Betchworth Castle Betchworth Castle is a mostly crumbled ruin of a fortified medieval stone house with some tall , two - storey corners strengthened in the 18th century , in the north of the semi - rural parish of Brockham . It is built on a sandstone spur overlooking the western bank of the Mole in Surrey in England . The ruin is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is in the lowest category of listed architecture , Grade II , due east of Dorking railway station in Dorking and due west of Reigate . Although close to the river and edge of the course it is surrounded by " Betchworth Park " Golf Course named after the village east . History . Medieval period . Betchworth ( or Beechworth ) Castle was the seat of the manor of West Betchworth and was held by Richard de Tonbridge at the time of the Domesday Survey . It started as an earthwork fortress built by Robert Fitz Gilbert in the 11th century . It was granted in 1373 to Richard FitzAlan , 3rd or 10th Earl of Arundel . His son Sir John FitzAlan , Earl Marshall of England , turned it into a stone castle in 1379 . It passed by marriage to Sir Thomas Browne , Sheriff of Kent , who in 1448 rebuilt it as a fortified house . Browne landowners . Sir Thomas Brown ( e ) was also Treasurer of the Household to King Henry IV . Post - Restoration of monarchy and the enlightenment . Betchworth Castle remained with the Browne family until the death of second and last baronet Sir Adam Browne , 2nd Baronet in 1690 . Alterations were later made in 1705 using an unknown architect , and in 1799 by Sir John Soane , architect . In 1725 Mrs . Margaret Fenwicke of Betchworth Castle left £200 to buy lands , to provide for apprenticing children , and for marrying [ with a small dowry ] maidservants " born in Betchworth and living seven years in the same employment " , the surplus , if any , to go to the poor . St Martin ' s church , Dorking has plaque to Abraham Tucker , author of " A Picture of Artless Love " and " The Light of Nature Pursued " , who lived at his estate of Betchworth Castle until his death in 1774 . In the 19th century , people saw little practical use for castles , and this one was outshone by a newer , bigger house in the larger grounds so soon abandoned , in the 1830s . The castle was bought by banking dynasty co - heir Henry Thomas Hope to add to his Deepdene estate in 1834 , who demolished part of it to reuse the building material elsewhere . Without a permanent tenant , the remainder gradually fell into ruin , and became treated as a folly . The historian and topographer Malden , in 1911 wrote : Hauntings . The castle is haunted by a black dog ( death dog ) that prowls the ruins at night , also the grounds of the castle ( Betchworth Park golf course ) is haunted by evil or unexplained things , one has photos to prove this . Owner " Lord Hope " ( Either a mistaken reference to Henry Thomas Hope or his grandson Francis Pelham - Clinton - Hope , 8th Duke of Newcastle who was forced to take that name by his grandmother ) - see above ( the latter became the lord of the manor of Brockham rather than owner of Deepdene ) chased and killed an escaping convict with his sword . He later found out that it was in fact his own son he had killed . Lord Hope is said to now walk around the ruins in regret . Use . A route of public access ( by foot ) to the site was granted through a deal in 2005 with Betchworth Park Golf Club , however the local council has not yet finalised its part of the deal . The entire ruin is currently surrounded by sturdy railings for safety reasons as much of the masonry could collapse at any time . There are also unstable subterranean cellars , some of which have already collapsed . Although the council has posted signs banning access , visitors can get relatively close to the ruins , by studying it through its protective railings . Future . Mole Valley Council , which owned the castle , sold it in 2008 for £1 to local man Martin Higgins who has undertaken to conserve the structure and grounds , with financial support from English Heritage , Surrey Historic Buildings Trust and Mole Valley District Council , together with his own and other private funds , so that the public can be admitted .