The village of Oystermouth, commonly called the Mumbles, is surrounded by the sea to the east and south, and part of Swansea in Wales.

The castle grounds are open to the public and enjoys some 5,000 visitors every year but it is hoped that when conservation work finishes on the castle itself in 2014 that many more tourists will visit.

Hauntings

There are reports that Oystermouth Castle is haunted by a White Lady. The apparition is sometimes described as wailing, crying and suffering from a series of open wounds on her back. Some say she is the ghost of a Oystermouth Castle prisoner who was whipped to death on the Whipping Post that still stands by the dungeon.

In May 2011, a construction worker was tapped on the shoulder while trying to re-open a murder hole. Murder holes were used by defenders to pour boiling oil, water or even burning tarred sand down on attacking soliders – the scene of many horrific deaths. The incident made the local press and the worker, Mike Smith, told reporters;

“I don’t usually believe in the paranormal but it was a strange experience and I know other staff have experienced some odd goings-on at the castle too.

“Nothing like this has ever happened to me before but there are also stories of people walking dogs close to the castle and seeing their dogs barking hysterically at absolutely nothing at all.”

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to Oystermouth Castle? What did you think? Could the castle be haunted?

Picture credit: Mark Hogan, released under Creative Commons.

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The list includes 26 ghosts, 20 UFO sightings, 11 witches, two vampires and two zombies. In none of the cases did Dyfed Powys Police find any evidence of supernatural or paranormal activity. In one case a zombie was a character in a horror film.

The list comes from the police force in response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act. Over the last five years, there have been more than 3,300 requests of information and Dyfed Powys Police say that it has cost more than £500,000 to provide this information.

The relevation comes at a time when we are beginning to see reports in British media that ghost hunters are costing councils hundreds of thousands of pounds with paranormal based Freedom of Information act. Earlier this month the BBC reported that Cornwall Council had spent £340,000 responding to ghost hunters and others.

Dyfed Powys Police were also asked how many of their officers were Pagan but could not respond as they do not record Pagan or any derivative (Druid, Wiccan, etc) as a religion.

In Pure Spirit

Do you think paranormal investigators need to exercise self restraint when it comes to invoking the Freedom of Information Act? Or are these queries exactly the sort of public insight that the Act is designed to protect?

Photo Credit: Rodolpho Reis, released under Creative Commons.

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Sian Barr, a student veterinary nurse, has carried out research on sick cats being treated at a vet’s sugery. Miss Barr, a recent graduate with a first class honours, concluded that yoga medication music can help. Cats become less stressed when they listen to the music.

Sian told the Telegraph;

Stress in small doses can be a good thing, such as if a cat is under stress to eat, then it can perform better.
“But otherwise, it will have a negative effect, such as in a veterinary practice.

“This is because a cat is in a cage and isn’t able to do what it would like to do, so stress levels will increase and it will become wound up and angry.

“This is bad for not only its behaviour, becoming difficult for staff to handle, but also for its immune system and ability to heal.

Barr measured the ear and eye activity of the felines in order to determine how stressed they were as well as monitoring respiration levels. A control group was not exposed to the music. The other group was treated to the yoga relaxation music and Om Shanti tunes.

Sian says the effect was dramatic.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Have you seen your cat react or chill out to any of your music collection before?

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The castle is believed to be haunted and runs overnight paranormal tours. The tours make use of electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, digital thermometers, dowsing rods, crystal pendulums and tourists are allowed to bring their own digital cameras.

Visitors have reported the barking and howling of a spirit dog, the cries of ghost children and the ghost of a wife who was terrorised by her husband during her life. People are said to greatly fear the place, can sense the ghost of someone who committed suicide the castle and of haunting resulting from murder.

Other visitors report sensing the presence of a nurse, perhaps the nursemaid of the ghostly children, present in the castle.

In 2008 the BBC published a recording of a ghostly voice taken by a paranormal assistant who works at the castle. Some people think it says; “Hold me close”

The BBC recording is here. Can you hear it?

Rachel told the BBC;

“From the noises I have heard and recorded, to the temperature drops and the strange scents, I am certan it is haunted! Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes it’s active – the spirits come out when they choose!

We were holding one of our overnight vigils in Bodelwyddan Castle when I recorded the sound. We were waiting for a group to arrive and as my friend and I walked around the castle we began to feel uneasy as if something was waiting to happen. The public arrived at 9pm and, after the tour, we began our vigil. We entered the library and where busy talking when all eight of us heard a loud sigh which appeared to come from the door right next to us.

It was unexplainable. It couldn’t have been any of the group as we were all on the opposite side of the doorway. After we had calmed each other down, I decided to switch on the recording device on my phone in the hope I would record a voice like we had heard earlier. We stayed in the library but nothing else happend so I stopped recording.

However, I sent the recording to an EVP expert and he used his software to pick out a voice saying ‘Hold me close’ which we hadn’t heard at the time. We had a lot of unexplained responses that night as well as the sound of music and faint voices. It has to be one of the scariest nights in the castle for me.”

