Do you believe in the paranormal?

All is not what it seems?

Perhaps these tales will make you think again!

SKER HOUSE, PORTHCAWL

          Located to the North West of Porthcawl, adjacent to the Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club, the dunes and sea of the Bristol Channel.  It stands forlorn, subject to the vagaries of the elements,natural and unnatural.

Quite a frightening place.

          It dates back to its origin as a monastic grange of Neath Abbey.

In medieval times it was subject to the violent carnage against the Catholics.

It is reported to be one of the most haunted places in Wales.With telling someone of screeching noises and the seeing of dark shadows in the rooms where the so called ‘Maid of Sker’ was locked away in her parental prison.

In the handed down story, Elizabeth Williams, daughter of tenant farmer Isaac Williams liked to go dancing in Kenfig Town Hall ( now The Prince of Wales Inn )

There she met the resident harpist and they fell in love.

Elizabeth’s father was furious she had been associating with the lowly Thomas , convinced that he was not good enough for his daughter.

Against his wishes the couple continued to see each other and planned to elope. Thomas hired a horse and carriage, but whilst approaching the farmhouse the dogs made such a noise that he fled.

Isaac Williams was angered by this turn of events locked Elizabeth in her room preventing her from ever leaving the house.

Love unrequited,hopefully awaiting her lover , she died of a broken heart.

Through her haunting, her spirit,her sadness, grief, she extols disappointmement for her lover, the strolling player, the harpist.

          Another ghost haunting Sker House is the angry spirit of the Captain of the French Mrechant Ship, Le Vainqueur wrecked on Sker Rocks. Much annoyed by his early death and the shameful plundering by the local wreckers. This very angry spirit takes out with his ranting behaviour on Isaac Williams who is suspected o playing a leading role in the wrecking of his ship.

_________________________________________________________________

MARGAM CASTLE

A Tudor Gothic Mansion, lies only a few miles West of Sker House is one of the scariest with its haunting 

For most is another angry spirit, that of Robert Scott, the Estates gamekeepers.Ful of rage because of his unjust death by a poacher. His spirit often seen coming down the Gothic staircase, ranting, slamming doors, poltergeist activity and emitting a forbodding presence.

There has also been reports of Victoian dressed , mischevious and giggling children moving objects drifting in and out of the long corridors.

The so called Castle is also haunted by the ghost of the ‘White Lady’who once worked in the castle before taking her life and that of her unborn child. Her suicide is surrounded by mystery, perhaps the child’s father was of the aristocracy making the haunting spirit  an unpleasant encounter in any room she may enter.

I leave to the last my favourite Castle ghost story,told me by Father in Law, Sidney Hodson who was the Butler and Head of the Household at Margam Castle during the tenure of Captain Fletcher.

He was not one to display creative imaginations it was very down to earth,in fact pragmatism personified.

He described how on his way home from the Castle to East Lodge, his family home. He was forced off the drive way by a white carriage pulled by white horses with cockades on their heads.They came out of the darkness and quickly disappeared once past.

This ghostly experience happened to him more than once.

From the description of the carriage and the cockaded horses, a hearse in a  hurry to collect and get rid of a body of an unexplained death at th castle,perhaps.

A true story, or, too much port from the butlers pantry? You decide!

These are just a few ghostly tales of Wales. There are many more from this much haunted country. Visit if you dare!,