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The Wailing Spirit of Old Beaupre Castle

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The Haunted Ruins of Beaupre Castle in Wales is one of the places in Wales said to have been haunted by the wailing spirit and deadly omen of the The Gwrach y Rhibyn, also known as the Hag of Mist. 

Hidden among quiet fields outside Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, the ruined walls of Old Beaupre Castle rise in broken silence. Known in Welsh as Hen Gastell y Bewpyr, this medieval fortified manor has carried many names through the centuries, from Beawpire to Y Bewpur, but its reputation has remained unchanged. 

Long after its halls fell into decay, something else is said to have remained behind in Llanfair. Since Victorian times, Beaupre has been whispered about as a place where the past refuses to lie still.

Old Beaupre Castle: The haunting ruins of Old Beaupre Castle in Wales, shrouded in mist and mystery of the The Gwrach y Rhibyn. // Source

A Castle Steeped in Shadow

Old Beaupre Castle dates back to the medieval period, once serving as a fortified manor for powerful families who controlled the surrounding lands. The structure was never a grand military stronghold, but it was a place of authority and domestic life, standing close to a river that winds quietly through the landscape. From it was built in the 1300s until the 18th century, it was owned by the Basset family.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted castles

Over time, the manor fell into ruin, its stones reclaimed by ivy and weather, until only fragments of walls and arches were left to mark its presence.

Yet even as the castle faded from practical use, reports of strange happenings persisted. Victorian era accounts describe unease among those who lived or worked nearby. Owners of the land spoke openly of a phantom tied to the ruins, a presence that made itself known at dusk and lingered long after night had fallen.

Courtyard: View through the arches of Old Beaupre Castle, showcasing its medieval architecture and tranquil courtyard. // Source: Beaupre Castle Courtyard by Guy Butler-Madden

The Gwrach y Rhibyn of Beaupre

According to folklore recorded by Alvin Nicholas of Supernatural Wales, Old Beaupre Castle was once believed to be haunted by a fearsome spirit known as the Gwrach y Rhibyn. This entity, often described as a Welsh counterpart to the banshee, is a harbinger of death whose appearance signals tragedy to come. At Beaupre, the Gwrach y Rhibyn was said to rise from the river beside the castle as twilight settled over the ruins.

Witnesses described a horrifying figure emerging from the mist. She wrung her hands in anguish, her arms ending in leathery, bat-like wings that flapped weakly as she moved. Her cries echoed through the broken stone, a sound of grief so raw that local workers reportedly froze in place when they heard it. Some claimed to see her wandering among the ruins, wailing and sobbing as if mourning something long lost.

Kissing-gate on the footpath to Beaupre Castle: An entrance gate leading to the serene landscape near Old Beaupre Castle, a site steeped in Welsh folklore and haunted legends. // Source: Image by John Lord

Her appearance was never seen as harmless. Like the banshee, her presence was believed to foretell death or disaster for those connected to the land.

The Witch in the Courtyard

When the solicitor bought the estate, he became interested in the story of the Gwrach y Rhibyn. A year or two before the owner’s death, an old man in the Vale of Glamorgan shared the following tale: Above the castle entrance, a panel shows the Bassett arms and motto, ‘Gwell angau na chwilydd’ (‘Rather death than shame’). The old man was working near this door at twilight when he heard a soft, sad wailing sound in the courtyard. He noticed a shadowy figure in the grand porch, wringing its hands and appearing distressed. As he approached, the figure vanished.

Curiosity led him deeper inside, where a voice whispered, ‘Lost! lost! lost!’ He looked around but saw no one. Quietly, he returned to the porch, where the wailing began again. The figure with waving hands reappeared, and he heard a sweet yet sad voice crying, ‘Restore! restore! restore!’ The next day, he shared his experience with the solicitor who owned the castle. ‘I know all about it,’ the kind gentleman from Glamorgan said. ‘Strange voices often remind us of the past and guide us for the future.’ The old man realized the owner had also encountered the Gwrach y rhibyn wandering and wailing around the beautiful old Beaupré.

What binds the Gwrach y Rhibyn to Beaupre Castle remains unclear. Some believe she is the restless spirit of a woman who died tragically near the river, bound to the place by grief. Others argue she is something older, a manifestation of ancient Welsh folklore drawn to sites of power and loss. The river, the ruins and the long abandonment of the manor may have created the perfect conditions for such a spirit to linger.

Old Beaupre Castle: The haunting ruins of Old Beaupre Castle, steeped in history and folklore, stand in the Vale of Glamorgan. // Source: Wikimedia/by John Lord

Echoes Among the Ruins

Today, Old Beaupre Castle stands open to visitors and the elements. By day it appears peaceful, almost forgotten by the rest of the world as a place thought to have some of the Magna Carta written here. But as evening falls and the light fades, the ruins take on a different character. The river nearby reflects the darkening sky, and the wind slips through the broken arches with a mournful sound.

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References:

Old Beaupre Castle – Wikipedia

The allegedly haunted Old Beaupre Castle and Farmhouse goes for sale | The Vintage News

Historic Old Beaupre Castle goes on sale for £950k | Daily Mail Online

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The Haunted Legends of Pennard Castle

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Said to have been conjured up by a sorcerer or even the fairy folk themselves, Pennard Castles history is both mysterious and haunted by the sound of the howling witch left in the sandy ruins of the abandoned castle in Wales.

