Haunted Hills of Monmouthshire: White Ladies, Haunted Bushes & Death Omens (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees EP168)

Powis Castle is one of Wales’s great medieval-castles-turned-fancy-mansion-house – and it also has a rather impressive collection of ghosts. For this Halloween special, I’m heading to Welshpool to explore the stories of the ghosts and strange happenings said to haunt Powis Castle, from a mysterious man in a gold-laced suit who appeared to a poor woman in 1780, to a lady in black, a ghostly piano that plays when the room is empty, and reports of invisible hands and other strange happenings. There’s even a ghostly headless horseman said to patrol the gardens – a rather appropriate visitor for Halloween if you're a fan of Sleepy Hollow. Along the way, we’ll look at the castle’s long and complicated history and the folklore surrounding its gardens. Happy Halloween/ Nos Calan Gaeaf hapus – and keep an eye out for anything headless on horseback... 👻 Until next time, nos da!

Did the dead ironworkers return to work after dark? Can an ironworks itself be haunted? And what would you make of the sound of machinery coming to life when the works should have been silent? In this episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, we travel back to Victorian Merthyr Tydfil and one of the strangest industrial ghost stories. In 1881, a "remarkable account" emerged from Cyfarthfa, once one of the great industrial powerhouses of Wales. A witness claimed that, after the works had fallen silent, the huge wheels began to turn, the machinery sprang into motion and the sounds of production filled the darkness. There were no workers. No obvious source of power. Just the sounds of a working ironworks where the machinery should have been still. And the story doesn't end there. Another local witness claimed to have heard the same mysterious sounds, while an elderly woman offered her own explanation involving the Crawshay family and their deep attachment to the works. Was this a supernatural haunting, an echo of Cyfarthfa's industrial past, or something more easily explained? And what does it mean for a place to become haunted not by a ghostly figure, but by the work itself? Expect Victorian ghost stories, industrial folklore, Cyfarthfa Ironworks, Merthyr Tydfil, supernatural encounters, the Crawshay dynasty and one very strange tale of machinery that seemingly refused to stay silent. Tune in now... if you dare. 👻 Until next time, nos da!

Why were fairies said to steal healthy babies? What happened to the children they left behind? And could the fairy folk return at the end of your life... to steal the dead as well? In this episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, I explore one of the strangest beliefs in Celtic folklore. Alongside the familiar tales of changelings and stolen children, we'll uncover an extraordinary tradition claiming that fairies also carried away the dying, leaving one of their own behind to be buried instead. Along the way, we'll discover the simple charms once believed to protect children from the fairy folk, compare traditions from Wales, Scotland, England and Ireland, and ask why these stories survived for so many generations. If fairies could steal babies, why would they return at the end of someone's life to do the same again? Coming up: Welsh folklore, fairy lore, changelings, Celtic traditions, supernatural beliefs and some truly remarkable stories from Britain and Ireland. Tune in now... if you dare! 👻 Until next time, nos da x

What do you do when phantom hounds howl outside your home? What does it mean when a bird appears at the window? And are Wales's - and England's - death omens mere superstition... or something more? In this episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, we explore the eerie world of Welsh death omens - from ghost dogs and phantom hounds to mysterious birds said to bring warnings from beyond. Drawing on strange accounts recorded in Wales and beyond, we encounter spectral animals, uncanny coincidences, and stories that left witnesses questioning everything they thought they knew about life, death and the great hereafter. Along the way, we'll meet the mysterious Cŵn Teulu (Family Hounds), revisit old Welsh beliefs surrounding death omens, and examine folklore that has been passed down the generations. Are these simply stories told to make sense of tragedy? Or do they preserve older beliefs about warnings and the unseen world? Expect Welsh folklore, ghost dogs, phantom birds, death omens, supernatural encounters, and some truly strange tales from the darker side of Welsh lore. Tune in now... if you dare. 👻

Who was the mysterious Queen of the Lakes said to rule the waters of north Wales? How did one Pembrokeshire woman armed with only a pitchfork help defeat French invaders? And did Welsh folklore really tell of women strong enough to wrestle grown men, fight invading armies, and become giants? In this episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, we explore a trio of larger-than-life Welsh women whose stories tow a fine line between fact and fiction, history and folklore. There’s Jemima Fawr, the legendary heroine of Fishguard, who reportedly captured French soldiers during the last invasion of mainland Britain. There’s Megan Ferch Evan - hunter, fisherwoman, musician, boat builder, blacksmith, wrestler, and all-round local legend - whose reputation became so extraordinary she was remembered as the Queen of the Lakes. And then things become stranger still… Victorian writers also tell of a travelling Welsh giantess who vanished to Texas with her much smaller husband. Press play for the full story! Expect Welsh folklore, giants, warrior women, myths, invasions, and some truly *ahem* giant characters. Tune in now… if you dare! 👻