The castle acted a a ret and recuperation hospital for soldiers during the first world war and the grounds of the estate where used for trench training.

In 1829 Sir John Hay Williams wrote that, during a refurbishment project, human bones where founded near on the chimneys but were built back into the castle wall.

North West Spirit Seekers also have a video of the castle.

In Pure Spirit

Ghost Hunters International and Most Haunted have both visited the castle. Most Haunted returned to Bodelwyddan for Most Haunted Live in 2010.

Have you been to the castle? Have you encountered or seen any of the Bodelwyddan ghosts?

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SoulSearchers NW investigated the Stiwt theatre in Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham, and reportedly discovered a large number of haunting spirits.

Soulsearchers NW employ a number of mediums as well as hi-tech equipment such as infra-red cameras and ‘K2’ metres designed to detect traces of electrical energy.

“We arrived at 8pm and even before our cameras began filming, our mediums, Eileen and Lizzy, picked up a man called Edwards.” said spokesman Steven Pryce.

“He is connected to the theatre and has previously been seen there by staff.

“We know a Mr D. Edwards was involved with the construction and first management committee of the institute in 1926.

“We also detected the presence of a cleaner called Mary with one eye who used to work at the Stiwt and is thought to be related to the present technical manager.

“A man in a white cloak was also seen by our mediums, and tragically, they also sensed a young man in his mid-20s who committed suicide from the fire escape.”

He added: “We had a number of staff members with us, including Tony Griffiths, the grandson of former Stiwt manager Bob Parry.

“A member of staff alerted us to what she said was a pair of feet in one of the stage wings.

“Another member of staff was touched on her arm, and grunts and groans were heard coming from the balcony area.”

The paranormal investigators later conducted a séance which produced banging and movement. The group’s mediums reported the presence on the upper balcony.

Mr Pryce said: “We then encountered a six-year-old boy called Bryn who had fallen from the upper balcony in the early 1960s.

“He was a very playful soul and at one point knocked the sweet I had offered him off the table.

“Later we heard a female voice say that she was Gwen Connors, and I am wondering if anyone has heard of her or knows her connection to the Stiwt.”

Stiwt Theatre

The theatre (known as Theatr Stiwt in Welsh) was built during the depression of 194-1926 by the Miners Welfare Organisation.  It opened on the 25th of September in 1926 and has been a heavy influence in the village’s social and cultural life.

The Stiwt closed in 1977 but re-opened 30 years later due to the hard work and efforts of local people who raised enough money to refurbish the building.  It is supported by the National Lottery and still used today.

Soulsearchers

Soulsearchers was founded in 2007 as a non-profit  organisation dedicated to the investigation of alleged haunted locations, the analysis of information with the aims of strengthen evidence in the existence of spirits.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think of Soulsearchers NW’s discovery? They’re a non-profit organisation but do you think they’re under pressure to find spirits when they secure access to buildings like the Stiwt?

Would you be more or less likely to attend a performance at the Stiwt now?

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Ruthin Gaol

Ruthin is an old town in North Wales. Ruthin Castle was built by Edward I in the late 13th century. The castle was ruled by the Grey family up until 1646.

The Old Country Gaol or jail was constructed in 1775, designed by J Turner to serve the whole of Denbighshire. It is believed, however, there has been a gaol of sorts in Ruthin since the 14th century.

The last execution took place at Ruthin Gaol in 1903 and the building closed as an active gal in 1916.

Hauntings

On 17th February in 1903 William Hughes was hanged in the jail and his body buried in the grounds. Hughes, from Denbugh, had fought with the British army in India, separated from his wife in 1901 after the death of one of their children.

William was prosecuted for “family desertion” and in 1902 was sentenced to three months in the gaol. He was released in November 1902, procured a double-barrel gun, went to the home where his wife was working and shot her dead.

Hughes surrendered to the police. Despite a plea of insanity he was found guilty of murder, the jury taking only ten minutes to decide his fate.

He was executed at 8 o’clock in the morning and it is said the last thing he did before his death was look at a photograph of his family.

It is widely believed that William Hughes haunts Ruthin Gaol to this day. Women are especially prone to sensing his presence.

Another commonly sensed spirit within the gaol is John Jones (aka Coch Bach Y Bala) who was shot in the leg during an escape attempt in 1913.

Perhaps the most dangerous ghost believed to linger in the gaol is William Kerr. Kerr was a gaoler at Ruthin who was popular among the staff but hated for his cruelty by the inmates. Kerr would frequently starve inmates if they did anything he disliked. He was known to beat and whip inmates for minor infringements of the rules.

Kerr vanished from Ruthin without explanation and was never seen again.

In Pure Spirit

Ruthin Gaol allows organised paranormal investigations and ghost hunts. Have you taken part in one of these? Did you encounter any spirits?

The National Trust is an important and valuable institution. It looks after sites of historic interest in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It rules on important decisions like the Druid Keiller battle.