Rising above the windswept coastline of the Gower Peninsula, the crumbling remains of Pennard Castle sit watchfully on their cliff, surrounded by shifting sands and centuries of uncanny legends where only ghosts remain. 

What stands today is little more than weathered stone and silent arches, yet the castle has inspired some of the most unsettling stories in Welsh folklore. Its desolation is not simply the work of time. Locals whisper that Pennard’s downfall began with curses, fairy vengeance, and the dark attentions of a supernatural hag.

Source

A Castle Built in a Night

There is little recorded about the castle and throughout centuries more myths and legends than facts have etched themselves into the mind of the locals. 

Folklore claims Pennard Castle was slowly built with mortar and sweat like its neighbors. Instead, it appeared in a single moonlit night. The fair folk, who were said to haunt the nearby woods and hollows, are sometimes credited with its construction. Sometimes it is said it was a sorcerer who conjured the castle one night to save himself from death by the Normans.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted castles around the world

The ruins of Pennard Castle overlay an earlier Norman earth timber ringwork fortification. The cliffs on the north and west side offered strategic defences, and a stone castle was built in the 1300s. The castle changed hands from the Broase clan to the Mowbray, Despenser, and Beauchamp families.

Exceptionally stormy weather in the 13th and 14th centuries blew large amounts of sand into and around it. The sandy storms damaged the castle structure so much the ones living in it abandoned it. By the 1650s, the historical records talk about the desolate ruins of the castle buried in sand. 

The Curse of the Fair Folk over Pennard Castle

So who were these fair folk said to be the ones building the castle? Along the Parkmill route in the area, you will also find an abundance of Buckthorn, the favourite of the Welsh Faeries, or Lunantisidhe from Irish folklore. Some also say this is a sign of the Welsh version of them and their presence around the castle. 

One of Pennard’s most enduring legends tells of a wedding feast held by the lord of the castle. As he and his guests celebrated, music drifted into the hall from the courtyard. There, the fair folk, or Verry folk, “verry-folks”, the fairies of Gower, were dancing beneath the moon. 

The Verry-Folks: The Gower Peninsula is a region rich in folklore and a particular one because of the present population being by ancestry of English and Flemish as well as Cornish and Welsh. One of its more endearing legends is that of the Gower Verry Volk – fairy folk. Local mythology describes these little people as capricious, lively, and fond of music, dancing and general merriment. // Source

Instead of welcoming them or offering hospitality, the lord reacted with anger and drove them out. Insulted and furious, the fairies cursed the fortress and its master. That same night, winds howled across the coast and a tide of sand rose like a living force. By dawn, the castle was half buried. Within a few short years, so much sand had piled against the walls that Pennard became uninhabitable. Some tales claim that while Pennard was choked by sand, the beaches of Ireland were stripped bare, the grains carried across the sea as part of the curse.

The Hag of Pennard Castle

The legends of Pennard do not end with the fair folk. The castle is also tied to a terrifying spirit known as a Gwrach y Rhibyn, a witch or hag of death whose screeches and cries echo across the cliffs. Like the banshee of Irish folklore, she appears before a death in certain old families, often in the form of a crow-like creature hunched in the shadows. 

Some say that it was the sorcerer who conjured up the castle who invoked her to protect him from the Normans and that she would not let any mortal spend the night in the castle. 

If that were not frightening enough, she is said to physically attack anyone foolish enough to sleep among the ruins. Some versions of the tale say she leaps upon any living soul who beds down inside the castle walls. Others claim she only assaults those from the ancient local lineages she has shadowed for generations. The outcome is seldom good. Those who dared to sleep in Pennard Castle were said to awaken mad, die before morning, or in stranger cases rise as poets, cursed with visions they could never fully express.

Source

Legend has it that one Carmarthen man, daring to spend the night in the ruined castle, was attacked by the Gwrach. The ghostly figure swooped down upon him, leaving him bruised and bloodied. Though he survived, he was cursed to live the rest of his life as a madman.

The Weeping Woman in the Ruins

Visitors sometimes report the sound of a woman crying among the broken walls when the wind dies and the dunes lie still. Some believe she is a tragic bride, forever mourning a lost love. A maiden reputedly threw herself off nearby Penrice Hill after avenging the death of her lover.

Others insist the weeping maiden is none other than the gwrach herself, changing form as suits her purpose. Whether a spirit of sorrow or a harbinger of death, her presence lingers in the night air, carried over the sands like a lament for the castle and the lives it claimed.

A Place Where Time Does Not Rest

Pennard Castle has long since fallen to ruin, its halls open to the sky and its gates claimed by sand. the rare county flower of Glamorgan extensively on the castle site.

Source

Yet the stories remain. The curses of the fair folk, the deathly hag, the unseen bride, and the chilling fate of those who sleep within its walls all cling to the site as stubbornly as the dunes that smothered it.

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References:

Myths of Pennard Castle, Gower – History Points

Pennard Castle

Pennard Castle | Visitor Information

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The Ghosts of St Donat’s Castle – The Wailing Lady and the Watchful Eye

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Crammed into the ancient towers and dark corner of St Donat’s Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, the ghosts lingering within these walls are old and persistent. 

