Castle of Good Hope
The Castle of Good Hope is located in Cape Town, South Africa. It is the largest and oldest building in Cape Town, with construction starting in 1666 and ending in 1679. Construction was done by the Dutch East India Company, in order to serve as a replenishment station for ships sailing by the Cape. The Castle was built on the shore so at high tide, the water would fill the moat. The Donker Gat, or dark hole, was a dungeon in the castle where prisoners were tortured and held.
If there was a larger wave that came crashing on shore, it could fill up the Donker Gat, killing any prisoners being held there in seconds. The castle also served as an execution site for rebellious natives, slaves, and convicts. The castle is a site of many hauntings, with one of its most prominent presence being that of a tall, glowing man that is seen wondering around the grounds. He is seen marching, and then he stops and looks down to see the street. Footsteps are often heard when no one is around as well.
Another ghost at the castle is that of Governor Pieter Gysbert van Noodt. In 1729, van Noodt sent off seven soldiers to their deaths due to desertion. The seven men were hanged, but van Noodt also died later that day for unknown causes. van Noodt is often seen walking around, cursing under his breath before he suddenly disappears. The spirit of Lady Anne Barnard is also a resident of the castle, most often showing up at parties. There is also a black phantom dog who is known to leap onto visitors, and then right before the dog is about to make contact, it disappears.
(Source: Belanger, Jeff. Encyclopedia of Haunted Places. 2005.)
