journey through mysterious wales, learn its history, places of battle, its holy sites, castles and ghosts

As with Legends which abound in Wales, so it’s the same with ghosts. There are so many to choose from its hard to know which to include, and which to leave out, so I will try and keep to those again familiar to myself. I couldn’t start this page without telling one of the most well known haunted tales, one that is known to every ghost lover in North Wales, Plas Mawr.

The Haunting of Plas Mawr
Plas Mawr stands in the high street in the centre of Conwy, Gwynedd. Robert Wynne built the house between 1577 and 1580. An unusual feature, although not related to the story is that it has 365 windows, and 52 steps, - the number of days and weeks in a year. Plas Mawr is famed for many things, but most popular for being haunted. A ghost has been seen in the Lantern room and strange noises are often heard in and around the house, especially during winter months. So popular is it with locals that have an interest in ghosts that some have remained in the house overnight, usually for charity. Most report seeing nothing. Others are reluctant to talk about it. A few talk about the gloomy atmosphere that permeates the old building. Click picture for video

In the 16th century, the master of the house, Sir Robert Wynne, was due home after being away months fighting in the wars. His pregnant wife and 3-year-old son had kept vigil for most of the day from the top of the watchtower. The hour was late and it grew dark, and there was still no sign of Sir Robert. Lady Wynne decided it was far too cold for her three-year-old boy in the tower and so led him slowly down the steps. It was here that the tragedy struck. Missing her footing the pregnant woman fell headlong down the steps, dragging her son with her. Hearing the noise a maidservant rushed to the bottom of the stairs to find her mistress and the young boy lying injured. With the help of servants she moved them both to the lantern room and sent word to summon the local doctor. A few moments later came a knock on the door, but instead of the physician a young stranger had arrived. He explained that the local doctor was away tending to another patient and wouldn’t be back until the next morning. He was taken to the lantern room, where he made his examination. The young doctor grew troubled, and explained that the women and child were in poor condition and beyond his abilities. He suggested another messenger be sent to find the local doctor and urge him to come immediately. The servants obeyed, but refused to let the young doctor leave, insisting he do something for the injured pair, and locked him in the lantern room. Many hours passed and a feeling of dread settled on the household. Suddenly there was a hammering at the main entrance. The maidservant opened the door, but there instead of the physician stood Sir Robert, home at last. On hearing the events of the evening he rushed to the lantern room, to be confronted by the terrible sight of his wife, son and premature baby, all lying dead on the floor. Mad with grief and rage he scoured the shadows for the young doctor. But the man had disappeared. He then locked himself in the lantern room, vowing not to come out until the man had been found. For the rest of the night he was heard issuing curses and oaths and demands that the doctor reveal himself. Finally at daybreak silence had descended. The servants gathered at the door, and using a second key, slowly opened it to see what had become of their master. There on the floor next to his family lay their master, where he had taken his own life by plunging a knife into his throat. The young physician was never seen again. It is said that the terrified young man had tried to escape by climbing up the chimney, became stuck, and there, to this day he remains. As for Plas Mawr, strange occurrences are reported from time to time ever since, and Sir Roberts ghost is said to prowl the house, still seeking revenge.

The Mermaids Curse
Not really a ghost story, but worth telling anyway.
Stand on Telford`s suspension bridge at Conwy, look down into the river, and you will see how treacherous it can be. Conwy after all, is a town under a curse. It is said that during an age long ago, before the building of Conwy Castle, a group of fishermen were casting their nets in the river, when they saw a remarkable sight. There in the net was a creature with long black hair and a fishlike tail. The fishermen had heard of such creatures and great danger was associated with them. They then saw the look of fear in her eyes, and decided there was no danger. They hauled her into the boat, and took her into the town. Many people came to see her, as she begged and begged to be returned to the sea, but the men decided they were going to keep her. But keeping her out of water was to her, a long lingering death. As she died she cursed the people of Conwy, and vowed that there would be many drownings in the river, diseases and disasters in the town. No one knows what became of the fishermen, but in 1806 the ferry from the east bank of the river capsized drowning everyone. Of course the mermaids curse was blamed. On the spot where the mermaid died the old town hall was built, it burned down in 1966. It was then developed into a library and civic centre but within two months had burned down again, and the mermaid’s laughter was said to be heard. Rebuilding was undertaken again, and so far the building seems unaffected by the curse.