On the cliffs overlooking the restless waters of the Bristol Channel, St Donat’s Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan has stood for nearly a thousand years 25 km west of Cardiff. Some claim that for the longest time, ghosts have been roaming the area. 

The Haunted St. Donat’s Castle: Said to be haunted by plenty of ghosts and phantom figures, it is today used as a school. // Source

Built in the twelfth century and once the proud seat of the powerful Stradling family, its towers and battlements have seen war, wealth, and whispered tragedy. Since 1962, it has housed an international secondary school called Atlantic College.

The St. Donat’s Castle History

Antique ceilings, fireplaces, a moat, battlements, dungeons – in short, over 800 years of history, which also included Celtic kings defying the Romans, the Norman invasion of Wales and centuries of slowly decaying neglect. 

Castle & church, St. Donats, Glamorganshire from around 1835.

The oldest parts of St Donat’s castle were built in the 12th century by the De Hawey family, though the only surviving parts left are the keep and what is now the inner curtain wall.

Read More: Check out all haunted castles around the world

The castle was passed into the ownership of the Stradling family in 1298 with the marriage of Sir Peter Stradling to Joan de Hawey. The new owners spent a fortune expanding the castle and added many features including the outer gatehouse and curtain wall in 1300, as well as making the keep larger, with the inner court being built some 200 years later.

The Ghost of Lady Stradling

The most fearsome spirit said to haunt St Donat’s is Lady Stradling, a restless ghost whose sorrow has never found peace. It is also one of the ghost stories told the longest, and there are written sources about her haunting to at least the pre-1880s.

There are tales about seeing a Lady in White drifting through the corridors, bearing a sense and atmosphere of intense melancholy. It is said that her husband died in one of the many crusades Europeans took in medieval times. Her name or who her husband supposedly was has been up for speculation. 

There are many variations to her story though. Some versions tell of betrayal and murder within her own family. Some say her haunting is because of her mourning as her husband fell in battle, some she was slain by a jealous husband, others that a violent relative ended her life in a fit of rage. 

Whatever the truth, her spirit lingers, bound to the castle that witnessed her end. She has most commonly been reported in the Long Gallery area. Around the Lady Anne Tower, an apparition of a woman dressed in Medieval clothing, believed to be Lady Stradling has been spotted. It is also said that screams and moans are coming from the haunted tower.

The Hag of the Mist

Witnesses who claim to have seen Lady Stradling describe her in many unsettling forms. Some say she appears as an old, haggard woman with eyes hollowed by centuries of grief, her long fingers scratching at the windows as she cries into the storm. Others speak of a figure of an elegant lady clad in a gown of fine silk, her footsteps light and rhythmic, the soft click of high heels echoing through the corridors long after midnight. 

Like the banshee of Irish lore, her wailing is said to herald death within the family. In Wales, this form of a ghost is called The Gwrach y Rhibyn, or the Hag of the Mist. When her voice is heard piercing the night air, the Stradlings or those connected to their legacy know that loss is soon to follow.

Ghost of Pirates and Phantom Pipers

In 1449, Henry Stradling, along with his wife and child “while sailing from his house in Somersetshire to his house in Wales” were captured by the notorious Breton pirate, Colyn Dolphin, who plundered the Welsh coast from Lundy Island. The pirate demanded a large ransom which was met by the Stradlings after they sold off two of their manors (Tregwilym in Wales and one in Oxfordshire) and a large quantity of wool.

After the stories spread and were exaggerated by poems, songs and legends, and ghost stories of pirates haunting the area around the castle started. 

Many visitors have recounted hearing the distant sound of bagpipes echoing through the castle, despite there being no visible source for the music. Local legend suggests this phenomenon is the work of a Scottish piper who met his demise at St. Donat’s Castle.

The Headless Horseman

Stories of a headless horseman riding through the castle grounds have persisted over the years. While rare, those who claim to have seen him describe a spectral figure mounted on a ghostly horse, illuminated by an eerie glow. Although not a very descriptive haunting, a very common one around the British Isles. 

Some visitors have reported hearing the plaintive cries of a child reverberating through the castle, particularly during the night. The origin of these sorrowful wails remains a mystery, though local tales speculate they may belong to a child who met a tragic end within the castle’s walls.

There was even a witch called Mally-y-Nos. a perplexing lady named Mallt-y-Nos (Matilda of the Night), said to haunt the area around the castle.

The Ghost of Thomas Stradling

The Stradling’s managed to hold onto the castle until the death of Sir Thomas Stradling in 1738, when ownership passed to Sir John Tyrwhitt, his friend. 

Sir Thomas Stradling was unmarried and in his twenties when he planned to go on the Grand Tour with his close friend from university, Sir John Tyrwhitt, the fifth baronet of Stainfield. Before the two young gentlemen set out on this great adventure, they made a pact with each other. If either was to die while on this tour, then the other would inherit the estate of the deceased. Or so it was claimed.

While travelling Sir Thomas Stradling was killed in a duel on the 27th of September, 1738 in Montpellier in France. According to folklore, Sir Thomas Stradling’s nurse, who had raised him since he was a baby, wished to pay her respects and invited to see his body. 

She was convinced that the man in the coffin was not Sir Thomas, but an imposter. She knew that, as a small boy, Sir Thomas had lost a finger on his left hand as  it had been bitten off by a donkey, at least that’s what the story said.. But the man inside the coffin had all his fingers intact. But where then was Sir Thomas?

