In pictures: Ten of the most haunted places in Wales
- Published
On Halloween, Wales is not short of places reputed to be haunted. Here are 10 locations with legends of strange happenings attached. Bodelwyddan Castle in Denbighshire is haunted by a mysterious lady in a flowing dress as well as having unexplained voices, sounds and shadowy figures.
Llancaiach Fawr at Nelson, near Caerphilly, is home to several ghostly characters including naughty children playing on the stairs and a cot that rocks itself. A former maid called Mattie stares out of her old bedroom window and an old soldier wanders the grounds.
The Skirrid Inn near Abergavenny is one of the oldest and most haunted pubs in Wales. Over the years, 185 people were reputedly sentenced and hanged there. Rope marks are still visible on wooden beams by the staircase.
Gwydir Castle in the Conwy valley has a long and colourful history. A servant girl murdered after becoming pregnant haunts the north wing and Sir John Wynn is often seen on a spiral staircase. A phantom dog is also seen regularly and children can be heard crying.
Built in the 13th Century by Welsh princes, the ghosts of Powis Castle near Welshpool include a lady wearing black in the Duke’s room and a ghostly piano playing in the ballroom. An elderly woman staying at the castle once encountered a man in a gold-laced suit who led her to a hidden key and chest.
Plas Teg, a 17th Century Jacobean house in Flintshire, is rife with spirits, from a jovial cook to the former inhabitants of a sanatorium. Sir John Trevor V is said to haunt the Regency Room and ghostly touching and voices are often experienced.
Tredegar House in Newport is well known for its ghosts, many of which can be found in the attic, including a moustachioed Victorian gentleman. A small girl in a white dress often touches visitors near the doors to the old nursery wing.
Castell Coch near Cardiff is said to be haunted by the 'White Lady' whose son fell into a bottomless pit of water, never to be seen again. Her ghost still searches for him in the surrounding woodland.
The Queen's Head in Monmouth is said to be the third most haunted pub in Wales. An old man is said to sit by the fire, a young girl in a frilly dress frequents the bar and an old man often wanders along the upstairs landing.
Aberconwy House in Conwy is a 14th Century merchant's house where the old mistress of the house is reportedly seen sitting by the fireplace accompanied by a smell of flowers. A Victorian gent known as Mr Jones haunts the Victorian corridor and floorboards are often heard creaking.