The Ghost of Beddgelert
Most people have heard have Gelerts grave, and the legend behind it. It is believed that in the 1700`s a group of villagers got together and created the story to bring visitors to the village. The ringleader was a David Pritchard, landlord of the Goat Inn. The village prospered and David Pritchard made his fortune. But for all his wealth, in 1821 he had a heart attack, and died without leaving a will. After his death the landlord became a legend in his own right. Some weeks after the burial, the Goat Inn was the scene of peculiar goings on. Footsteps were heard on the stairs, strange noises in the bedrooms, and in the bar the sounds of the fire being raked. Nothing was seen, and it was decided the best action was to ignore it. But instead of the noises dying away, they grew louder and more often, and servants started seeing the ghost of David Pritchard himself. At one point he was seen walking around the village itself. The villagers were petrified, Doors and windows were bolted, and charms were carried to bed. An old farmer called Huw, once a good friend of the landlord decided to see if he could find out why the spirit was wandering the village, so stayed out one night without charms of any kind. Sure enough, as he was standing on the bridge the ghost appeared. Huw shivered but was brave enough to call out to his old friend. With a trembling voice Huw asked his master why his spirit was so disturbed. The ghost answered. "My dear Huw, there can be no rest until a certain task is carried out. You are to go to the Inn and look under the hearthstone in the bar, there you will find a pouch containing one hundred gold guineas which you are to give to my wife". Huw said he understood, and with that the ghost faded away. The coins were found, and the ghost was not seen again. The Inn still stands in the village of Beddgelert, and perhaps as you buy a drink, and part with your money, you might hear the ghostly chuckle of David Pritchard.

Plas Newydd, Llangollen, Clwyd
Plas Newydd (New Hall) was the home for many years of Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby, two 18th century eccentrics who always dressed in male clothes, who came to Llangollen from Ireland in 1779 and were known as “The Old Maids of Llangollen”.
They were to live at Plas Newydd for nearly 30 years and so much did they love the house that it is understandable that their ghosts should visit their old home once a year, on Christmas Eve, drifting around in their best male attire.
It is said that only men can see the Old Maids.

Blue Lion Inn, Cwn, nr Rhyl, Clwyd
Originally the Blue Lion Inn was an ecclesiastical building housing monks who had built the nearby church, but by the beginning of the 17th century it had become a farm, occupied by a man and his two sons, both in their early twenties.
One night in 1646 an argument broke out between the three of them and the local beadle was called to the house to break up the disturbance. Two days later the beadle once more called at the house and was told that one of the sons, John Henry, had decided to leave home and start a new life abroad. John Henry was never to be seen alive again.
Since that time, on numerous occasions, footsteps have been heard walking along a corridor immediately above what is now the bar, footsteps that always end with what is described as a “rattling bang”.
The figure of a youngish-looking John Henry has been seen by several people in modern times at the Inn, dressed in working clothes tied at the knee with string and wearing what looks like a form of sacking over his shoulders. He has also been seen several times wearing a waistcoat as well. Among others who saw him was Stan Hughes, who was landlord at the Blue Lion until 1971, and his wife Paddy.
Stan and Paddy Hughes had a keen interest in small animals and owned their own private menagerie. On five separate occasions in 1969 they found the cage doors open and several animals missing. What was certain was that no ordinary thief could have stolen the animals because there was no sign of footprints or other disturbances in the layer of sand that covered the floor of the menagerie.
An interesting clue to the fate of John Henry was discovered at the end of the 19th century when an extension was being built to the church, the work entailing the moving of some of the graves. When one of the graves was opened, a skeleton was found on top of the coffin holding the registered occupant of the grave, and it is now thought that after the first visit to the farm by the beadle in 1646, the quarrel had broken out again after he had left, this time more violently, and that John Henry had either been accidentally or intentionally killed. To keep the matter quiet, the father and the other son had opened the grave and put John Henry’s body in and then spread the story that he had gone abroad.

Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Glamorgan
Cardiff Castle is haunted by the ghost of the Second Marquis of Bute, who’s family owned the castle for six generations. After a rather spectacular banquet he died quite suddenly in a small drawing room behind what is now the Castle Library. The room in which he died has been converted into a small chapel, where his bust stands at the spot where he breathed his last. His ghost has been seen in the Library.
The ghost of a young woman, dressed in a long robe, has been seen many times at the Castle, although it is not known who she is.
The Castle is also haunted by a phantom coach, reports of it’s sighting and more often the sound as it moves, having been recorded many times in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Castell Coch, Cardiff, Glamorgan
Castell Coch was built in 1870, in mock 13th century style, by William Burgess for the Marquis of Bute. It was built on the site of the fortress of Ifor Bach, the old Welsh warrior, and the haunting of Castell Coch goes back to the days of the old fortress.
A considerable amount of treasure was hidden in a subterranean passageway by a Royalist during the Civil War and the same Cavalier has been seen making sure that his beloved possessions have not been touched.

Aberdovery, Gwynedd
The phantom bells of Aberdovery are said to be heard from a stretch of land, now under the sea, on still sunset evenings. In the olden days Aberdovery was the domain of Gwyddno Garanhir, Lord of Ceredigion, and the land was protected from the sea by strong sea walls and dikes. The preservation of these sea defences was entrusted to Seithenin the Drunkard, Lord High Commissioner to the Lord of Ceredigion. True to his name Seithenin enjoyed wining and dining, little concerned with the deteriorating condition of Aberdovery’s sea defences.
One night, whilst Seithenin was feasting and once more getting extremely drunk, the raging seas breached the sea defences and Aberdovery, with the majority of it’s inhabitants, was swallowed up. Very few escaped.
The Bells of Aberdovery are now and then heard as a ghostly reminder of that fateful night when, thanks to the negligence of Seithenin the Drunkard, they were rung as a warning of the dangers that were about to befall the inhabitants of Aberdovery so many years ago.

Powys Castle, Welshpool, Powys
Powys Castle is haunted by the ghost of an unidentified man who has been seen many times in one of the ground floor rooms, a woman dressed in white who has been seen in one of the bedrooms, and a man riding a horse in the castle grounds. However, the most famous and well-documented apparition at this 13th century castle is that of a gentleman who was seen three times in one evening by a seamstress, and who, having achieved his purpose, has never visited the castle since.
A rather elderly woman, the seamstress, had been engaged by the occupants of the castle to work on various repair work duties and during the course of her work was given a small bedroom for the duration of her labours but she was not told that it was haunted. One night, after settling in and before going to bed, she was reading a few verses from the Bible when she was suddenly aware of a gentleman walking into the room, stopping at a window and gazing out. After a while he turned and left the room, slowly shutting the door behind him. It was only after he had gone that the seamstress realised that although the gentleman had been in the room for some time he had not made a sound.
The old lady got on her knees and started to pray. Whilst she was in prayer she heard the bedroom door open again. Opening her eyes she saw the same gentleman standing right behind her. Then he turned towards the door and left.
A third time that night the ghostly gentleman returned to the small room and although very scared at three visits from him in one evening the old lady asked him what he wanted. The ghost led her from the bedroom to a small room down the passageway and told the woman to take up a floorboard and remove a box that she would find inside. He asked her to send the box to the Earl of Powys in London and promised that he would never appear again as long as the box was sent.
The box was duly sent to the Earl of Powys who was absolutely delighted to receive it and it’s contents. He was that grateful that in return he invited the old woman to spend the rest of her life at the castle as his guest and promised that she would be well looked after.