Gossip was rife on the subject, and for years afterwards, locals visiting St Donat’s Church would point at Sir Thomas’ tomb and declare: “That is where the imposter lies”.

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Sir Thomas had left no heir, but made a verbal agreement with Sir John Tyrwhitt as well as a written will. In it, he had left the castle and his entire estate to his cousin, Bussey Mansel, the 4th baron of Margam. But when Bussey had visited St Donat’s Castle after his death, he had been confronted by the ghost of one of the Stradling ancestors. The ghost had declared that it would never give the castle to a Mansel. Terrified, he turned his horse and fled as fast as it would carry him, never again to return to the castle.

The answer to who actually owned the castle remained in litigation for over 60 years. Ultimately, St Donat’s Castle did pass to the Tyrwhitts, much to the dismay of the people of St Donat’s. In fact, it is claimed that the vicar of St Donat’s Church was so incensed that ‘in his fury’ he destroyed a windmill and two watermills. It was despite all of the work, never used as a primal residence, and it started to fall into disrepair. 

Hollywood Connections

American millionaire William Randolph Hearst who bought the castle after seeing photographs of the castle in Country Life magazine. Hearst, who at the time was having an affair with the actress Marion Davies, spent a fortune renovating the castle, bringing electricity not only to his residence but also to the surrounding area. The locals enjoyed having Hearst in residence at the castle as he paid his employees very well, and his arrivals always created a big stir in a community not used to American excesses. 

Hollywood Era: Randolph Hearst (centre) with Alice Head (managing director of Good Housekeeping) and Federico Beltran-Masses (Spanish artist) at St Donat’s Castle in Wales, taken in 1928.

Hearst spent much of his time entertaining influential people at his estates and holding lavish parties at St Donat’s with guests like Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and a young John F. Kennedy. Upon visiting St Donat’s, George Bernard Shaw was quoted as saying: “This is what God would have built if he had had the money.”

He spent a huge amount of money turning the castle back into its former self but due to economic reasons put the castle up for sale again in the late 1930’s.

Godfrey Williams and the Exorcism

An exorcism was reportedly performed in the early 20th century, which was claimed to have succeeded in ridding the castle of several apparitions, including a hag and a mysterious disembodied eye in several guest rooms. The owner at the time, Godfrey Williams, disliked the castle and may have been responsible for the spread of these stories.

The castle was bought by Morgan Stuart Williams in 1901 and after his death in 1909 it went to his son Godfrey. But Godfrey was so “disturbed” by the castle hauntings that he put the place up for sale. Godfrey had seen a ghostly panther prowling the castle corridors at night and reported seeing a single giant glowing eye appearing nightly in one of the bedrooms.

It’s said that Godfrey brought an exorcist to the castle and after the usual rituals a great gust of wind swept down the staircase and out went the panther and the glaring eye.

After being used by British and American troops during the war it was finally bought again in 1962 by Monsieur Antonin Besse II, and given to the Governing Body of Atlantic College. Today it still functions as an international college but is also open to the public for general viewing.

The Feline Haunting in the 90s

There are also tales of a phantom cat, a large, semi-transparent black creature that prowls the corridors and stairways. This was said to have been reported on in the 90s when the castle was used as a boarding school for the richer kids around the world. Was it the black panther coming back? Or simply the stories of it? Those who have seen it claim it brings with it a feeling of dread so heavy that the air seems to thicken around it. 

Source

And then there is the piano that is said to be one of the more haunting objects in the castle in modern times. In one of the great halls of St Donat’s, a piano stands near the window that overlooks the sea. It is said that when the castle lies quiet, its notes begin to play by themselves. The melody is never the same twice, as though the unseen player improvises a song of sorrow for each soul the castle has claimed. Staff, visitors, and even students from Atlantic College, which now occupies the castle, have all spoken of hearing the music late at night when no living hand could possibly touch the keys.

The Haunting supposedly got so bad that they had an exorcism done to deal with it. Again. 

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References:

St Donat’s Castle 

Exploring St. Donat’s Castle: Wales’ Haunted Past | Mary Ann Poll

Haunted Castles Wales Sorted by Name 

British goblins : Welsh folk-lore, fairy mythology, legends and traditions 

The imposter of St Donat’s Castle | Glamorgan Star Newspaper

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/medieval-welsh-castle-princes-princess-26682356

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Halloween Stories: Calan Gaeaf — When Spirits Roam In Wales

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Before the modern Halloween came back to the British Isles, there were celebrations like the Welsh Calan Gaeaf. The first day of winter. The night before this day was when the veil was thinnest and the spirits roamed the land. 

Home, home, at once
The tailless black sow shall snatch the last one.
– Welsh rhyme from Nos Calan Gaeaf

As the winds of autumn grow colder and the days shorter, the people of Wales prepare for Calan Gaeaf, a festival steeped in ancient tradition and eerie folklore. Celebrated on the night of October 31st, this Celtic holiday marks the transition into winter—when the veil between the living and the dead thins, allowing spirits to walk freely among the living.

