Castell Coch

Castell Coch, the “Red Castle,” rises from wooded hillsides above the village of Tongwynlais like something from a medieval fairy tale. Originally built in the late 13th century by the de Clare family, the castle fell into ruin before being spectacularly rebuilt in the 1870s by architect William Burges for the 3rd Marquess of Bute. The result is a Victorian Gothic fantasy featuring soaring conical towers, elaborate interiors with gilded decorations and medieval-themed murals, and stunning views across the Taff Valley. Despite its 19th-century reconstruction, the castle appears to have retained supernatural connections to its medieval past.

The most frequently reported apparition at Castell Coch is the White Lady, a spectral woman in flowing white robes who appears on the battlements and in the upper chambers of the three main towers. Witnesses describe her as a melancholic figure who gazes out across the valley as if waiting for someone who will never return. Some accounts suggest she may be the ghost of a noble lady who died of grief during the castle’s medieval period, possibly during one of the Welsh uprisings or English conflicts that plagued the region. Her appearance is often accompanied by sudden temperature drops and an overwhelming sense of sadness.

Additional paranormal activity includes phantom footsteps echoing through the Drawing Room and Banqueting Hall, mysterious lights seen in tower windows when the castle is closed and unoccupied, and the sound of medieval music that has no apparent source. Several visitors have reported feeling watched while exploring the castle’s spiral staircases, and some have experienced unexplained touches or tugging on their clothing. The castle’s romantic, almost otherworldly architecture seems to attract supernatural phenomena, with staff occasionally reporting objects moved overnight and doors found open that were locked the evening before. The White Lady appears most frequently during autumn evenings when mist rises from the surrounding woodland, creating an appropriately atmospheric setting for this gentle but persistent haunting.