Who was the mysterious Queen of the Lakes said to rule the waters of north Wales? How did one Pembrokeshire woman armed with only a pitchfork help defeat French invaders? And did Welsh folklore really tell of women strong enough to wrestle grown men, fight invading armies, and become giants? In this episode of the…
Across Wales, there are legends of churches that refused to stay where they were built, with some suggesting they were removed by supernatural agency… In episode 165 of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, Mark Rees explores some of these curious cases, drawn from traditions across west and mid-Wales, including Carmarthenshire, Radnorshire (now Powys),…
Who is the faceless figure drifting silently along the banks of the River Wye? What happens if you anger the spirits said to live within an ancient Welsh oak tree? And what crashes through the night on a long-lost road… even after the road itself has vanished? In episode 164 of the Ghosts and Folklore…
I’ve just wrapped up a week-long series of gigs celebrating Wales’s patron saint himself, Dewi Sant Entitled Ghosts & Folklore of Wales: St David’s Day, most of them were private talks held behind closed doors for some amazing charities, with one public appearance at the Croeso Festival in Swansea. Attention now turns back to the…
The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast is back – bigger and better than ever (well… nearly)! I’ve been off gallivanting about the world, but normal spooky service resumes VERY soon – in two weeks, in fact (12 March 2026). On this quick video update (click below to watch, or listen on the podcast) I…
Join Mark Rees for a FREE Ghosts & Folklore of Wales talk in Swansea this St David’s Day/ Dydd Gŵyl Dewi! Mark will be appearing at the Croeso Festival at 10am (yes, 10am – in the morning, set the alarm) on the “Pabell Pawb a Phopeth” stage (full line up here), at the top of…
Christmas in Wales has always been a season for ghost stories, and few places offer stranger, richer tales than Dinefwr and Llandeilo. In this episode of Ghosts and Folklore of Wales, Mark Rees is joined by Ronnie Kerswell-O’Hara of the National Trust — a storyteller, ghost-tour guide and expert on local folklore. Witch Baubles and…
It’s Christmastime, and all you really want is to know… how to make a Mari Lwyd! The Mari Lwyd is one of Wales’s most unique winter traditions — a ghostly, skeletal horse who appears around Christmas and New Year, knocking at doors, singing, rhyming, and demanding entry. But while the legend is well known, a…
What happens when you spend Halloween night at one of Wales’ most haunted ruins? On Nos Calan Gaeaf — the Welsh Halloween, when the veil between worlds is thinnest — shadowy figures and death omens are said to roam the Gower Peninsula. Among the haunted sites of Wales, Pennard Castle stands out: ruins perched above…