The National Trust raises money in a few ways. It collects money directly at some locations. However, as the credit crunch bites people travel less and visit those protected and managed locations less. As a result the National Trust collects less donations.

Another key way the National Trust raises money to help protect some of the most important buildings and landscapes in the UK is through memberships.

There are a number of membership levels;

• Individual: Standard: £46.00 Direct Debit: £34.50
• Joint: Standard: £77.00 Direct Debit: £57.75 (That’s two adults living at the same address)
• Family Group: Standard: £82.00 Direct Debit: £61.50 (That’s two adults living at the same address with children under 18)
• Family One Adult: Standard £62.00 Direct Debit: £46.50 (One adult with children under 18)
• Young Person: Standard £21.00 Direct Debit £15.75 (aged 13 – 25)

You can sign up for any one of those levels online*.

If you re-read that list you might notice how generous and quirky the Young Person option is. It’s less than half the price of an Individual.

We might ask why a 24 year old should pay less than half the rate a 26 year old pays. We might also wonder why a 13 year old would be roaming around without an adult (and there’s an one adult and child pass). Children under 5 tend to go free.

Simply put – the Young Person pass seems to be a bit of an expensive loophole for the National Trust.

Until the credit crunch this might have been a quirk rather than a bother but this week The National Trust communicated to some of its partners that they no longer wished them to promote the Young Person pass.

Is this a sign that the National Trust would prefer people to offer a little more help in these tricky times by signing up for the full Individual Pass?

There are signs that the cheaper Young Person pass might soon be phased out entirely. The page that once described the Young Person pass in detail has been removed from the site. This is a recent change, it may be due to the planned removal of the pass or simply site maintaince.

The Young Person pass is still available online* at the time of this article being posted.

In Pure Spirit

Please be aware that In Pure Spirit works to promote the National Trust – one of the reasons we’re aware of the uncertain fate of the Young Person pass.

Do you think the National Trust is worth supporting? We do. It is a shame it is being hit by the economic downturn like this. We would like to see more people taking local holiday breaks, visiting the National Trust’s fantastic locations, saving money over an expensive holiday abroad and also helping to protect Britain’s unique history and culture.

Disclaimer: Links marked with stars* are revenue links.

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Image via Wikipedia

Newton House

Newton House is in Dinefwr Park, Wales and contains the remains of Dinefwr Castle. The building is currently owned by the National Trust but historically was the residence of Earl Cawdor. The title ‘Earl Cawdor’ was created in 1827 for John Campbell, one of the Clan Campbell.

Dinefwr Castle

The castle was constructed by Rhodri the Great in the 9th century.

Hauntings

The House is haunted by a White Lady. Elinir Cavendish is believed to have been murdered by her spurned lover in the House. Reports differ whether Elinir Cavendish was the sister or the cousin of lady of the house but it is believed she was forced into a loveless marriage and fled to Dinefwr to escape.

In 1980 the house was occupied by a television production company. Many of the film crew fell ill during this time and there are reports of strange atmospheric reactions during film. The director and an editor from the company also reported witinessing an extremely beautiful girl appear, drift across the room before apparently vanishing into a cupboard.

In Pure Spirit

Been to either Newton House or Dinefwr? How would you describe the building?

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Image via Wikipedia

Megaliths (or standing stones) can be single vertical stones, complete or incomplete circles. Many of the standing stones in Wales date from the Neolithic period (circa 4000 BC) and this is fairly common for megaliths in Europe.

1. Barclodiad y Gawres Burial Chamber
2. Bodowyr Burial Chamber
3. Bron Y Foel Isaf Burial Chamber
4. Bryn Cader Faner Stone Circle and Cairns
5. Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber
6. Bryn Seward Stones Cadair Idris
7. Bwlch y Ddeufaen Standing Stones
8. Capel Garmon Burial Chamber
9. Carreg Samson. Burial Chamber
10. Druids’ Circle Penmaenmawr
11. Dyffryn Ardudwy Burial Chambers
12. Great Orme Bronze Age copper mine
13. Hendre Waelod Burial Chamber
14. Llanllyfni Standing Stone
15. Llanbedr Standing Stones
16. Llech Idris Standing Stone
17. Lligwy Burial Chamber
18. Maen y Bardd Burial Chamber (Stone of the Bard)
19. Mynydd Cefn Burial Chamber
20. Mynydd Hiraethog sites
21. Parc Cwm long barrow
22. Penbedw Stone Circle
23. Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones
24. Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber
25. Plas Newydd Burial Chamber
26. Presaddfed Bodedern Burial Chamber
27. St. Lythan’s Burial Chamber
28. Tinkinswood Burial Chamber
29. Trefignath Burial Chamber
30. Ty Mawr Hut Circles South Stack Holyhead

In Pure Spirit

Have you visited any standing stones in Wales? We’d love to hear your experiences in the comment section below? Can you help us grow or enhance this list? Please get in touch!

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