Read Also: Halloween Traditions Across the World

Much like its more famous counterpart, Halloween, Calan Gaeaf is a time when ghostly apparitions and supernatural forces are said to roam the earth. But in Wales, the night is uniquely filled with tales of terrifying spirits, haunted crossroads, and ominous signs of death. It’s a night where even the bravest avoid stepping outside after dark.

The Origins of Calan Gaeaf Festivities

Harvest: The Calan Gaeaf is a harvest festival as well, and things like apple bobbing and telling fortune of apple skin were some of the activities.

Calan Gaeaf, translating to “the first day of winter” in Welsh, has roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. For the Celts, this night represented the end of the harvest season and the start of the dark half of the year, when the world was gripped by cold and the dead returned to walk among the living. Or is it really a tradition for all Celts? There are those who claim there really is no evidence that Samhain was ever celebrated in Wales, making some think it is more a Gaelic custom rather than Celtic. 

But how far does this celebration date back though? The word, Galan or Calan is actually from the latin, calends “first day of winter.” 

What is Celtic though is the dating of the day. The night before the day is called the Nos Galan Gaef, and this is when the spirits from the otherworld, or Annwn, are said to come out to play. The Celts counted the days to begin on the evening before, not the morning off. 

The same term is in the Cornish language called Kalan Gwav, or Allantide as it is mostly called now. In Breton language in modern day France it is called Kalan Goañv.

Wales, with its rich Celtic heritage, embraced these ancient beliefs, and Calan Gaeaf became a night filled with both celebration and fear. Fires were lit in villages to keep the malevolent spirits at bay, and families gathered indoors to share stories of ghosts and ghouls, all while keeping a wary eye on the night outside.

The Haunting Presence of Hwch Ddu Gwta

Among the many eerie figures associated with Calan Gaeaf, none is more feared than Hwch Ddu Gwta, a fearsome black sow with no tail. Legend says that Hwch Ddu Gwta roams the Welsh countryside on Calan Gaeaf, accompanied by a headless woman, the Y Ladi Wen, stalking those who dare to venture outside after sunset. Anyone unlucky enough to encounter this spectral beast would surely be doomed, dragged away into the darkness or even to the underworld itself.

Y Ladi Wen: The Lady in White is a Welsh legend, known as Y Ladi Wen or Y Ddynes Mewn Gwyn. She appears dressed in white, especially during Hollantide and Calan Gaeaf, and is featured in Welsh oral tradition to warn children against misbehavior. Y Ladi Wen can be seen as a scary ghost who might seek help or offer treasure. She is linked to the villages of Ogmore, Ewenny, and St Athan. In Ogmore, a spirit was said to roam until a brave man approached her, discovering a cauldron of gold under a stone in Ogmore Castle. He took some treasure but later returned for more, angering the spirit, who attacked him in revenge. He fell ill and died after confessing his greed, leading to the belief that “Y Ladi Wen’s revenge” would affect anyone who died without revealing hidden treasure. //Source: pduncaza/Deviantart

To avoid Hwch Ddu Gwta and other restless spirits, people would rush home before nightfall, locking their doors tightly. The idea of being caught outside was a terror for many, as it was believed the spirits could claim anyone out in the open on this haunted night.

Hwch Ddu Gwta a Ladi Wen heb ddim pen
Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio’r ola’
Hwch Ddu Gwta nos G’langaea
Lladron yn dwad tan weu sana.

The black sow and headless white lady,
Will try and catch the last to leave,
Thieves abound knitting stockings,
Beware the tail-less black sow on winter’s eve.

A game played by the bonfire was also that one of the men would wear a pig skin and chase the children to keep the fear and legend alive. 

Divination and Dark Omens During Nos Galan Gaeaf

Aside from the lurking spirits, Calan Gaeaf is a night filled with ancient customs and rituals. One of the most unnerving traditions was a form of divination—an attempt to peer into the future and learn of one’s fate, particularly regarding death. People would gather around bonfires (coelcerth) and throw stones into the flames, each person marking their stone with a special symbol or name. After the fire had burned down, the stones were retrieved. It was said that anyone whose stone was missing in the morning would die before the next Calan Gaeaf. You could also see the people who would die if you ran around the church three times and peered into the keyhole of the church door. 

Another dark tradition involved staring into a mirror at midnight on Calan Gaeaf, with the belief that the face of your future spouse—or, chillingly, a skull—would appear behind you. If you saw the skull, you would never marry, and die within a year. 

Boys would cut ten leaves of ivy, throw one away and put the rest under the pillow. This would help them see the future, and if they touched the ivy, they would see witches, or gwrachod, as they slept. The men would also dress in women’s clothing mimicking the Gwrachod and go from door to door for treats. This was thought to repel the evil spirits. 

The girls grew roses in hoops they could go through. They then cut the rose and put it under their pillows to see their future. Peeled apple skin was also thrown over the shoulders to spell the first letter of the future husband. 

Bonfire Night: Central to the Nos Calan Gaeaf is the bonfire, or the coelcerth as it is in Welsh.

The Modern Halloween Celebration in Wales

Though today, many of these old customs have faded, the fear of spirits abroad on Calan Gaeaf still lingers in the corners of Welsh folklore. The old ways of celebrating seem like it’s being swallowed by the highly commercialized American Halloween.

