which are rife at Muncaster, with tricks being played on unsuspecting visitors and staff alike and equipment unaccountably failing to work.

The tradition of appointing a fool had lapsed in more recent times but was reinstated by the current Pennington family. Appointed bi-annually, the current Fool’s prize reflects that of the original Fools’ wages, comprising a suit of jester’s clothes and a quantity of beer (although possibly not the traditional year’s supply!) plus the coveted Fool of Muncaster wooden trophy hat, carved from an offcut from Tom Fool’s Tree itself.

Muncaster is one of Britain’s most haunted castles.

Paranormal researchers visit this Cumbrian Castle to seek rational explanations of the strange happenings.

Many tales revolve around Tom Fool, aka Thomas Skelton, a powerful force at Muncaster. Tom is rarely seen, but his spirit continues to play tricks on family, staff and visitors.

Hauntings often occur in The Tapestry Room. Visitors complain of the disturbed nights, hear footsteps outside in the corridor, see the door handle turning and the door opening although nobody is there. A child is frequently heard crying towards the window end of the room and sometimes a lady heard singing, comforting a sick child. Visitors have also felt cold in the room for no apparent reason.

One story connected with the house is that of Margaret Pennington, a little girl, often ill apparently, who died in childhood at the Castle. Other stories concern the ‘Muncaster Boggle’ or White Lady who haunts the gardens and roadways around Muncaster. She is supposedly the ghost of Mary Bragg, a young girl murdered in the early 1800s on the road near the Main Gate.

If you wish to experience the haunted Castle for yourself, Muncaster offers overnight ghost sits, where a small group can spend the night in the Tapestry Room.