Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees

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!

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales is a monthly podcast exploring Welsh ghost stories, folklore, strange history and forgotten accounts drawn from books, newspapers, archives and personal experiences.

Hosted by Mark Rees, a Welsh journalist and author of books including Ghosts of Wales and Paranormal Wales, each episode looks at the uncanny stories people recorded across Wales and beyond - from rural legends and Victorian sightings to odd reports that never quite settled into explanation.

New episodes four weeks.

If you’d like to support the show, you can buy me a coffee here:

Or buy a book, full list here:

YouTube Cultural Adventures:

https://www.youtube.com/@markrees 

Website:

Get in touch:

Social media:

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next Welsh ghost story and sign up to the newsletter.

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!

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales is a monthly podcast exploring Welsh ghost stories, folklore, strange history and forgotten accounts drawn from books, newspapers, archives and personal experiences.

Hosted by Mark Rees, a Welsh journalist and author of books including Ghosts of Wales and Paranormal Wales, each episode looks at the uncanny stories people recorded across Wales and beyond - from rural legends and Victorian sightings to odd reports that never quite settled into explanation.

New episodes four weeks.

If you’d like to support the show, you can buy me a coffee here:

Or buy a book, full list here:

YouTube Cultural Adventures:

https://www.youtube.com/@markrees 

Website:

Get in touch:

Social media:

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next Welsh ghost story and sign up to the newsletter.

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

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales is a monthly podcast exploring Welsh ghost stories, folklore, strange history and forgotten accounts drawn from books, newspapers, archives and personal experiences.

Hosted by Mark Rees, a Welsh journalist and author of books including Ghosts of Wales and Paranormal Wales, each episode looks at the uncanny stories people recorded across Wales and beyond - from rural legends and Victorian sightings to odd reports that never quite settled into explanation.

New episodes four weeks.

If you’d like to support the show, you can buy me a coffee here:

Or buy a book, full list here:

YouTube adventures:

https://www.youtube.com/@markrees 

Website:

Get in touch:

Social media:

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next Welsh ghost story and sign up to the newsletter.

Did a ghost haunt the grounds of Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant? Why was a man in a top hat seen walking a Monmouthshire hillside? Can a thorn bush really be haunted? And who was the Woman in White said to appear near Penallt?

In this episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, I return to Monmouthshire to revisit accounts collected in the 1960s by archaeologist Stephen Clarke in his book Ghosts of Monmouth.

These are not polished ghost stories, but newspaper accounts, local recollections and odd reports gathered from across the county - from pleasure grounds above Monmouth where a top-hatted figure appears as a possible death omen, to Penallt, where a Woman in White is said to retrace the story of her own death in a vanished millpond.

We also encounter one of the more unusual entries in the archive: a hillside thorn bush linked to a tragic story, where walkers reportedly heard the sound of a crying baby coming from the branches.

Alongside these are further fragments from rural Monmouthshire in the early 20th century - apparitions, death omens, strange sightings in daylight, and personal accounts passed down through one family and recorded decades later.

There’s no neat explanation tying them together. Just a series of unsettling reports from a county where people kept noticing things they couldn’t quite account for.

Tune in now... if you dare. 👻

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales is a monthly podcast exploring Welsh ghost stories, folklore, strange history and forgotten accounts drawn from books, newspapers, archives and personal experiences.

Hosted by Mark Rees, a Welsh journalist and author of books including Ghosts of Wales and Paranormal Wales, each episode looks at the uncanny stories people recorded across Wales and beyond - from rural legends and Victorian sightings to odd reports that never quite settled into explanation.

New episodes four weeks.

If you’d like to support the show, you can buy me a coffee here:

Or buy a book, full list here:

YouTube adventures:

https://www.youtube.com/@markrees 

Website:

Get in touch:

Social media:

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next Welsh ghost story and sign up to the newsletter.

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. 👻

ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES:

Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.

BUY MARK REES A COFFEE:

If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch! 

https://ko-fi.com/markrees 

The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends.

Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes.

From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way.

Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd.

Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way! 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode.

For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/:

Until next time, nos da!

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! 👻

ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES:

Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.

BUY MARK REES A COFFEE:

If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch! 

https://ko-fi.com/markrees 

The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends.

Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes.

From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way.

Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd.

Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way! 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode.

For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/:

Until next time, nos da!

Across Wales, there are legends of churches that refused to stay put.

Builders would spend all day raising walls and laying foundations… only to return the next morning and find everything gone - the stones carried off, the work undone and sometimes reassembled miles away.

In some places, voices were heard in the darkness, guiding where the church should stand. In others, unseen forces simply dismantled whatever humans tried to build.

From Carmarthenshire to Ceredigion, these stories appear again and again - too similar to ignore, too strange to explain.

Are they echoes of real disputes, lost buildings and forgotten histories… or something older, buried deep in the landscape?

In these tales, it’s not the people who choose where the church stands… it’s something else. 👻

(Plus a quick Paranormal Unpacked update)

ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES:

Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.

BUY MARK REES A COFFEE:

If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch! 

https://ko-fi.com/markrees 

The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends.

Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes.

From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way.

Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd.

Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way! 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode.

For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/:

Until next time, nos da!

In this episode, we head to Monmouthshire - an area packed with strange sightings, old stories and accounts passed down through local newspapers and word of mouth.

There are tales of phantom stagecoaches racing through the dark near Rockfield, said to appear only on stormy nights… and always ending in disaster. In Newcastle, people speak of spirits tied to a great oak tree, with a habit of punishing anyone who took more than they should.

And then there’s the Faceless Lady of Hadnock - seen late at night by the River Wye. Who is this glamorous spectre who walks after midnight?

Taken from a little-known mid-20th century collection, these Welsh ghost stories have been gathering dust for decades.

Lock the doors, dim the lights, and step into the local folklore and haunted landscapes Monmouthshire… if you dare! 👻

ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES:

Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.

BUY MARK REES A COFFEE:

If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch! 

https://ko-fi.com/markrees 

The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends.

Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes.

From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way.

Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd.

Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way! 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode.

For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/:

Until next time, nos da!

GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE IS BACK - BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER! 👻

*** PLEASE NOTE: The video version of this episode is available on YouTube only, despite what I said - you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/DRvNwVVFSyw - sorry! ***

I’ve been off gallivanting about the world, but normal spooky service resumes VERY soon - in two weeks, in fact.

You can check out the new YouTube series Paranormal Unpacked here: https://www.youtube.com/@ParanormalUnpacked

My latest books, including Quirky Cardiff, are here: https://markreesonline.com/books/

Thank you for your patience - lots more ghosts, folklore and weird and wonderful goodies coming right up on the podcast.

Until next time... nos da!

Mark

BUY MARK REES A COFFEE:

If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here:

Mark Rees on Ko-Fi

Thank you/ diolch!

WHAT IS THE GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES PODCAST WITH MARK REES?

The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends.

Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes.

This Christmas, we return to Dinefwr and Llandeilo - some of the most haunted locations in Wales - with storyteller and National Trust guide Ronnie Kerswell-O’Hara, who previously joined us for last week’s Mari Lwyd folklore episode.

Ronnie reveals the eerie objects found in Newton House (including witch balls, witch marks and mummified cats), unexplained static like something from Poltergeist, and the chilling stories behind haunted paintings and ghostly children seen on the stairs.

She also shares tales from her Llandeilo ghost walks: tragic carriage accidents, a mysterious fall from a window… or was it a push?

Expect Welsh hauntings, cursed objects, spooky art, local legends and even a Scooby-Doo-style mystery.

Settle in for Welsh Christmas ghost stories on the darkest nights of the year… if you dare. 👻🎄

ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES:

Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.

BUY MARK REES A COFFEE:

If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch! 

https://ko-fi.com/markrees 

The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends.

Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes.

From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way.

Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd.

Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way! 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode.

For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/:

Until next time, nos da!