Take a moment to read these spine tingling stories and plan your own paranormal tour of the Valleys.  You can even finish the day by booking a ghost tour at Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Nelson, Caerphilly - booking is essential as the tours are very popular, particularly with spirits!

One of the most original features of Caerphilly Castle is the great moat that surrounds it, protecting it from intruders. However, within this supposed protection lurks the ghost of a far more sinister creature than any intruder could ever be.

Arguably one of Wales 's most terrifying ghosts, the Gwrach y Rhibyn – the Moat Hag – brings disaster and misfortune to those unlucky enough to fall within her presence. A Welsh version of the Irish banshee, she shrieks and howls as she emerges from the moat surrounding Caerphilly Castle .

The Hag, who originally haunted the de Clare's family when they resided in the castle, emerges when the rain falls to screech a deathly warning. She howled the name of those who are soon to draw their final breath, before disappearing behind the castle walls.

Don't let this story put you off though, Caerphilly Castle is a truly magnificent sight, Moat Hag or no Moat Hag!

The idyllic backdrop of Caerphilly Mountain holds a deep mystery that is yet to be explained. On the 18 th May 1909 , at approximately 11pm , a man named Mr C Lethbridge came upon two men. dressed peculiarly and speaking in a foreign tongue, they became anxious and angry at the sight of Mr Lethbridge, and proceeded to leave the scene in what appeared to be an airship.

Evidence drawn from an examination of the area in which the airship was alleged to have landed has shown that some damage had been made to the ground.

While it is thought that the language the two men were speaking was German, the technology at the time meant that it would not have been possible for any country to possess an airship that could travel such a distance.

So where did the ghostly airship come from? Visit Caerphilly Mountain and draw your own conclusions from this puzzling tale.

Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Nelson, nr Caerphilly
One of Britain's most haunted houses

One of the most haunted houses in Britain , Llancaiach Fawr Manor lies nestled in a village called Nelson, just outside Ystrad Mynach. Owned by Colonel Edward Prichard in 1645 during the English Civil War it is a place where time has stood still. “Tudor servants” will guide you through the manor's rooms and answer any questions you might have along the way.

The manor is also home to a number of friendly ghosts. Two children are often heard playing on the grand staircase and visitors and staff are often subjected to their childish pranks, which are accompanied by a series of eerie ghostly giggles.

The other ghostly figure often spotted is the old housekeeper, Maddie, who died in tragic circumstances. Mysteriously the details of her death have never been told. If you are lucky, as you are leaving, you may also catch a glimpse of the Colonel in one of the windows, whose footsteps have often been heard echoing through the Great Hall. Visit the Manor if you dare, regular ghost tours are available!

www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast - see the ghosts at a safe distance via a webcam.

Over the years, several stories have emerged of encounters of a ghostly nature in Cyfarthfa Museum and its adjoining school.

This castellated mansion was built in 1824, by the ironmaster Mr William Crawshay and is one of the most impressive monuments of the industrial iron-age in south Wales . When Richard Crawshay, his wife, daughter and two sons lived in the mansion during the 19th century, they had two young female servants, sisters Emily and Mary O'Connell. Mary sadly died of pneumonia from living in her freezing cold room and her spirit is said to be attached to the castle and refuses to leave its confines. Her ghost was also said to have followed her sister Emily from room to room in an attempt to comfort her in her grieve.

However, in the school area, most accounts have not involved the actual sighting of a spirit. Instead, they involve strange goings on such as moving chairs in the library, and a heater that turns itself on of its own accord! A witness who attended the school some years ago attempted to conduct a séance with some friends. They asked for something to occur that would result in time off school, so long as no one was harmed. As they made the request, the window slammed itself shut and the board rubber fell to the floor. To the students' surprise and shock, the next day the school was indeed shut. A storm had hit in the night causing several trees to fall, blocking the way to the castle.

A coincidence? You decide!

You may already have read about the Ghost of PC Pope in the Folklore and Fairytales section of the website but you should also be interested to know that it is the lonely stretch of road between Aberbeeg and Cwm that PC Pope is said to haunt. PC Pope or Hosea Pope was a 34 year old who had only been married for eight months and was in charge of Aberbeeg Police Station. At approximately 11 pm on the night of 14 th July 1911 , he tried to detain a man called James Wise on the Aberbeeg to Abertillery Road . Wise had apparently been ‘throwing stones'. A scuffle broke out between the two men, and unfortunately within moments of their battle, Pope had dropped down dead, whilst Wise ran off in the direction of Abertillery.

Does his spirit still patrol his old beat? In 1980 a local man met a figure in a top hat near the Hanbury Hotel. The figure stared him square in the face before pulling out his pocket watch. Suddenly a woman's screams rang out from the woods near the Brondeg Filling Station at Cwm Beeg. The figure walked up on the road, glancing in the direction in which the screams came. The local man followed on behind until, near a place called Rhiw, the figure in the top hat vanished into thin air!

