A-haunting we will go
T
Grisly ghosts, devilish dogs, hellbound horses…
Wales and the Borders have more than their
hose who’ve fair share of spooky legends. And so, with dragon that emerged from the
experienced Hallowe’en approaching, Country & Border waters of this hillside lake. And
it talk of a Walks takes you on a trio of terrifying trails if, as you wander beside the
sudden drop in temperature. waters, you hear the cry, “The
Goosebumps ripple across experience past events taking the surface, never to be seen hour is come but not the man,”
your body while the fine place before their very eyes again… in this world. run for your life, for anyone who
hairs on the back of your (although quite how this is North of Dolgellau, within hears this will be dragged into
neck and forearms stand on supposed to work isn’t exactly sight of Cadair Idris, more grisly the lake, never to be seen again!
end, swishing in the chill clear). Given how far back legends are associated with the A haunting of a more
breeze like ears of corn in a many of our spooky legends Nannau estate, which includes conventional type involves a
crop field. Did something date, these would be very old the hill Foel Offrwm. It’s from woman who was seduced by one
just move? A second glance recordings indeed. Take Cadair here that Welsh druids would of the lords of the Nannau
reveals nothing tangible, Idris (‘Chair of Idris’), the throw human sacrifices to their estate. When she demanded
but the shiver that shoots majestic mountain above deaths in order to appease their more from him, he killed her
through your body like a Dolgellau in Gwynedd, north pagan gods. So if you’re in the and her dog. Subsequently her
bolt of lightning is enough to Wales. Some believe Idris was a area and hear what you take to ghost, and that of her dog, were
persuade you you’ve just giant who long ago inhabited the be the deathly screech of a fox, seen near the crossroads
had a close encounter with area; others a character steeped ask yourself whether you’re approaching the estate, heading
something uncanny. What in the legend of King Arthur. really listening to the scream of towards a small bridge. When
could it be? Here in Wales What many locals do agree on, some luckless victim of the the witness raised the alarm,
and the Borders, we’ve though, is that the mountain is druids, still caught between this land around the bridge was
plenty of opportunities to haunted. Spend a night on it, world and the next. excavated and the skeletons of
scare ourselves out of our they’ll tell you, and you’ll either The estate also encompasses both the woman and her dog
wits while out and about – end up mad, a poet… or dead. Llyn Cynwch, another lake with were unearthed.
so grab your garlic and Meanwhile, the lake of Llyn supernatural trappings – this one
crucifix: we’re off on a Cau in the summit’s shadow is is said to be a gateway to fairy Black Beelzebub
spooky tour of the region. not only reputedly bottomless, realm, and stories tell of one Over the Border in Shropshire,
Talk of ghosts and ghouls some say it’s no less than the man who fell in only to find wool traders operating between
invariably conjures up images of gateway to the underworld. himself in a land of immense Shrewsbury and Oswestry in the
cold, damp, dark dungeons deep There are stories of at least one beauty. Think twice before 16th Century encountered a
underneath castles, or of swimmer who tackled its deep diving in yourself, though, for a real-life nightmare in the form of
supernatural souls seeping waters and disappeared under shepherd once had to kill a one Sir Humphrey Kynaston. All
through the thick stone walls too often, they found themselves
of stately homes. But, in fact, Don’t lose your being held up by the man on his
haunting happenings are equally
head Visitors to
huge black horse and instructed
likely to occur while wandering
St Mary’s Church
to hand over their money. Sir
around our historic countryside.
in Kington,
Herefordshire
Humphrey fancied himself as
And if you prefer your mysteries
(left) be warned:
something of a Robin Hood
leavened with a touch of
this is where the
figure and supposedly gave his
science, the explanation for headless Black takings to the poor, but this
all this could lie with the
Vaughan is
didn’t prevent many people
‘stone tape’ theory.
buried. The well-
believing he was working hand
The idea is that in certain
worn steps of
in hand with the devil himself –
Shropshire’s
conditions, actual events are
Kynaston’s
due mainly to the amazing feats
‘recorded’ in the surrounding
Cave (far left),
his horse was capable of. Such
environment in the same way we
meanwhile, lead
was the local fear of this animal,
can record a TV programme on to the deathbed people named it Beelzebub, not
videotape. When the conditions
of a local
least after one incident near
are right, the recording is then
highwayman
Shrewsbury. The road the duo
‘played back’, and anyone in
who some say
patrolled crossed the River
worked for
the vicinity at the time will
the Devil
Severn at Montford Bridge, trianglert
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