Llandudno

Llandudno is Wales's largest resort, uniquely situated between the Great and Little Ormes with two wonderful beaches, the award winning North Shore and the quiet, sand duned West Shore. Llandudno has kept its Victorian and Edwardian elegance and splendour, despite its modern attractions. During the Victorian era, roads on the Great Orme were still fairly primitive and the steep slopes prevented all but the most sure footed from reaching the summit. Llandudno was fast becoming a very popular tourist resort, so it wasn't long before local businessmen latched on to the idea of a cable tramway. A little over 15 months after construction work started at the bottom of the Orme, the line was declared safe by the Board of Trade. On 31st July 1902 the first car moved off from Victoria Station, to the sound of the town band playing "God save the King". Suddenly, Llandudno's Mountain did not seem quite as big and inhospitable as it once had. Now people of all ages and physical abilities could enjoy the rugged scenery, fascinating wildlife, and spectacular views. The Great Orme had gone public! Even before the tramway was finished, work had started on a nine bedroom hotel, which adjoined an 18-hole golf course. The white building, which is now better known as the Summit Complex, has had several owners, a big fire and many 'face changes' since its grand beginnings. The R.A.F. requisitioned the hotel in 1941, and it became a temporary radar-station. Then in 1952, a champion middleweight boxer named Randolph Turpin became the resident licensee until 1961. The Llandudno Urban Council bought him out when he got into financial difficulties with the Inland Revenue. He ended his life with a single bullet in 1966. The golf course has long since disappeared but the complex is more popular than ever, boasting a Randolph Turpin Bar, themed restaurant, cafeteria and gift shop. Another unusual way of reaching the top was added in 1969. A Cabin Lift, which runs from the ornamental gardens known as Happy Valley, is the longest in Great Britain. The leisurely ride gives passengers a unique opportunity of enjoying breathtaking aerial views without actually flying!

Penrhyn Old Hall’s history

The origin of Penrhyn Old Hall is somewhat enveloped in mystery. According to Roderick Moelwynog, Prince of Wales, grandson of Cadwalder, the last King of the Britons, built a Palace on this spot early in the eighth century. The family of Penrhyn is mentioned in records in Edward 111’s reign of 1327 – 1377.

Penrhyn was described as an ancient stone house by Leyland in 1549, (John Leyland was appointed King’s Antiquary by Henry V111, and he included this district in his itinerary).

In early times there was an ancient track way past this spot, and it is more than likely that the Romans made use of it during their occupation of Wales in order to reach the copper mines on the Great Orme. This is confirmed by the discovery in 1873 and in 1907 of a large number of Roman coins dated from the time of Constantine and of Carausius.

Saxon, who mapped this area of Creuddyn in 1575, marked the four churches of the district, Eglwys Rhos, Llangwstennin, Llandrillo and St Tudno (Llandudno) but only one manor is shown, namely Penrhyn. This shows that it was a place of some importance in the days of Elizabeth 1 as both Gloddaeth Hall and Bodysgallen Hall would also have been in existence at this time.

Today, Plas Penrhyn, now known as Penrhyn Old Hall is included in the suburbs of Llandudno but in Elizabethan times it stood in a lonely rural district and housed a powerful Roman Catholic family named Pugh (their coat of arms appears over the front doorway) and Robert Pugh of Penrhyn was High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire in 1561. They kept a priest who officiated in the domestic chapel in the grounds of the house, which is now derelict. The chapel is believed to be that of the original St Mary's which was built in 1447. The chapel was also used for the boiling of pig food. It is known that in 1900 it was used as a stable. The chapel was restored in 1926 and used until 1930 when the church in St David's Road was built. There is a story published in1835, that in the late 16th century some Roman Catholics formed a conspiracy to put to death all the Protestants in Creuddyn. It was arranged for a body of men to arrive on a certain night at a spot indicated; a man employed at Gloddaeth Hall was informed by a girl in service at Penrhyn of what was going on and gave the alarm.

A messenger was sent at once from Gloddaeth for assistance and a Troop of Horse arrived and Penrhyn was surrounded. Some of the alleged conspirators escaped whilst others were taken. The priests who were supposedly involved escaped for nearly a year. One of them was William Davis. Their time of hiding was spent writing and operating a printing press in a cave on the Little Orme. This is where the first book printed in Wales was made.

