Betchworth Castle, Betchworth, Dorking, Surrey
Ooh, this is wonderful, if you like romantic ruins and Gothicky ghost stories, that is. Betchworth Castle is the crumbling ruin of a medieval fortified house that stands on the banks of the River Mole within the grounds of Betchworth Park Golf Course not far from Dorking. You can get quite close to the ruins, which for safety, are surrounded by railings, though these do not deter the ghostly black dog that is said to prowl about at night (yikes!). There are numerous reports of strange sounds and unexplained things, along with the macabre tale of the lord of the manor who walks the grounds full of remorse after he chased and killed by what he thought was an escaped convict only to discover it was his own son.
Betchworth Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument which was bought by its present owner for £1 in 2008. There are plans afoot to conserve the buildings so that it can be accessed by the public.
All information correct at the time of writing