Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: Wales

Folklore / Folktales / Hauntings / Welsh Folktales

St Gwynog’s Church, Aberhafesp

St Gwynog’s Church in Aberhafesp currently dates from 1857 when the earlier church was rebuilt. Though the first parish registers date from 1578, there are records of a church here in Aberhafesp dating back to 1254. The church is dedicated to the 6th century Gwynog (Born 511 – Died 580), the son of Gildas.

Devil / Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Legends / Welsh Fairies / Welsh Folktales

Llangar Church, Corwen

The white washed Llangar Church can be found about a mile from Corwen and can be dated from the late 13th century though it could possibly be as old as the 11th century. Its original name of ‘Llan Garw Gwyn’ (The Church of The White Deer) possibly alludes to a legend dating back its initial erection.

Ancient Sites / Burial Mounds

Trefal Stone

The following article by Nick Dermody about the Trefal Stone appeared on the BBC Wales website on 24 May 2012.

‘Archaeologists are to exhume and analyse human bones found under a prehistoric monument only recently identified as a burial site cap.

Devil / Legends

Satan Playing Cards

The following story concerning the Devil playing cards appeared in Elias Owen’s ‘Welsh folk-lore’ (1887)’. ‘A good many years ago I travelled from Pentrevoelas to Yspytty in company with Mr.

Apparitions / Hauntings

Church of St Mor and St Deiniol, Llanfor

The Grade II listed listed of Church of St Mor and St Deiniol in Llanfor is no longer a place of worship and has been recently been advertised for sale. Built in 1875 on the site of a much older building, possibly the oldest church in Merioneth. It is possible that this older church was reputed to have been haunted.

Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Welsh Fairies / Welsh Folktales

Fetching a Halter

The following folk tale entitled ‘Fetching a Halter’ appeared in ‘The Welsh Fairy Book’ (1908) by W. Jenkyn Thomas ‘A VERY large company came together to hold a merry evening at Bwlch Mwrchan, a farmhouse close by Lake Gwynan, in Snowdonia. It was a stormy night. The wind whistled and howled in the woods, tearing the trees like matchsticks.

Black Dogs / Folklore / Folktales / Welsh Folktales

Nansi Llwyd and the Dog of Darkness

The following folktale entitled ‘Nansi Llwyd and the Dog of Darkness’ appeared in ‘The Welsh Fairy Book’ (1908) by W. Jenkyn Thomas.  NANSI LLWYD was walking in the dusk of the evening towards Aberystruth, and she was in a very bad temper, for she was longing to get married, and according to all the omens she never would.

Folklore / Folktales / Welsh Folktales

The Llandegla Spirit

The parish church of Llandegla is dedicated to St Tecla of Iconium (modern day Konya in Turkey) and though the original building dated from 1273, it was rebuilt in 1866 by Lady Margaret Willoughby de Broke. There is a folk-tale and tradition concerning the haunting and subsequent exorcism of the rectory.