The Paranormal Database

Vanishing Lady

Location: Margam - Ruined Chapel, Capel Fair, Margam Country Park
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early 1980s
Further Comments: A father and daughter walking through the area entered the ruin to see a young woman sitting down in a corner. She looked startled and disturbed to see the two visitors. Because of her scared demeanour, father and daughter simultaneously backed out. Moments later, out of curiosity, they re-entered, but the woman had vanished. The daughter ran around the whole building but could see or hear nothing. The lady had disappeared in an instant.

White Lady

Location: Merthyr Tydfil - Aberdare-Merthyr Rail Tunnel (closed, no public access)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Since closing in 1962, local stories have sprung up saying the site is haunted by a white lady and/or the occasional ghost train.

Woman

Location: Middleton - Goat's Cave, Paviland
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The Red Lady of Paviland, an Upper Palaeolithic era skeleton found in the cave, was later discovered to be male rather than female. It is unclear how this misidentification has impacted the stories of how a phantom woman haunts the cave. Another piece of folklore which sprang up after the skeletal remains were found said that the 'woman' had been a treasure hunter who had become trapped in the cave after a storm sprung up.

Man

Location: Morriston - Farm (name withheld)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twenty-first century
Further Comments: The figure of a man has been observed around this farm, walking into the barn area before vanishing. The aroma of men's aftershave has also been detected, fading away after a couple of minutes.

Black Cloud

Location: Mumbles Head - Direction of Pwlldu bay
Type: UFO
Date / Time: Late December 1908 / early January 1909
Further Comments: The crew of the pilot cutter Beaufort watched a large black cloud pass by, creating noise resembling bursts from a Maxim gun, which lasted twenty minutes. One witness said they had never observed anything like the phenomenon.

Videoed Shade

Location: Neath - Duke of Wellington public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1993
Further Comments: A misty male figure caught on CCTV in the pub could be seen entering through a door that swings open.

Bryn

Location: Neath - The Greyhound public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: A former drinker at the pub, Bryn has returned several years after he died. The cellar is said to be haunted by a more sinister entity, though details are fleeting.

Closing Windows

Location: Neath - Unidentified mansion
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Possibly eighteenth century
Further Comments: After windows in this house closed on their own accord, a servant volunteered to stay and solve the mystery. A ghostly gentleman appeared to the servant and stated that he would never appear and close another window if a pot of gold buried in the dairy could be removed. The occupants dug up the gold and the ghost never reappeared.

Smoke Without Fire

Location: Overton - White Horse public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2008
Further Comments: Landlady Sam Nikolic reported several strange events in the pub, including a room which filled with smoke (even though no source could be found) and the sounds of someone walking around empty parts of the building.

White Horse Upright

Location: Oxwich - Churchyard
Type: Other
Date / Time: Early nineteenth century
Further Comments: This ghostly creature walks around on hind legs, ending the jaunt as it vanishes down an ancient well.

Giant's Grave

Location: Penmaen - Parc le Breos Chambered Tomb (aka Parc Cwm long cairn)
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: Although nicknamed a giant's grave, other details of the story are sadly forgotten.

The Gwrach-y-rhibyn.

Angry Fairies

Location: Penmaen - Pennard Castle (ruins)
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The owner of this former castle once refused the local fairies the right to dance at his wedding party. The upset little people conjured up a massive storm which then destroyed the building. The site is now home to a Gwrach-y-rhibyn.

Gwrach-y-Rhibyn

Location: Pennard - Pennard Castle
Type: Crisis Manifestation
Date / Time: 1850s
Further Comments: The Hag of the Mist haunted the ruins here, her cries containing the name of someone soon to die.

Former Member

Location: Pontardawe - Unknown road and meeting room of a Friendly Society
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: Early 1879
Further Comments: A widow of a man who committed suicide was denied financial compensation from the Friendly Society as the manner of his death breached their rules. The dead man appeared to one of the society's members walking along a road and demanded his wife receive money before ripping the member's clothing. The voice of the dead man could be later heard during a meeting of the society, stating the only way he could rest was if his widow received her money.

Tall Creature

Location: Port Eynon (aka Port Einon) - Around one mile west of Eynon Point
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 11 June 1879
Further Comments: Standing on the shore, a witness spotted a seven foot (2.1 metre) tall, round, object moving down the channel. The shape disappeared and reappeared several times, slowing moving away from the witness.

White Lady

Location: Port Talbot - Aberavon Castle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Reported to float above the castle ruins, this phantom white lady could be Jane de Afan, the last occupant of the castle.

White Lady

Location: Port Talbot - Afan Castle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Pre-nineteenth century?
Further Comments: This phantom woman appears on or near the castle mound, located close to Saint Mary's churchyard.

Grey Ball

Location: Port Talbot - Council house, Sandfields
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: August 1976 - March 1977
Further Comments: Initially restricting itself to creating footsteps and flicking lights on and off, this entity would go on to push wardrobes over and set fire to furniture. Some family members reported seeing a grey, hazy football-sized object float across rooms that would suddenly vanish. After the family left and a new resident moved in, the activity ceased.

Flying Bible

Location: Port Talbot - Farmhouse near Ffrwd Wyllt
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: Circa 1760
Further Comments: Over a two-year period, an entity would throw China dishes around (although never broke them) and caused the family bible to fly across the room. A cushion struck the maid over the head, the house shook when a neighbour visited, and a minister staying overnight had a tug-of-war with the entity while trying to prevent his bedsheets being torn off. The disturbance ceased after the owner of the house chatted with the ghost and commanded it to leave.

Man

Location: Port Talbot - Hafod Farm
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The ghost of a man appeared to a farm labourer several times. The labourer finally listened to the entity who told the man to go to Neath and dig at a certain location. The labourer did as instructed and found enough gold to construct a row of cottages.

Cursed Wall

Location: Port Talbot - Wall on the site of Tata Steel
Type: Curse
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: Back in the sixteenth century, as the last monks were removed from their land, one brother cursed a nearby farmhouse. The brother said that if the building ever fell, the local community would fall with it. Work has been carried out to ensure the remaining wall of the ruined farmhouse has remained upright. A ghostly monk in white is also said to lurk in the area.

White Woman

Location: Rhosili - Paviland Cave, between village and Port Eynon
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This cave is haunted by a greedy woman who entered it looking for hidden treasure - a sudden storm blew up, trapping and drowning her.

Palaeolithic Man?

Location: Rhossili - Moors near the village
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The sensation of evil and of being watched found by some in this area has been blamed on the ghosts of Stone Age man who once lived there.

Coach & Horses

Location: Rhossili - Old Rectory
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The ghost of a smuggler driving his coach runs around the sandy area of this building, while on some nights a macabre entity is seen climbing out of the sea and enters the rectory. This may be the same entity which asks (in a gruff voice) 'why don't you turn around and look at me?' - those who do so have never seen anything.

Footsteps on Staircase

Location: Swansea - Cafe Gallery, Salubrious Passage, Wind Street
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late 1991
Further Comments: An artist ran away from the building after hearing footsteps on the attic stairs and feeling an intense cold spot. The building is said to have been haunted for many years.