On this eerie night, even the skeptics can’t help but feel a shiver down their spine as the wind howls through the hills and the night closes in. After all, as the old tales warn—if you’re out too late on Calan Gaeaf, you might just find yourself face-to-face with something that doesn’t belong in this world.

So when October 31st comes around in Wales, beware of wandering too far from home. Hwch Ddu Gwta might be watching, and the spirits may be closer than you think.

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References:

Calan Gaeaf – Wikipedia 

Nos Galan Gaeaf: the traditional Welsh celebration being eclipsed by modern Halloween

Spooky Wales – Noson Calan Gaeaf – BBC Bitesize 

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Ghostly Tales of Pembrey Woods in Wales

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Within the dark woodlands, Pembrey Woods in Wales are said to hold many ghost stories trapped. Tales of fallen pilots from WW2, drowned sailors lured to the shores as well as mysterious specters, the forest are never quiet and you are never alone. 

Shrouded in the mists of time, Pembrey Woods in Carmarthenshire, Wales, unfolds like a tapestry of history, its ancient trees bearing witness to a human presence dating back to at least 400 BC. 

Yet, amid the tranquility of nature facing the coast of the Bristol Channel, the woods harbor stories of the supernatural, weaving a haunting narrative that extends to the nearby village of Pembrey itself that even drew the camera crew of The Most Haunted into the woods in 2008. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Forests around the world

From World War II soldiers’ lingering spirits to ethereal cavaliers and deformed specters wandering beneath the leafy canopy, the woods pulsate with an otherworldly energy that beckons seekers of the paranormal.

The Ghosts of Wars Past

Pembrey Woods wears the echoes of history, and among its spectral denizens are the ghostly remnants of soldiers from World War II as a RAF airfield, today the Pembrey West Wales Airport.  

Close to the Pembrey forest, it was used in the Blitz against the German Luftwaffe and many fighter and bomber planes went down when they tried to get back to base. It was also a facility that produced explosives for the British, and this attracted more than one attack of the Luftwaffe. 

Pembrey Woods: RAF Pembrey Battle Headquarters This bunker lies just outside the motor racing circuit at Pembrey and during the war would have been the command centre for the defence of RAF Pembrey. The trees are recent, and the bunker is placed on high ground to give an excellent view of the whole of the airfield.//Source

Whispering through the rustling leaves, these apparitions serve as silent guardians, their presence a testament to the turbulent past that has imprinted itself upon the land. As the sun sets and shadows lengthen, people claim to have seen the ghost of the pilots that went down with the planes.

The Hatchet Men

Some of the enduring legends, secrets and rumors about Pembrey and the coast of Wales was that much of their riches came from Wrecking. Locally this was known as Gwyr-y-Bwelli Bach meaning People with Little Hatchet in Welsh and they are believed to haunt Pembrey Woods.

According to these stories, they would use lights to lure passing ships to crash on the shore and go down. The rest of the crew from the ship that didn’t immediately drown, were met by the so-called hatchet men who would kill them and steal everything when they found them on the shore or in the woods. 

Although we don’t have any concrete evidence that the locals actually were wreckers, there were certainly many ships that went down on these rocky shores. To this day many people claim to have seen the ghost of the sailors and passengers from the ships that never reached their final port. 

Cavaliers and Deformed Spectres

In the heart of the woods there are also stories about deformed ghosts and the sound of shadowy horsemen, galloping through the ancient groves. These spectral horsemen, frozen in a perpetual dance with history, add a layer of mystique to Pembrey Woods spectral repertoire. 

Alongside them, deformed specters weave through the trees, their apparitions casting shadows that dance in the moonlight. What these are though, no one really knows, but apparently it is something very old that will remain in the woods for a long time.

The Mischievous Poltergeist

Among the spirits that call Pembrey Woods home is a mischievous poltergeist, a playful yet enigmatic entity known for its peculiar antics. Visitors have reported unexplained phenomena, with the poltergeist allegedly taking delight in grabbing unsuspecting individuals around the ankles, sending them stumbling to the forest floor. 

Campers have awakened to find their equipment mysteriously rearranged or tossed into the woods, leaving an indelible mark on the haunted landscape that has even captured the attention of paranormal enthusiasts and TV shows like Most Haunted.

Paranormal Intrigue of Pembrey Woods

Pembrey Woods, with its ancient trees and whispers of centuries past, unfolds as a tapestry of paranormal intrigue. Each rustle of leaves and shadowy glade tells a story, inviting those who dare to venture into its depths to become part of a narrative that transcends the boundaries between the natural and supernatural. As the sun dips below the horizon and the air becomes thick with mystery, Pembrey Woods becomes the home of the shadow people and the spirits that still can’t leave this place.

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The Mysterious Ghosts Newton House by Dinefwr Castle

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Delve deep into the mysteries of the castle of Dinefwr and discover its haunted ghosts. The castle grounds are said to be haunted by both a loyal butler as well as a murdered lady in white that tried to escape a loveless marriage.

Tucked away in the rolling Welsh countryside, Dinefwr Castle holds a dark secret—it is haunted by ghosts that have roamed its halls for centuries.

The castle, also known as Old Dynevor Castle is now in ruins as it overlooks the River Towy close to Llandeilo in Wales. 

Llandeilo Town in Wales

Dinefwr is situated in the small town of Llandeilo in Wales. This area has always had a reputation for mythical tales, with local folklore claiming that Dinefwr Castle was once inhabited by mysterious ghosts. 

