Witchcraft And Ghosts At Tredegar House, Wales

Tredegar House in Newport, Wales, isn’t just merely haunted, it’s infested with ghosts, says RICK HALE

Dark, imposing, and brooding these are only three words to describe Tredegar House in Newport, Wales.

If you were to walk up to this Grade I listed country house and say, “You know what, this place just looks like it should be haunted,” no one could possibly fault you.

But, it’s not just the souls of those long since passed that haunt Tredegar House. Something dark lurks there, hiding in the shadows and may have been summoned into our realm by dark, arcane magical practices.

Tredegar House isn’t just merely haunted.  It is infested.

History Of Tredegar House

Although the earliest parts of the house can trace their origins to the 15th century, the bulk of the construction began in 1664 and was completed in 1672.

Throughout its long history, Tredegar was home to the powerful and extraordinarily wealthy Morgan family.

The builder of the house, William Morgan spared no expense in building his home and used red brick, a rare and expensive building material not found in Wales.

Perhaps the most famous Morgan to be lord of the house,  was Godfrey Morgan, a survivor of the charge of the Light Brigade. In 1909, Godfrey became the viscount of Tredegar.

Viscount Tredegar was known as a kind and generous man who donated acres of land to the people of Newport for public use.

Sadly, Godfrey died in 1913 and his son, Courtney assumed ownership of the house and title of Viscount.

When Courtney passed away in 1934, his son Evan took over ownership of the house. And it  was with Evan, a reputably odd young man, that all the paranormal trouble began.

Black Magic Bashes

Lots of stories were spread about Evan and the company he kept, and one of those stories was Evan was a dabbler in witchcraft and performed black magic rites in the Brown Room, with several other dabblers of the dark arts.

Among these dabblers were author HG Wells, journalist Godfrey Winn and Prince Paul of Greece.

But the most high profile occultist to attend these black magic bashes  was none other than the beast himself, Alistair Crowley.

It would seem that something crawled out of the pit of hell during one of these rituals in the Brown Room. Something inhuman.

Visitors have remarked that an unnatural bone chilling cold permeates the room regardless of how hot the rest of the house appears to be.

And a feeling of unease, some might even call dread,is imprinted on the very fabric of the room. Something decidedly unfriendly haunts the Brown Room.

The day finally came for the Morgan reign of Tredegar House to come  an end in 1951 when the house was turned into a Catholic girl’s school.

And in 1974, the house passed into the hands of the Newport Council.

Now, for many years it had been rumoured that this grand old house was haunted. But when the Council took over, that’s when the ghostly activity was kicked into high gear.

A Parade Of Nuns

Perhaps the most unnerving ghostly activity reported at Tredegar is the appearance of a ghostly procession of nuns.

Curious onlookers have watched in awe as the procession appears, walks through the inner courtyard and vanishes once it reaches the brew house.

Visitors have also reported seeing a solitary nun in a grey habit standing at the top of the stairs and looking down on people as they enter.

Ghost hunters believe the nuns are a spectral holdover from the days when the house was a Catholic school.

The Bell’s Passage

During the Manor’s heyday as the residence of the Morgan clan, an intricate system of 20 bells was installed in the house. And the servants dubbed it “the Bell’s Passage”.

Whenever a Morgan desired something, no matter the time of day, all they would have to do was pull a string and the bells would sound.

The days of summoning servants may be long gone but the sound of the bells still ring out in the house.

Researchers believe that the sound is either a place memory or one of the ghostly residents is calling for a servant from beyond the grave.

The Social Centre

Tredegar House sits on a vast estate and several outbuildings sit on  the property. And one of those outbuildings, the Social Centre is a hotspot of paranormal activity.

The Social Centre, formerly a barn, was one of the buildings donated by Viscount Godfrey Morgan. And it appears to be one of the most haunted buildings in the estate.

Before becoming a community centre, the building was a grocery store where locals could shop.

Customers reportedly watched as produce would suddenly fly off the shelves and sail across the room.

Lights would flicker on and off and phantom footsteps would follow people around as they shopped.

After being turned into a community centre the activity in the building continued.

Thankfully whomever haunts the building appears to be playful with no hint of malice. Well, not yet anyways.

Apart from whatever haunts the Brown Room, the many ghosts that reside in Tredegar House appear to either be completely benign or an echo forever captured in time.

These days, Tredegar House is a popular tourist attraction and welcomes thousands of visitors a year from around the world.

You can take a tour and admire this grand old country house. Or listen to tales of the powerful family that resided in it for almost 5 centuries. And as for the ghosts, well, they’re just an added bonus.

Have you seen a ghost at Tredegar House in Newport? Tell us about it in the comments section below!