Dylan Jones

Llancaiach Fawr - A Supernatural Success Story
Home
Biography
ASSAP
Llancaiach Fawr Book
The Ghost Tour of Wales
Haunted Holidays

Llancaiach Fawr Manor is located at the northern end of the Rhymney Valley in a village called Nelson, which is just outside Ystrad Mynach.  It is hardly the place you would expect to find such a wonderful and award-winning attraction!  But nestled amongst the rolling hills of the valley, you will find the gem in the crown of Caerphilly County Borough Council. 

It is now without question one of the most remarkable tourist attractions in South Wales.  The Manor was sold to Rhymney Valley District Council in 1979, and they began the restoration work required to turn it back into an authentic fortified Manor House of the Civil War period.  It was finally decided that the manor should not be a typical museum, and the radical idea of “living history” was embraced.

 

Many may be unfamiliar with the term of “living history”.  This conception is an innovative method that literally brings history to life before your eyes.  The period of the Civil War was chosen because it was the richest period in the history of the Manor. 

 

The staff working inside the Manor are employed as costumed interpreters, and it is their duty to dress in authentic 17th century costume and guide you around Llancaiach Fawr, as a visitor who has been transported back in time to the year of 1645.

 

If you have not visited the Manor during the hours of daylight, I would recommend that you do so.  You will not be disappointed.

 

However, it is not just the living history that attracts visitors to the Manor each year.  It is something else. Something darker.  Something more elusive.  This something attracts in excess of 6,000 people a year.

 

It draws those who are brave enough to wander through the house on a candle-lit tour in the hope of experiencing ‘something spooky’ - the Ghost Tours!

 

It is hard to believe that when you look back to 1991, the concept of a Ghost Tour was originally thought to be an idea destined to fail.  It was the idea of Val Williams, the then Assistant Manager, who thought that people, like her, would be fascinated with the stories associated with the Manor.  Some thought they simply would not work.. 

 

However, the Ghost Tours are now an integral part of the Manor.  The tales of the ghosts and hauntings continue to enthral, even after running for 13 years.  Despite not being able to guarantee anything happening, the Tours continue to delight, entertain and scare many each year.  Who would have thought that such an idea would have caught on? 

 

If you have not shared in the experience of one of these Tours, then perhaps this will encourage you.  The Tours run on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Nights between October and March.  They cost £7-50 per person.  If you would like to combine the Tour with a meal, the total cost will be £15-00 per person. 

 

The Ghost Tours are very popular, so booking is advised to avoid disappointment, especially if you want to go on a Friday night.

 

Contact Llancaiach Fawr Manor on (01443) 412248.

© All material on this site is copyright to Dylan Jones, unless otherwise stated.