The stories date back hundreds of years and each generation adds more details to the spooky tales that have become part of the culture. For example, some people believe that spirits haunt the castle grounds and are said to create flickering lights or howling noises!

The History of Dinefwr Castle

Dinefwr Castle is steeped in history and mystery and dates back to the 12th century and was the chief seat of the Dinefwr dynasty of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales. 

Built by Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth, it gained status as an important fortress as tensions among Welsh kingdoms rose. 

His reign saw a rare period of peace and stability that led to a flowering of Welsh culture, music and poetry. The Dinefwr dynasty was mostly warlord led and constantly invaded.

Sadly, it was not to last. After Rhys’s death, conflicts over succession led to turbulent years as the Welsh princes fought amongst themselves and against the English. Dinefwr eventually fell into English control in 1287 and remained there for centuries, despite Owain Glyndŵr’s attempt to wrest it back during his uprising of 1403.

Its location on a hill overlooking the Towy Valley was strategic and also held spiritual significance to local residents.  Throughout its long history, rumors of spectral residents began to take root and tales of spooky sightings have been told ever since.

The Haunting Grounds in Newton House

When talking about the hauntings around this place, many people make the mistake to think that the ghosts are roaming around the  ancient ruins of the castle, but this is not entirely true. The ghosts that are now famous are supposedly haunting the country house called Newton House on the castle grounds in Dinefwr Park that was built in 1660. 

Among the ghosts said to be haunting the grounds are Walter the Butler who worked in the house and is now haunting the servant’s basement. People have smelled his tobacco smoke in the room as well as hearing muffled voices as the lights are flickering on and off. 

Ghosts of Dinefwr Castle

But perhaps best known is the tragic story about the White Lady that supposedly haunts the grounds as well. This is also supposed to happen in the old country house. 

The White Lady of Dinefwr Castle is said to be the ghost of Lady Elinor Cavendish and her horrible end. There are even reports that people have visited and have felt as if their throats are being squeezed, the same way that she died. 

There are tales about the ghost of a young girl, now remembered as the White Lady of Dinefwr Castle and according to the rumours, people have seen the ghost of a woman disappearing into the cupboard. 

The story goes that Lady Elinor Cavendish was forced into an unwanted marriage in the 18th century and tried to run away from the loveless marriage and her brutal husband to be. But she was not allowed to slip out of his hands and her husband followed her and when he caught up to her, he strangled her to death. 

Lady Elinor Cavendish now haunts the grounds, the country house of Newton House and the ruins of DInefwr Castle, still trying to escape the life she didn’t want for herself.

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Dinefwr Castle | Cadw

Spooky stories and legends of ghosts and more this Hallowe’en | South Wales Guardian 

Newton House, Llandeilo – Wikipedia 

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Halloween Traditions Across the World

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In this wide world we have countless customs, holidays and traditions. But the tradition of honoring, and at times, fearing the dead around the dark autumn time, seems to be something we do in all corners of the earth.

Through the modern media we have all grown accustomed to this specific type of Halloween traditions. Carving pumpkins, go trick or treating and dressing up is now a global phenomenon. But the concept of celebrating the dead, souls and spirits during the harvest season has always been something people have done, and probably will continue to do for a while. But although the American style Halloween have monopolised a lot of the celebration, there are still both old and local variation of celebrating this kind of festivity. Here are some of them:

Samhain — Britain

Samhain: Bonfires, offerings to fairies and feasts for the dead was a tradition in the old Samhain celebrations.

The Samhain celebration is probably were the modern Halloween traditions has borrowed most customs and ideas from. It is a Gaelic festival marking the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter. it was usually celebrated from 31. October to 1. November. It was celebrated all throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, with many similar festivals held around the same time around the rest of the Celtic Islands.

According to tradition, bonfires were lit as they were seen to have protective and cleansing power. Offerings to the Aois Sí, the spirits and fairies was made to give them a good harvest and making them last through the winter. There was also held feasts where they made place for the dead at the table, as it was believed that the souls of the dead would visit.

The festival was held because the time was seen as a liminal time, were the boundary between the living and dead were minimal and the crossing between this world and the otherworld were more easily done. A part of the festival also included people dressing up in costume to recite verses for food, called mummers play, or mumming.

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All Saints Day — Catholic Church

All Saints Day: This Christian holiday is celebrated many places were there is a Roman catholic or Anglican church.

Within the Catholic Church the celebration of All Saints’ Day or All Souls’ Day is marked November the first and second. It is also called Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed and Day of the Dead. The All Saints Day is a day for celebrating all Saints and Martyrs in the Christian Church. The All Souls Day is mostly for the people still in purgatory to atone for their sins before entering heaven.

This together with Samhain turned into what we now call the modern Halloween with its traditions. Most often, the All Saints’ Day is celebrated within the western christianity, while in the eastern christianity they have celebrated somewhat the same in Saturday of Souls celebrations. It is mostly celebrated by Roman Catholics and Anglicans.

The feast itself is celebrated on November 1. and is mostly a day of prayer and remembering the souls of the dead. On the day there are many ways the practitioners remember the dead, and the traditions vary from church to church, but it generally include lighting candles and praying.

