BODELWYDDAN CASTLE, DENBIGHSHIRE. Aug 2005

GROUP ..... MYSELF


HISTORY OF THE CASTLE.

A fire, over 80years ago, has ruined most of the castle's early history ie documents and photos but there are still many places which store the history and it is this that I have used.

The House and its estate extends to before 1460. Parts of the castle date from this time when it was a large Manor House, although there was probably a house on this site long before this.

The association with the Williams family dates from around 1690.

The castle, as it is today, is the creation of Sir John Hay Williams, dating from between 1830 and 1852. Architects Hansom and Welsh were employed by Sir John to refurbish and extend the house, while further works at this time also resulted in a magnificent estate and formal garden.

The loss of the main income for the estate (lead mining) in the 1850's resulted in the decline of the Williams family fortune, though this did not stop the refurbishment during the 1880's.

During the First World War, the estate had been reduced in size and the house used as a Recuperation Hospital. The grounds to the east were used by the nearby Kinmel Camp as an area for trench warfare training. These can still be seen today.

In 1920, the house and estate were sold by the Williams family to Lowther College. This was a public school for girls, for over 60years (1920-1982). It was formed by Florence Lindley. In 1982, it closed due to financial problems.

It was then bought by Clwyd County Council and developed as a Museum gallery and visitor attraction. To house these important national treasures, the interior was restored to its Victorian splendour by architect Roderick Gradidge. In 1994, the Council leased part of the site to the Rank Organisation for its Warner Hoildays hotel. The Williams Hall with its national collections, was placed under the control of Bodelwyddan Castle Trust.

GHOSTS AT THE CASTLE.

.Soldier from World War 1 in one of the Galleries.
.Shadowry figures drifting down corridors.
.Unexplained noices and lights.
.Large Wolfhound in downstairs area.
.Disembodied legs of a man seen downstairs.
.Music heard playing throught building.
.Cigar smoke and smell in Library.
..Men seen playing billards in Games room.
.Headless Knight.
.Feeling of being watched throughtout the building.
.Tables moving across the floor in the Cellar.
.Heavy footsteps and dragging sounds heard in Cellar.
.A Blue lady seen in the Tearoom.
.Victorian lady seen at the far end of the Sculpture gallery.
.Three men dressed in World war 1 uniforms seen in the Sculpture gallery.
.Two children, one woman and a nasty man felt, seen and heard in the School classroon upstairs.
.A girl has been seen and heard on the Stairs. This girl is said to have fell from the first floor landing. It was an accident. She was between 10-12years old. Around the year 1920. Her name is thought to be SUSAN/SUSANNAH PARKER/PARKIN/PARKS.
.Sir John Hay Williams is seen walking round the home he loved since his death in 1859.
.World war 1 solider's are seen along the top of the building.
. Emiller Frances Dilk (her portrait is above the fire in the dinningroom (the gold/yellow room). She was a strong woman and fought for womans rights. She married into the Williams family. Some say she is the blue/green lady who walks the building.

If you look on the outside of the castle, you will see a figure of a man made from stone. Bones were found in the wall of the building. These were found behind the walls in the Pink room (Sculpture Gallery). This skeleton was found in 1829, during work on the building. They were reburied. Some say that the bones were buried behind this statue. But noone knows who they were for sure. There are three stories regarding these.....
1st version ... A tall man but noone knows who and why
2nd version ... A lady who was murdered in 1649-50. The Lord at the time was Thomas Humphreys and he may have been having an affair with this woman and when she told him she was having his baby or she would tell his family, he had her killed and her skeleton hid behind the walls.
3rd version ... A woman was murdered in the cellar by a man called Mr Davies. He worked here before 1400 and he hated women.

There is also the sad tale of two daughter's of William Grendal Williams, who went skating on a frozen pond. The ice was not strong enough and they drowned. It is said that they stand looking out of the window of the play/toy room and they have been heard walking and playing here. They have also been seen dripping wet.


This was my first ever proper ghosthunt. I first went on a tour of the building and outside on the grounds. As we walked around the grounds, I took a lot of photo's, some had orbs on but these could have been of anything as we were outside. I listened as we were all told the tales of the WW11 trenches and a solider that is seen above on a walk way.

Down the alley at the side of the castle, is a flight of stairs that leads to the cellar. I heard the story of how there is a dragging sound heard and a nasty feeling. A man has been seen dragging something down these stairs. I saw went down these stairs but saw and heard nothing.

We went to the tearoom which we used for our base and had a brew.

Now we went for a walk round inside the building. Walking down the hallway, I got the feeling of being watched but there is a lot of painting. I didnt like this area but I didnt know why. As we headed towards the stairs, we walked down the hallway that the large Irish Wolfhound is seen. I took a photo because I felt I was still watched. I saw an orb on the photo, so I took another a few seconds later and there was nothing on it this time. There was also a smell. I dont know what it was, but it was not nice. This was not a place any of us went on our own, as we all felt the same.

As we reached the stairs, we were told about the girl who fell to her death. As I looked up I took several photo's, one after another, one photo had an orb on it. I felt fine on the rest of the ground floor but as we climbed the stairs to the 1st floor, things changed.

We went into the dinningroom, knowing the story associated with this room, I still didnt feel anything odd or pick up anything.

