The ghosts of Penrhyn Castle

Penrhyn Castle:

There are many haunted locations across the U.K but maybe none quite as chilling as Penrhyn Castle in Bangor, North Wales.

With around 100 recorded sightings on record and many more visitors experiencing strange occurrences daily, Penrhyn Castle makes for the perfect Halloween get away.

In this article, I will look into the history and some of the strange stories that surround this historic sight.

(Image: Penrhyn Castle)

Lord Penrhyn’s Ghost:

Perhaps the most active apparition at Penrhyn is that of Lord Penrhyn, the landowner over the Castle and the owner of the Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales.

He died on 10 March 1907 aged 70 in London.

He is often seen outside or in what was his sitting room or in the keep bedrooms.

Visitors describe him as ‘tall and slim with high cheekbones. He had a beard and was wearing a long, dark jacket and striped grey trousers.’

‘He had a high collared shirt with a type of ruffled cravat at the neck. He seemed to be holding a book or some papers in his hands, which were very pale.’

Could this be the man the visitor saw, he certainly looks very similar?

(Image: George Sholto Douglas-Pennant. Second Baron Penrhyn (1836-1907))

The Dinorwic Carriage:

Two ghosts have been spotted in and around the Dinorwic carriage exhibit at Penrhyn Castle.

This was a part of a train whose purpose was to carry slate the seven miles from Dinorwic Quarry to Port Dinorwic. It is the only surviving locomotive from that railway,

Visitors have spotted a man in and around the carriage.

A psychic who visited the Castle said she could, ‘see the man very clearly wearing a top hat and a jacket with shiny buttons on it … he looked very authoritarian and had a hard stare.’

A volunteer saw a man through the windows while locking up the part of the museum with The Dinorwic Carraige in it.

There have been multiple sightings of this man although it is unclear who he may be.

This image supposedly shows a man in the Carriage. What do you think?

(Image: Ghost spotted in The Dinorwic Carriage at Penrhyn Castle)

Dafydd, an engineer in the Railway Museum also claims to have seen a small boy with dark hair running near the Charles Engine.

‘He is running away from someone or something and disappears into the wall.’ He said.

Facts about Penrhyn:

•    The castle was originally a manor house, but in 1438, loan ap Gruffudd founded the stone castle and added a tower house.

•    The castle has over 40,000 acres of land.

•    The site received 109,395 visitors in 2017.

Lady Alice Douglas Pennant:

Lady Alice Douglas Pennant (born 1863) was one of, George Douglas-Pennant’s (1836-1907) 15 children.

A few years ago strange writing, which was initially thought to be in Latin, was found in Alice’s bedroom.

It read 'essere amato amando,' however, this was actually in Italian, and reads, 'to be loved, whilst loving.'

Rumors that Alice had once fallen for one of the Castle’s staff soon began to be uncovered. This could not have been received well.

The National Trust is currently still researching diaries of the former residents of the castle to try and verify the story.

(Image: Lady Alice)

One family describes seeing her at the top of the Grand Staircase. They described her as, ‘being very slim with an hourglass figure, as though she was wearing a corset.’

Lady Alice, who became an artist, died in London at the age of 76 in March 1939.

She was unmarried.

(Video: ThisIsMe telling the ghost story of Lady Alice Douglas Pennant)

Ghost Tours:

The castle also offers the Ghosts of Penrhyn Castle silhouette trail around Halloween each year, if you would like to experience some of the stories yourself.

The event is free for National Trust members or £12.27 standard adult admission to the Castle and Gardens.

The Castle also keeps a blog of the entire ghost sightings visitors see which you can find here: https://penrhynghosts.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR3M6IBcgsd_Gw8ItSARzOkK4kL8x6DR1-Lw6fwtJ8F9-casnsvucep121U.

Maybe if you see something, you could be featured on the blog too…

Written by Matthew Gurteen.