Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees

This Halloween, are you ready to uncover the chilling secrets of Margam Castle? Who - or what - haunts this iconic Welsh landmark? Could it be the ghostly monks seen gliding through the night, the playful spirits of Victorian children, or the vengeful presence of a tragic gamekeeper?

In this spine-tingling Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) episode, we dive deep into the haunted history of Margam Park, exploring the eerie legends that hav...

What happens when a quiet life in rural Wales is shattered by an unseen force? In this spine-chilling episode, join Mark Rees as he delves into the haunting tale of a poltergeist that escalated from harmless mischief to terrifying violence.

Through a remarkable diary kept by a local vicar in the early 18th century, we uncover the shocking events that led a family to flee their home in fear. From stones raining down on unsuspecting ...

Could this be one of Wales' most terrifying hauntings? How did a dream home turn into a living nightmare? Why did its residents retreat to the kitchen, and who—or what—joined them there? 

Join Mark Rees as he delves into the spine-tingling haunting of Craflwyn Hall, a National Trust property nestled in the shadow of Eryri's (Snowdonia’s) peaks. Was it the decaying grandeur, the overgrown garden, or the ghostly apparition of a Victo...

What dark secrets lie in this picturesque corner of Wales? Why was it once known as the 'village of the dead'? And what horrifying events drove a family to the brink of despair in the mid-seventeenth century?

Journey to the breath-taking Gower Peninsula to uncover the terrifying tale of the Demon House of Gower. Explore the mysterious and malevolent forces that plagued the Bowen household, where a spectral figure, or a demonic dopp...

What connects Gothic ghost stories, Dylan Thomas, Frankenstein, Swansea Castle, and shadow people that don't rest easy?

Swansea Castle is a site brimming with contradictions and untold stories. Is it haunted or unhaunted? Easy or challenging for ghost hunters?

Discover why this iconic landmark, steeped in history and surrounded by folklore, defies simple explanations.

Unearth the secrets behind the Blue Lady—an apparition with a du...

The tragic story of Mallt-y-Nos (Matilda of the Night), the female spirit cursed to hunt and ride for eternity.

What drove this Norman lady to such a fate? How did her passion for the hunt lead to everlasting torment?

Discover the dark wish that sealed her destiny and how her ghostly cries still echo through the Welsh countryside.

Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast... if yo...

Join your host, Mark Rees, as he uncovers age-old secrets designed to protect against the otherworldly forces that lurk in the shadows. Don't let the spirits catch you unawares—listen now!

Explore three traditional methods of warding off spirits, fairies, and even werewolves. Can invoking the name of God or Jesus truly banish malevolent entities? Discover how gorse forms an impenetrable barrier against fairy intruders. And what abo...

Delve into the eerie world of corpse birds, winged entities said to foretell impending death. Are these sightings mere coincidences or something more sinister?

Uncover the chilling tales behind these supernatural avian visitors as we explore first-hand accounts like the tale of Miss Griffiths and the mysterious "little grey one," or the tragic fate of Mr Powell, who encountered the ominous bird on the high seas.

Discover how corpse...

Ghostly encounters that defy explanation are reported at two haunted houses. Are you brave enough to explore these mysterious cases where the line between the living and the dead blurs, and every shadow holds a secret?

In our first story, we delve into the grisly crimes of a house shrouded in a sinister past. Who—or what—haunts its halls, leaving guests trembling in fear? What secrets lurk within the walls, and why does the specter...

Mischievous spectral beings wreak havoc in a Welsh mansion that promises thrills and chills at every turn.

Fact with folklore intertwine in this mysterious tale that blurs the lines between reality and the paranormal. Was it truly the work of supernatural forces, or merely the imaginings of a frightened community?

As we explore the remnants of a once grand Welsh mansion, now reduced to ruins since the tragic fire of 1807, we encoun...

Spectral hounds roam the land at night. Some possess the bodies of half-humans, with eyes like moons and mouths that emit smoke. What do these unearthly creatures signify? And why do they haunt the valleys and mountains of Wales?

In our exploration, we'll encounter tales of evil fishermen chased into the sea, lost travelers saved by the power of prayer, and clergyman harassed for their sermons. But amidst the terror, there's a thre...

Step into the realm of the uncanny and delve into the mysterious world of death omens and supernatural secrets.

From the infamous corpse candles to chilling premonitions, uncover the spine-tingling tales that have haunted communities for generations.

What do these strange signs really signify? How do they choose their harbingers of death? And could you be the next witness to an otherworldly phenomenon?

Explore the lore with Mark Re...

Unravel the mysterious realm of exorcism, a practice as old as time itself, employed to banish ghouls, ghosts, and goblins from our world.

Is there a safeguard against the forces of darkness? Could your daily piety be the key to repelling the bogeys and fairies lurking in the shadows? Are you ready to unravel the secrets of exorcism, spirituality, and the age-old battle between light and darkness?

Delve into the very fabric of Wels...

Can the most terrifying paranormal activity also be the most boring? Are dull ghosts really the scariest of all?

In this chilling episode, Mark Rees unravels a paranormal theory that turns the mundane into the terrifying. What if the most ordinary ghost stories held a power that could send shivers down your spine?

Delve into a "dull" ghost tale in a Romantic, Gothic house shrouded in eerie charm that may, in fact, be the scariest e...

Picture this: snarling spectral dogs traversing the air in hot pursuit of their prey. Their haunting howls are harbingers of death, and their appearance cannot be easily defined, ranging from small white creatures with rose-coloured ears to "ugly beasts" with fiery eyes.

On this chilling episode, we delve into the eerie realm of the Welsh otherworld to unravel the spine-tingling tales of the Cŵn Annwn — the Hounds of the Underworld...

Dive into the Christmas revelry with singing and dancing, but beware: there's a darker side to these Victorian traditions involving a frightening hag and a horse-skulled Christmas visitor.

Uncover strange tales of festive celebrations, the Welsh love for singing in the 'land of song', the long-standing links between Morris Dancing and the Mari Lwyd, and introducing the bizarre Aderyn Pig Llwyd, a horse-headed creature adding an eer...

Christmas Gremlins have struck the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast HQ.

Sadly, there is no new episode this week due to some potentially paranormal technical difficulties.

Instead, here's a quick update from Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) in which he explains what you can expect over the festive season, and calls on the Mari Lwyd to deliver some seasonal good luck.

See you soon - merry Christmas/ Nadolig llawen!

 

ORDER PARANORMAL...

A haunting described as "one of the biggest poltergeist cases ever" saw a Welsh business plagued by paranormal activity.

The chilling case of Peter the Poltergeist/ Pete the Polt is one of the most significant poltergeist cases documented. A haunting that spanned a decade, mysterious objects were thrown around a workshop in Cardiff that led the bewildered owners to suspect a paranormal presence.

What sets this case apart is its inv...

Can an "uncanny piece of furniture" really suck your blood like Dracula? Is this vampire bed possessed by Nosferatu? 

When a young family in seventeenth-century Cardiff acquire a heavy four-posted bedstead at a bankruptcy sale, little could they have known it was the soon-to-be infamous "vampire bed."

It caused a four-month-old baby to scream in terror, and the man of the house was lost for words - could their bedroom be haunted by...