The schoolroom was next. Nobody liked this room. There was a cold spot by the hanging rail with the old clothes on. This use to be three rooms and when it was a school, it was made into one large room. We all sat in different places and used dowsing rods. One person said her feet were cold. So I took a photo and there was an orb right next to her feet. Other members of the group said that they felt as though their was something horrible in here. With the help of the rods, we found out that there was four ghosts with us. There were two children (boy and a girl), a woman and a man. The woman was a teacher, she was nice but the man wasnt.

We decided to carry on but we all wanted to return later. We had a brew and carried on our walk. The Gamesroom is where three solders are seen. Again I was there with my camera and I got a photo with two orbs on.

The old entrance hall was next on our tour. I asked if Mr John Hay Williams was with us, as I knew this was one area that ir is claimed he walked. I caught another orb by his painting.

After we finished the full tour around the castle, we headed into the cellar. We all know what happened to the Most Haunted team when they were in here. We even used the same table and chairs. After a couple of hours, nothing happened.

I was hoping for more but as this was my first ghost hunt, I dont think I did too bad. After all I didnt run off screaming.
I left about 6am. I really enjoyed myself and it made me look forward to my next adventure.

MURDER AT THE HOUGH

This is the story that got me interested in Ghosthunting.
I dont know what interested me more. The fact that people had claimed to see this ghost over 100 years or the fact that it could be possible to come back after dying and that being so, why haunt a place that brought so much pain. Or was it the fact that this person hasnt come back, its just the area replaying events that have happened (like on a recorder).
Whatever the reason, my nan's story started me on a jorney that I continue to this day and will do for a very long time.


Hough was a settlement described as HOUCHT in 1287. It is about 3miles south of Crewe, Cheshire.

Back Lane, Hough, is the scene of this tale. It is known locally as Murder Lane.
In 1890, it was just a muddy track laid with rough stones.

Richard and Mary Davies had eight children. John(married),A married daughter, Richard(18yrs), George(16yrs), Emily, Frederick(10yrs), Tom(8yrs) and another son.

On Saturday January 25th 1890, Mary Davies and two of her sons, Richard(18yrs) and Arthur(6yrs) were sitting at home. When George, another son(16yrs) came rushing into the house. He shouted to his mother that two men had attacked him and his father. They had been riding home in the pony and trap from Crewe and he thought his father was dead.
His mother sent for her married son, John and a neighbour named Smith. John, Smith, Richard went with George to find their father. The body of Richard Davies(Senior) was found lying in a pool of blood under a hedge about a quarter of a mile from the family home.
John took charge and told George to get the village blacksmith and Richard to get the police. There was no one about at the village police station, so Richard drove the pony and cart to Edleston road police station in Crewe. He repeated George's story to Inspector Alfred Oldham. The Inspector sent Richard back while he went to get his Sergeant. Before Richard left Crewe, he went to 85, Victoria st to see his sister. This is where he and his brother George worked with his sister in the family tailoring and drapery business. Emily lived over the shop with Fredrick and Mt Davies's father. Richard told his sister that their father was dead.
Richard returned just before the police and at 4am, Superintendent Jesse Leah, head of the Nantwich Division of Cheshire Police was called for.
The police didnt beleive the events that had been told to them and charged George and Richard with their father's murder.
The brothers, now changed their stories and claimed eachother had killed their father.On Thursday January 30th 1890, They were charged.

Richard Davies,senior, was buried in the graveyard of the Congregational Church at Haslington and the inquest into his death was opened at The White Hart Inn,Hough on the Monday morning following the murder but was adjourned until Friday January 31st 1890.
Dr Frank Matthews, the Nantwich Surgeon who carried out the post mortem told the coroner that he had found 10 separate head wounds. The skull had been fractured in 6places. The inquest jury returned a verdict that Mr Davies had been murdered by person or persons unknown. George and Richard Davies both entered a plea of not guilty and they were formally committed to trail at Chester.

During the trail, the jury heard that Mr Davies was a quick tempered man. He was a violent husband and beat his children. He had threatened to kill his wife. They all lived in fear of him.
The murder weapon had been claimed to be the lather's hammer, which was missing from the shop.
The two brothers were founf guilty and given the death penalty.

Most people found this unfair, beleiving that only one brother could have killed their father and the otherone was guilty by helping but which one. Was George guilty cause he had been with his father or had Richard sneaked out of the house and lyed in wait and then killed his father and got back into the house unseen. No one knew cause both brothers were still blaiming eachother.
Numerous petitions were called for to save these brothers from the gallows. They were sent to the Home Secretary with over 50,000 signatures on including Churchmen, MP's and the press.

In the end, one brother was saved from death. George Davies was sent to Parkhurst but Richard Davies died on the scaffold on Tuesday April 8th 1890.

On Saturday April 1st 1905, George Davies was released from Parkhurst Prison after serving 15years of a 20year sentence. He was now 32.

Nobody, to this day, knows the truth. We dont even know where George lived after leaving prison.
Why kill one brother and not the other. Surly it would have been better to have them both in prison and then maybe they would have told the truth in time.


Since this murder, a man has been seen walking up and down this lane. He matches the describition of Mr Davies, senior. Some reports have him as a headless figure.
My nan claimed to have seen this headless form and this was the version she told me.

I have walked tis lane many times and I still have not seen this ghostly man but one thing is for sure, at night, this is one scary place to walk.