Pennard Castle, Gower.

Solstice Moon · Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 272 Location: Horsham, W Sussex

A wonderful castle, half buried in sand, ruined, and overlooking a meandering estuary from it's lofty clifftop perch, Pennard is unsurprisingly home to tales of the paranormal.

First off, it is said that centuries ago the chieftan of the castle headed North to fight for one of the Welsh princes. Such was his success he was asked to name his reward, to which he replied the Prince's daughter.

On his return to Pennard, with his prize, a great feast and celebration took place. During this the chieftan was outraged to be disturbed with the news of lights and noise coming from the nearby fields. taking his men with him, they flew out to meet the invaders with swords flailing. The "invaders" however, were the local faeries or verry volk, as they're locally known. For disturbing their innocent fun, these faeries cursed the castle, burying it in sand ( legend also has it that a large amount of sand disappeared from ireland at the same time).

The second story is about a Gwrach y rhibyn, the Welsh equivalent of a banshee. It is said that anybody who spends a night within the castle walls wont see dawn.

There's also a story of a maiden who through herself to her death into a nearby lake, and now haunts the castle, though this could be the same haunting as the Gwrach y rhibyn.

damaralenoire · Joined: 19 Oct 2008 Posts: 334 Location: South Wales UK

This castle I actually made a flying visit to a couple of years ago when I was studying at Colege Y Ddrindod in Carmarthen. Its a shame that there are not many references to the castle in books etc, as i would of loved to of had more time to explore.

YB · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:58 pm Post subject:

Be nice to see what it looked like when it was in it's "pre-deterioration" period.

bitterbuck1 · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:30 am Post subject:

damaralenoire · Joined: 19 Oct 2008 Posts: 334 Location: South Wales UK

Its amazing. Also Gwrach Y Rhibin is a type of Hag linked personally to a castle. Caerphilly Castle has a Gwrach Y Rhibin who lives in the moat and is said to come out when it rains. There s a little rhyme / poem about her which goes

Gwrach Y Rhibins coming soon
she's coming with her poison spoon
up the chimney down the drains
she only comes out when it rains

(The legend of Gwrach in this instance is that she would feed the poison spoon to her victims)