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Allantide — Wales

Allan Apples: Apples are important for Allantide as they are a token of good luck.

A Cornish version of Halloween traditions is the Allantide, or Kalan Gwaw, meaning the first day of winter. In the sixth century, Cornwall had a bishop named St Allan, and therefore it is also known as Allan Night and Allan Day. Traditionally it was celebrated on the night of October 31 and the day after.

A lot of common traits with Hollantide celebration in Wales and Isle of Man as well as Halloween itself. To celebrate they rung the church bell to comfort Christian souls on their journey to heaven. They made Jack’o lanterns from turnips. But the most important fruit this feast was red apples. Large, glossy Allan apples were polished and given to friends and family as gift for good luck.

Divination game to read the future was also a part of the festivities. They ere for example throwing walnuts in the fire to predict the fidelity of their partners, or poring molten lead in cold water to find out the job of their future husband. Also some parts of Cornwal, they lit ‘Tindle’ fires to the Coel Coth of Wales.

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Day of the Dead — Mexico

Día de Muertos: This day is often recognized for the costumes and makeup.

The Day of the Dead or Día de Muertos in Spanish is a Mexican holiday, well known for their distinctive costumes and face paint. Before the Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration was in the beginning of the summer in Mexico. But it became intertwined with the Christian church and European Halloween traditions and moved to the end of October and beginning of November.

It is a holiday, stretching over several days gathers families and friends to pray for their lost ones and help their way to heaven. According to the Mexican culture, the death is viewed as a naturally part of the human cycle and should therefor not be seen as a day of sadness, but a day of celebrations.

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Pchum Ben — Cambodia

Preparing to open the gates of hell: Monks praying and people gifting food and flowers to the ancestors.
Prayers during Pchum Ben. Credit: Maharaja45

The holiday is a fifteen day celebration on the 15th day of the tenth month in the Khmer calendar, at the end of the Buddhist Lent, Vassa. And would in the Gregorian calendar, mostly be in September and October. The translation of Pchum Ben is Ancestor Day, and its a time were many Cambodians pay their respect to the dead family and relatives up to seven generations.

Monks chant the sutta in Pali language without sleeping overnight to prepare the gates of hell opening. This occurs once a year and is a time were manes (spirits) of the ancestors come back. Therefore they put out food offerings that can help them end their time in purgatory.

People give foods like sweet sticky rice and beans wrapped in banana leaves, and visit temples to offer up baskets of flowers as a way to pay respect to their deceased ancestors. It’s also a time for people to celebrate the elderly.

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Pangangaluluwa — Philippines

After sundown: In Philippines they light candles and camp out in the cemeteries to honour the ancestors.
Photo by Alexandr Chukashev on Pexels.com

The name of the holiday is from the word kaluluwa, meaning soul or spirit. It is an event that lasts three days at the cemetery with food stands and pop-up stores around the cemetery as the people celebrating the festivities, camp out.

On the first of November people gather in cemetaries to light candles and put flowers on the grave to respect the ancestors. some places in the north they have this old tradition of lighting pinewood next to the graves. In the cemetery there is a priest walking through it to bless all the tombs.

Outside of the emetaries, there are carollers singing through the night, all draped in white blankets. The same tradition is for children as they go door to door and singing hymns to get money.

Today, the local tradition is slowly fading out, merging more and more with the modern Halloween traditions, but out in the provinces, mostly, the old practices is still upheld for now.

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Saint Andrew’s Day — Romania

Night of the Wolf: During this night wolves have special powers and can speak.
Photo by David Selbert on Pexels.com

This day is today connected to the Christian saint, but it also have some pagan origins with the Roman celebration of Saturn. In the Dacian Ney Year was an interval when time started up again. On the turn of the night, wolves were allowed to eat the animals they wanted and it was also believed that they spoke as well, although, if you heard it, it meant an early death.

Early on the day, the mothers went into the garden to get branches, especially from apple, pear, cherry trees and rose bush branches. They made a bunch of these branches for each family member, and if a branch bloomed by New Years day, it meant they would be lucky and healthy the following year.

There was also a tradition of girls hiding sweet basil under their pillow to have dreams about their wedding. It was also customary for girls to put 41 grains of wheat under their pillow, and if they dreamt someone stole them, it meant they were going to be wed the next year. This premonition was also done by bringing a candle to a fountain at midnight and ask Saint Andrew himself if he could give them a glimpse of their future husband.

This day was especially good for revealing the future husband by magic, a superstitious belief that was also in Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Russia as well as in Romania. This was also the day were vampiric activity was at large, all until Saint George’s Eve on the 22. of April.

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Dziady — Poland

Dziady: Cemetery on dziady night by Stanisław Bagieński from 1904.

The Dziady is a slavic feast to remember the ancestor long passed. It is sometimes translated to Forefathers Eve. It used to be celebrated both in the spring and in the autumn, but today, it is usually held in the end of October like .

In the feast they eat ritual meals to celebrate the living and the souls. It was either held at the house or at cemeteries, were poring directly on the grave was and still is a thing. In some areas the ancestors also had to bathe, and saunas was prepared for them. They also lit up candles and lights to guide the souls so they wouldn’t get lost and wander off.

There was also a special kind of begger, a beggars-dziady, people thought to be connected to the other words. They were given food and sometimes cash to make them pray for their loved lost ones.

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