Ghosts of Carreg Cennen Castle

Rhys ap Gruffudd, Prince of Deheubarth, built the first stone Carreg Cennen Castle in the 12th century. In 1277, the castle was handed to the English during King Edward I's campaign to conquer Wales.

The castle passed through various owners, including the Despensers, before it became part of the Duchy of Lancaster in the mid 14th century. It then became crown property when Henry IV became King in 1399.

In 1403, a force of around 800 men attacked the castle, and it endured a long siege during which its walls were damaged.

In 1461, Carreg Cennen Castle surrendered after the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross. The following year, Yorkist troops deliberately slighted the castle, using around 500 men for four months with picks and crowbars to render it undefendable, and the castle has been a ruin ever since.

The dramatic clifftop ruins, with its dark underground passageway leading to a natural cave (where human bones have been found), and remote setting lend themselves to an atmospheric, slightly eerie feel, especially at dusk or in poor weather. This atmosphere suits the castle's ghosts and local legends.

The spirit of a spectral lady in white, perhaps a nun or betrayed lover, has been reported wandering the ruins. The Blue Lady is also said to appear at night, dressed in pale blue, as though searching for a lost child.

Local legends claim that a valiant knight, or even King Arthur himself, sleeps beneath the castle, ready to rise if Wales faces great peril. Other traditions link the castle to Urien Rheged, Lord of Is-Cennen, and to his son Owain, both of whom are also connected to King Arthur.