Spooky Teifi tales of ghosts, fairies and serpents this Hallowe'en

It’s also the perfect time to share some spooky, bizarre and downright creepy stories from around the Teifi region.

So here are a few we’ve uncovered.

Silent bells spot

It is said that the devil tried to steal the bells from the church tower in Llanarth, but he struggled to carry it due to the weight so put it down to rest and was said to have been caught by the vicar.

The legend alleges that there is a spot close to the church that you cannot hear the sound of the bells and allegedly the marks on a nearby gravestone were made by the devil’s hooves as he escaped.

John Thorne

A haunting manifestation was said to have been seen along St Dogmaels – Croft Road. Reports started around 1908 reporting a white shape around three-foot tall passing through a gate.

A relative of a man called John Thorne saw the manifestation and believed it to be Thorne, who had died and left his money to his brother’s children.

They had found that £25 of it was missing and a few weeks later the manifestation was said to have been seen, with the relative believing the ghost wanted to reveal the location of the missing money.

Fairies

There were reports around the 1860s that fairies would lead men off the paths during the night, with the men wandering aimlessly until dawn.

White Mary

It is unknown when this sighting happened but a ghost known as White Lady appeared at the church in Blaenporth to a local man.

She instructed him to find the thief who had stolen the church’s communion cup. She told him the exact details on where to find both the cup and the criminal. It wasn’t too long before the cup was returned.

A lady in white is said to appear at Cardigan Castle on the parapets. Picture: Glen Johnson (Image: Glen Johnson)

Bell for the dead

In Blaenporth it has been said that if the phantom bell is heard ringing three times at midday or midnight, someone of importance is due to die.

Crymych fairies

A young shepard was said to have been tending his sheep on the Freni-Fawr Mountain in Crymych when he saw small fairies in uniform dancing to a harp.

He said he joined them and was transported to fairyland. He was told he could eat or drink anything but was not allowed to touch the water in a specific well, when he did do so, he was instantly teleported back to the mountain.

Bank House, Lampeter

A poltergeist was said to have appeared in early 1905 at Bank House, Lampeter.

An 11-year-old boy said he encountered a woman in black who briefly entered his bedroom and at 7am and 7pm each day, a bed would rock violently, knocking against the wall with the sound heard throughout the building.

Llandysul harpist

It is said that on part of the River Teifi in Llandysul, you can hear the sound of a harp. It is believed that a performer had drowned at the spot, which is now named Pool of the Harper.

Giant sea serpent

In the 1960s off the coast of New Quay, it was reported that there was a giant sea serpent said to have been around 40-foot in size. It was reported that the creature enjoyed seals and the seals would flee when the creature was near.

Impenetrable dragon

A legend exists about an impenetrable dragon in the castle in Newcastle Emlyn.

It was said that the dragon was virtually invincible due to its armoured scales but just like Achilles in the Greek myth, it had one weakness, which was exploited by a soldier who killed the dragon by shooting it in the bottom.

It was said that when the dragon’s body hit the river, venom gushed from it and killed all the fish.

White Lady

There used to be a footbridge across the stream in St Dogmaels. A stone from the footbridge called the Sagranus Stone was said to have been haunted by a white lady who would cross at night.

The stone is now stood in the church.

Cardigan Castle’s ghosts

Damage said to be caused by a bullet hole in the late 1800s. Picture: Glen Johnson (Image: Glen Johnson)

There have been a number of reports of ghosts at Cardigan Castle and with the long history of the castle (which we are covering in a series of articles, the latest can be found here) it is no surprise that a number of spectres have said to have been seen.

Here we take a look at some of the ghosts with help from local historian Glen Johnson.

In the 1860s, there were reports of a Lady in White – known as Ladi Wen – walking the parapets.

A Lady in Black has also been seen in the castle – in the hall of the house and by two South Wales Borderers who were billeted in the wing of Castle Green House during the Second World War.

It is believed the ghost is Arabella Davies and is associated with the smell of carnations.

It is believed that the room which now contains the Escape Game Room is haunted. A number of volunteers and staff have noted voices and noises coming from the room when empty. It is said that the room was George Davies’ bedroom in 1897. The 18-year-old son of David Griffiths Davies accidentally shot himself in the eye in the room. The damage to the ceiling from the bullet can still be seen.

The House at the castle is said to be haunted as Pembrokeshire Ghost Hunters stayed there in 2016 and reported the lift going up and down by itself during the early hours of the morning.

In 1987, volunteers at the castle were locking up the house and heard noises upstairs, they went to investigate and found nobody there. They left the house and the top floor shutters were all open, despite them closing them before leaving.

Happy Hallowe’en!