Carew Castle

Carew Castle stands majestically on the banks of the Carew River in Pembrokeshire, its massive walls reflecting centuries of Welsh and Norman history. Founded shortly after the Norman conquest in the late 11th century, the castle evolved from a simple fortification into an elaborate mansion featuring a spectacular Great Hall and luxurious Tudor apartments. The castle witnessed fierce battles between Welsh and Norman forces, royal visits, and centuries of aristocratic intrigue before falling into romantic ruin. Its broken towers and empty chambers now harbor some of Wales’s most bizarre and well-documented paranormal activity.

The most famous ghost is the Phantom Ape of Carew, one of Britain’s strangest castle hauntings. According to legend, Sir Roland Rhys owned a pet ape that became fiercely attached to him. When Sir Roland died, the ape’s grief drove it mad, and it died howling in despair. Ever since, visitors and staff report seeing a large, dark, ape-like figure lurking in the shadows of the castle ruins, particularly near the towers and in the old chapel. Witnesses describe glowing red eyes, the sound of heavy breathing, and a overwhelming sense of being watched by something inhuman. The phantom ape has allegedly frightened numerous visitors over the centuries, and some refuse to enter certain parts of the castle after encountering it.

The castle’s second major haunting involves the ghost of a Celtic princess who was murdered at Carew during the Norman conquest period. Her spirit appears as a beautiful woman in ancient Welsh dress, often seen near the mill pond or in the castle’s Great Hall. Unlike the threatening ape, she seems peaceful but melancholic, wandering the grounds as if searching for something lost long ago. Additional paranormal activity includes phantom medieval soldiers seen on the battlements, the sound of swords clashing in empty courtyards, unexplained footsteps, and cold spots that move through the ruins. The combination of the ape and the princess makes Carew Castle one of the most unusual haunted locations in Wales, blending tragic human and animal spirits in one atmospheric location.