Stephen Sharpe's father was once the organist at Gwrych during the late 1960s and during the summer holidays he would stay in one of the flats in the Castle. He and his family would regularly see and hear the ghost of a woman in white, although they never once felt threatened by her presence.
In the early 1980s, a guest of the owners was staying in the Telescope Bedroom with her little dog on the second floor of the Round Tower, which had one window facing the sea and another facing the West Terrace. Only certain parts of the building had electricity at this time, but luckily this particular bedroom was lit unlike the other rooms on the second floor.
The door to the room had no handle so a piece of wood was used to lean against it to keep it closed, and so it happened on windy nights that one of the windows would fly open forcing a draught to open the door. Sometimes, she would walk the corridors late at night with a torch, checking that all was locked and sound before retiring to bed.
But often the guest of the owners had the feeling of 'some presence' which was never malevolent so it did not instil fear. The little dog was not so friendly towards the unseen forms and would growl or bark at thin air!
One night, the lady visitor was woken up by the strangest sounds from the corridor outside. It was a swishing noise, like someone stroking a feather against the wall and a whisper-like 'shhhhh'. Frightened, there was not just one sound, but hundreds of little sounds that were like a wave reverberating along the whole of the corridor, back and forth.
Lying in bed for a few moments, too afraid to move, her courage returned and she removed the wood stop, took a deep breath and opened the door. The corridor was black with flying bats! Fortunately, in the morning all the bats had disappeared but she paid closer attention to what she heard in future.
During the later years, people staying at the Castle would report strange noises emanating from various parts of the building, but they could never find the source of these happenings. Tony Kennedy was manager of Gwrych for five years and he recorded that from his first floor flat, which was previously named 'The Rhuddlan Suite', he heard creaks and rattles filter down the halls to his rooms. He is quoted as saying, 'You hear a lot of noises, but I usually dismissed them as being bits of plaster falling off the walls, which is a common enough occurrence here.'
More on Gwrych Castle.
your comments
Ade Booth, Manchester
I visited Gwrych Castle as a child in the 1980s. One of the photos shows a tall dark shadow to the side of me in one of the halls.
Mon Mar 30 16:44:41 2009
Donna Sharp-Noble, USA
As a child we would visit Gwrych Castle whenever we were in Wales. My father was a distant relative of the Heskeths and had a keen interest in the history of the castle. I remember a story told to us by someone who worked there giving tours, about a sealed, cursed tower. The story being that anyone who broke the seal and stayed in the tower died for no apparent reason soon afterward. Can anyone tell me more on this subject.
Mon Sep 29 09:38:12 2008
Teresa from Abergele
I have seen three ghosts just in front of the castle - two men and a woman in greying white medievil tattered robes. The woman was in the middle guarded by the men who stood either side they all had there hands together in prayer and they were walking towards me. I couldn't see their feet and I froze. I sensed a very loud buzzing noise it was as if someone had projected this image. I can only describe this experiance as some sort of vision - i instinctively threw myself onto the grass bank leading up to the castle and recited the lords prayer, then I looked up and it had gone .
Mon Sep 1 10:06:06 2008
Becca Norfolk
I lived at abergele castle for a time as a travler. I believe the white woman is very real, amongst other things there. There is a stair case that cuts under the castle and brings you out near the stables (one place i rarely went alone). It was early in the day i was heading up from the court yard passed the stables and i used the cut through, i was a little way in when i felt pressure on my back, it felt like i was being pushed along the steps. i was only 11 at the time and couldn't control my fear so i ran. I didn't use the stair case for weeks after until i was asked t! o help carry up some firewood, we were about half way through when bits of the ceiling started dropping on us. i dropped the firewood and got out of there, a few days later we mover the trailer down to the court yard so we didn't have to use the stairs anymore.
Thu Jul 31 09:34:29 2008
Hayley Liverpool
we went camping last week and decided to explore. about 5 of us went up to the castle late at night. i didnt last 5 minutes in the place as i got really freaked out and felt like i wasnt welcome. i tried to get everyone out as quick as possible. and was asked why i was so scared. i couldnt answer them and just kept sayin 'they dont want us here'we took pictures while we was in there and only two have a lot of lighs which some people call orbs? we didnt no anything about the castle till we got back and looked it up on the internet. I always new something wasnt right about that place and knowing now how haunted it still makes my hair stand on end.
Mon Jul 28 09:34:06 2008
Lloyd Hamilton/Cheshire
As a ten year old boy, I was playing on the staircase at Gwrych, it was 10th August 1982 at around 3.30 pm. As I got to the top of the staircase, I noticed what looked like a white cloud or mist. I was standing there terrified, when a lady dressed in old fashioned clothes appeared, I turned and ran. as I got halfway down the stairs, I stopped and looked back this lady then fell forward and started tumbeling down the top flight of steps.
Mon May 12 09:53:17 2008
Ann Abergele
In July 2007 this year i was up by the castle and saw a upside down rainbow just above the castle. I did take pictures of this, can anyone tell me why this happend?
Mon Oct 15 09:50:58 2007
Joanne Currie/ Liverpool
My sis-in-law Lyn was walking up the pathway to the watchtower (i think it was) and they had to turn and literally run back cos of the fear they felt up there. Lyn (51) said she didnt think she was gonna come out alive it was that bad, they felt like they were being persued by something on horse back....She said she will NOT be going back to the place ever again. woooooo.
Mon Oct 8 10:24:29 2007
matt abergele
someone i know has had a phantom horse rider with a lance (an old jouster?) ride through him on the A547 just below the castle. i wonder if anyone else has seen this phenomenon?
Tue Jun 26 10:12:06 2007
Linda Cowden from Llandudno
In 1979 i used to work at the castle as a wench doing banquets. As i would come from the kitchen to the banquet hall via the hallway i would sense being watched and the temperature would drop and the noise level would be eerie. Does anyone remember the dumb waiter? Happy but spooky memories.
Mon Apr 30 09:22:57 2007
shaun
me and my family took a walk up to the castle and a tour round the castle. while we were looking round we approached a door but it was blocked off. then we heard a scream from behind us - we looked round and for a split second i saw glance of a woman in white. Is it haunted?
Mon Apr 16 12:06:23 2007
joe abergele
of course the casle is haunted as are other sites in abergele! the hesketh hotel - which is no more a public house is one that is haunted. the bull hotel is haunted but only by friendly spirits! we have a lovely little village and hope the lady from california visits very soon.
Tue Apr 10 11:04:09 2007
tasha- Abergele
I have read tess's message and i would like to reply. I went up to qwrych castle often to walk the dog and i spotted light orbs just where tess had seen that ghost.
the orbs would fly past the window and then do the same thing again.
Thu Feb 15 09:22:37 2007
tess from abergele
Me and my friends went for a long walk up Gwrych castle along the pathway. all my friends wanted to explore round the castle but we couldn't due to it being old, so we just stuck to the path. my friend heard footsteps and knocking on the window.
My friend screamed so we all became scared. we looked up where the knocking was coming from and there a woman was stood wearing white gowns. It is believed the window she was looking out of had no floor underneath. was it our imagination or was there really a woman ghost in white?
Fri Jan 19 09:56:01 2007
