South Stack Lighthouse
The isolated Welsh lighthouse is haunted by former keepers and the ghosts of sailors who perished on the surrounding rocks.
South Stack Lighthouse, perched on a small island off the coast of Anglesey since 1809, stands guard over some of the most treacherous waters in the Irish Sea. The lighthouse is accessed by descending over 400 steps carved into the cliff face and crossing a narrow suspension bridge, adding to its isolated and eerie atmosphere. The location is haunted by the spirits of lighthouse keepers who served there during its 160 years of manned operation, as well as victims of the many shipwrecks that occurred despite the light’s warnings.
Lighthouse keepers stationed at South Stack before automation in 1984 reported a range of paranormal experiences. The most common was the sound of phantom footsteps climbing the spiral staircase to the lantern room, always stopping at the same step where a keeper allegedly fell to his death in the Victorian era. Keepers also reported seeing a bearded man in old-fashioned keeper’s uniform standing in the doorways or looking out to sea from the gallery, believed to be the ghost of Jack Jones, a keeper who served at South Stack for over 30 years in the late 1800s. Tools would disappear and reappear, and some keepers reported waking to find their log books open to entries made decades earlier.
The surrounding cliffs and the steps down to the lighthouse have their own ghostly encounters. Visitors report seeing figures in distress on the rocks below, appearing wet and bedraggled, before vanishing when help is sought. The sound of ships breaking apart and men crying out echoes from the sea during storms, even when no vessels are in trouble. One particularly chilling phenomenon is the appearance of lights moving on the cliff face at night, as if invisible keepers are making their way to or from the lighthouse using the old methods before the current staircase was built. Maintenance workers and tourists continue to report unusual experiences, including sudden temperature drops, the sensation of being watched, and overwhelming feelings of sadness and isolation that lift as soon as they leave the island.