Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: United Kingdom

Apparitions / Hauntings

Western Infirmary, Glasgow

The Western Infirmary is a teaching hospital in Glasgow. Mark Gould gives the following account there of a haunt like experience in his article entitled ‘Ghosts of sisters past’ which was published in The Guardian on 22 December 2004.

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Folklore

St Nidan’s Old Church and The Thigh Stone

St Nidan’s Church in Llanidan is associated with a stone that had strange magical like properties including aiding fertilisation and having the power to move on its own.  Wirt Sykes in his British Goblins (1881) mentions that ‘The old British historian Nennius speaks of a stone, one of the wonders of the Isle

UFO Sightings / UFOs

M2 UFO (2008)

The following article by Dan Bloom appeared on the on the Kent Online website 25 June 2013.

A woman saw a UFO "20 times the size of an aeroplane" while driving home on the M2 – but no-one else spotted it.

Apparitions / Haunted Wedding Venue / Hauntings / Poltergiests

Old Blacksmiths Shop, Gretna Green

The following article by Sue Crawford entitled ‘Ghost hunt at Gretna’s famous Blacksmiths Shop’ was published in the News & Star on 8 August 2013.

Paranormal investigators are to hold a vigil after reports of “terrifying” incidents at Gretna Green’s famous Blacksmiths Shop

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Legends

Church of St. Meilig, Llowes and Moll Walbee’s Stone

The medieval church of St Meilig was rebuilt in 1853, though the bottom of the tower may be a remnant of the earlier building. Inside the church is a standing stone with a cross carved into it, which possibly dates from the 6th or 7th century. The stone which is thought to have stood at or near the site of a 6th century monastery founded by St Meilig at Croesfeilig.

Other Mysteries

Alluring Stone

The following description of the Alluring Stone appeared in ‘British Goblins’ (1881) by Wirt Sykes. ‘In Carmarthen are still to be found traces of a belief in the Alluring Stone, whose virtue is that it will cure hydrophobia. It is represented as a soft white stone, about the size of a man s head, originally found on a farm called Dysgwylfa, about twelve miles from Carmarthen town.

Big Cats / Cryptozoology

Uckfield Black Cat (2013)

The Sussex Express published the following article entitled ‘Big Cat sighted at Uckfield’ on 31 May 2013. ‘A group of members of staff from Uckfield Community Hospital, were working a night shift when they glanced towards the window as something had caught their eye.

Folklore / Folktales / Welsh Folktales

Canrig Bwt

A famous Welsh witch, who used to sleep under stone at Llanberis, in North Wales, was called Canrig Bwt, and her favourite dish at dinner- was children’s brains. A certain criminal who had received a death-sentence was given the alternative of attacking this frightful creature, his life to be spared should he succeed in destroying her.

Early Christianity / Folklore / Folktales / King Arthur / Legends / Welsh Folktales

St. Tydecho Stone

In the village of Llanymawddwy, there is an ancient church dedicated to St. Tydecho, thought to be the son of Anna Pendragon, King Arthur’s sister. Wirt Sykes in British Goblins (1881) gives the following tale of St. Tydecho and a blue stone. ‘There was a stone in the valley of Mowddwy, which did good service for the church. A certain St.