The small borough of Blaenau Gwent holds a disturbing yet fascinating belief that an apparition once led unwary travellers from their designated paths over the surrounding mountains causing them to lose their way, no matter how familiar they were with their route. It is traditionally believed that the apparition is that of supposed witch Juan White, a poor aged woman, recognised for wearing an oblong hat and ragged clothes.

People were often pleased to see the woman as they assumed she was there to help. However, no matter how much one endeavoured to catch up with her, the faster they walked, the further away she would become. It was impossible to over-take her, and her face was never witnessed – she never looked back.

Many have also reported hearing shouting, laughing, or strange noises from various directions and proximities around them.

Venture into the Mountains of Blaenau Gwent if you dare, but above all, stick to the path!

The A470 is a major road, starting at Cardiff it travels through the Valleys reaching Merthyr Tydfil and the A465 Head of the Valleys. It is probably one of the last places you would expect to see a ghost, but many travellers have accounted sightings of ghostly figures along the A470.

One witness stated that on several occasions while travelling on this road from Mountain Ash to Merthyr, he is positive he has seen strange figures near to the Abercynon roundabout, just past the bridge.

Another witness claims that he also saw one of the figures while driving down this road, and when he looked back, it had disappeared. To this day, he refuses to drive down that particular road as it can't be explained how the figure could have vanished from sight so speedily.

Calling all drivers on the A470 – if you don't want a fright, keep your eyes on the road!

Should you wish to stop on your travels for a relaxing drink in Rhondda Cynon Taff, you might want to pay a visit to the Rickards Arms in Treforest. However, you may encounter some unexpected visitors. Almost everyone who has worked there has seen one particular ghost at the end of the pub that once existed as stables for a coach-house. A glimpse of the spirit is usually only caught in the corner of the eye. The ghost can some times be found to be in a mischievous mood too; it once turned on a cider tap in a pub full of customers!

A previous owner of the pub has also been sighted, seemingly reaching down towards where the glasses are stored. He then vanished just before opening time, at 11am .

So come rest your weary limbs at the Rickards Arms, but be warned, you never know what surprises are in store… Note: The Rickards Arms has a restaurant and offers real ales

Dr William Price
His friendly ghost still roams the commons around Llantrisant

Dr William Price was born in 1800 and died in 1893. He was an eccentric, renowned for radical views, embracing vegetarianism, nudity, free love and unusual style of dress. He trained as a doctor in Caerphilly and London , and famously refused to treat patients who smoked.

Dr Price, who proclaimed himself to be an arch druid, employed herbal remedies which weren't generally favoured by his contemporaries.

But it was in Llantrisant, on the 18th January 1884 that he made history. Believing burial to be damaging to the environment, he cremated the dead body of his five month old son, Iesu Grist Price (Jesus Christ Price). Cremation was illegal in Britain at the time, but Dr Price's success in the court case prepared the way for the Cremation Act 1902.

He died at the age of 92 on 23 rd January 1893 , in Llantrisant and his body was cremated, as he had instructed, on top of two tons of coal. It is believed that his friendly ghost, dressed in his obscure long colourful dresses still roams the town's common.
Be warned!

A magical, mystical grotto is hidden in the depths of Pontypool Park waiting to be discovered. The famous Hanbury family of iron masters built the grotto as a summerhouse. In the eighteenth century grottos were very fashionable and built as garden features to stir up emotions and the imagination around mysterious journeys into the earth.

The full mystery of the grotto is not revealed until you enter to discover the floor that is unusually decorated with the bones and teeth of animals, set in a variety of patterns and designs. The beautiful shell decorations are rumoured to have been painstakingly created by Molly Hanbury Leigh, a wealthy widow who married into the family.

The mystical atmosphere is continued as you look upwards to a glorious fan vaulted ceiling which rises from six pillars to the central dome. An impressive sight indeed that captures the heart and spirit of Molly Hanbury Leigh.

The area in and around the town of Blaenavon gained international recognition in 2000 and became a World Heritage Site. Not only is it home to the best-preserved 18th century ironworks in Europe but it also boasts some local ghosts.

One such ghost is the vanishing hitch-hiker who has been reported on the road between the Fiddlers Elbow and The Queens Pub. The accounts stem back to the pre World War Two era. However, a cyclist has also reported being given a helping push along the same stretch of road.

Pontypool played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution and grew into a prosperous town due to the manufacture of iron, pioneered by Richard Hanbury.

More recently there have been a number of ghost sightings including the ghost of a nun in St Albans School , unexplained noises, strange smells, door shutting and footsteps at The New Inn Public House and unexplained sounds in a 1908s council house in James Street . Also, if you are brave enough you can venture to Varteg Fawr, located on the highest hillside above Pontypool . In this very isolated, desolate spot you risk coming face to face with the White Spirit of Varteg Fawr. It is said that it will be the last thing you will ever see!