Heavy footsteps and ghostly apparitions haunt Beaumaris Castle in north Wales, says RICK HALE
For a thousand years, the coastal village of Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales was an important port town for sailors, raiders and smugglers entering the north west of England.
During its earliest known history, Beaumaris was populated by Vikings and was known by the very Norse name, Portho y Wygyr, Port of the Vikings.
When the Vikings left the port town in the 1070s, the region surrounding Beaumaris become a hotly contested piece of property between the Kings of England and Welsh noblemen.
The warring factions who desired the land entered into a kind of cold war for two centuries until the conflict was renewed in the 13th century.
The fighting had become so intense, Edward I, himself became involved in north Wales, not once but twice, in 1282.
Edward, dispatched a large and heavily armed fighting force to invade Wales. A situation that did not go well for the Welsh.
With the conflict won, and Wales brought under rule of the English monarchy, Edward decided to permanently colonise north Wales. And as you might expect the people of Wales we’re not going to take this lying down.
They pushed back and struggled hard to retake what was theirs. This only caused the king to work harder in maintaining his control.
History Of Beaumaris Castle
With Welsh fighters constantly rebelling, Edward built Beaumaris Castle as a fortified stronghold to hold back the rebels.
One of those rebels, Madog ap Llyweln led a bloody revolt against the king resulting in many deaths. Including the high sheriff of Angelsey, Roger de Palesdon.
The Welsh people believed they were well on their way to taking back their land, but Edward managed to pull off a victory and made Beaumaris stronger than it had ever been. This would not be the last insurrection.
In 1400, Owain Glyndwr led another revolt and after three long years of laying siege to Beaumaris Castle managed to successfully take the castle.
And lastly, when the Civil War broke out between the king and Parliament, Beaumaris became a strategic spot that helped the king control routes between Ireland and central operations in England.
With the war raging across the United Kingdom, Beaumaris was controlled by Royalist forces until 1648.
As you can clearly see, Beaumaris Castle has known nothing but continual war throughout its 800 year history.
Today, it is a UNESCO world heritage site and celebrate by the Welsh far and wide as an example of Welsh courage in the face of conflict.
Beaumaris castle is a Grade I listed building and appears to be a place of peace and solitude.
Nevertheless, that solitude is shattered into a million shards when the anguished screams of those long dead echo off its stone walls.
And the unwitting visitor comes face to face with the frightening apparitions that stalk this ancient castle. It is agreed upon that whomever these ghosts are, they do not want the living there.
The Chapel
Spiritual life and belief in God has always been an important part in the lives of the Welsh. So it should come as no surprise that Beaumaris Castle’s chapel is our first stop on this ghostly tour.
When visitors first enter the chapel the silence is almost overwhelming, but something peculiar and beyond reason takes place.
The sounds of monks chanting and praying to their God unexpectedly fills the room. The phantom chant lasts for only a few moments before silence reclaims the ancient house of the lord.
A small handful of fortunate ghost hunters have walked away with recordings of the eerie chants and prayers.
Visitors to the chapel have also reported being surrounded by an unnatural cold that fills the chapel and then quickly vanishes.
Footsteps and Apparitions
The casual explorer of Beaumaris Castle have reported the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps following them as they walk through the castle.
Some have remarked that when they turn to see who is following them no one is there.
While others have reportedly caught fleeting glimpses of shadowy forms ducking around corners or just vanishing before their eyes.
When the ghosts of Beaumaris are seen they are said to give off a feeling of loneliness and loss.
Leaving people to believe these apparitions are the remnants of long dead soldiers or workmen who perished there so many centuries ago.
Considering all the death and destruction that occurred at this UNESCO World Heritage Site, trying to put a name to these ghosts is surely an impossible task.
Whomever these entities are will have to remain nameless until the very end of time.
Have you seen something strange at Beaumaris Castle? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
Hi,
I have some photos taken at Beaumaris Castle with ghosts in it. One is a chapel window from the outside and when it was on the digital camera you could make out about 12 faces. You can still see several after it was downloaded. I have a photo of what looks like an outline of a soldier’s face and helmet on the chapel wall. We were in Beaumaris about 12 years later. We stopped at the playground beside the castle to let our children play. I took photos of some of the windows. Again you could see faces. One ghost I’ve heard of is of a little boy with messy curls. He appears in the chapel window photo. There is face that is of a creepy man that almost looks like a witch.