They were subsequently arrested in Holyhead trying to board a boat to Ireland. William Davis was hanged, drawn and quartered in Beaumaris in 1593. It is believed that the Pugh’s acquired his hand and concealed it in a hole behind the house. After the departure of the Pugh’s, among other things left behind was an old trunk. When this was opened a withered hand was found inside, supposedly belonging to the priest William Davis. There is a stone dated 1590 above the large fireplace in the Tudor Bar commemorating his stay here. The fireplace also hides a priest hole. William Davis was beatified by the pope in 1990.

There was a tale from the 1720’s which may or not be wholly true. One of the Pugh’s was an only son with two sisters. He travelled abroad for many years until he was presumed that he had perished. Much later he returned home as a beggar only to find his sisters did not believe he was their long lost brother, probably because they had gained their parents’ inheritance. To prove his identity he stated that as a youth he had placed a needle between one of the joists and the ceiling of the kitchen. This was found. He then proceeded to the pear tree in the garden where some bark was removed to reveal a nail which he said he had also placed there. With this he was seized, flogged with a whip which had large pins fixed to it and then ejected from the premises. A neighbour who had recognised him, for who he was, took him into his home until one day he went out, never to return. Many years later a complete skeleton of a man was found in the lime kiln at the side of the house. It is possible this could have been the missing brother.

In 1760 Penrhyn Hall became the home of Dr. John Williams, Archbishop of York and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal to King James 1, and later to a family named Owen who found the first of the Roman coins in 1873. It seems both from records and the style of architecture of certain parts of the Hall, that the greater portion of the present building, the wing of the stepped gable was completed in 1422. The front hall is, on the whole, the same as the building that stood at the end of the Elizabethan reign, though there may be differences in detail both inside and out. This old portion is shaped like the letter H, a central block containing the main entrance joining together two wings. The nearest portion of the central block is of uncertain date. The rest of the house was standing, for it had been built quite a few years before the Pugh family came to the Hall. Although there have been changes as the centuries have gone by, it may be truly called the same building as that in which William Davis was received as an honoured guest.

The entrance hall was partly cut out of solid rock which also forms the wall in places. In this room can be found a Madonna cupboard with the inscription “ Heddwch, Llonyddwch, a Chymdogaeth Dda”, which roughly translates as Peace, Tranquillity and Good Neighbourliness. The cupboard is dated 18th century.

The history of Penrhyn Old Hall from 1739 is a quiet and uneventful period, when Penrhyn became like many others of its kind in Wales – just an ordinary farmhouse.

From 1850 until his death in 1899 the house was occupied as a farm by Mr. Dan Phillips. It is said that the great-great grandfather of the present Lord Mostyn was a great friend of the Phillips family. The house was later occupied by Mr. Booth-Jones up to his untimely death on the Lusitania in May 1915. Mr. Carrington-Sellers then bought Penrhyn Old Hall and made a lot of alterations especially to the windows, mainly enlarging them. He kept it as a private house. Since then the Hall has been an antique shop and museum, a hotel, during which time the tennis court at the rear was built, a private house and tearooms.

The Soul continues to exist

There is nothing more important to us as living beings than that we have something we can describe as a soul that continues to exist after physical death and is everlasting.  For without this, it is all for nothing and  there was no point in existing at all for ultimately it does not matter if we live for a year or a trillion years if we do not have immortality.  And in fact not having such would really be the ultimate cruelty. If one believes in spirits or ghosts, haunted houses and such, does it affect your views on religion and spirituality? And if so, how? Now those are interesting questions that you're not going to find anywhere on Ghost Hunters or other ghost-hunting reality TV shows. Curiously it's left out of the equation, probably for fear of offending some of the audience. In my case, living in a haunted house has left its mark on my spirituality, though for some reason I'm loathe to admit it. I've never been particularly religious, however, and despite the fact that I now believe in spirits -- and thus life after death -- I'm still not religious. Spiritually, though, things have changed a bit. Once you experience what I often call “in your face” events -- virtually incontrovertible evidence of intelligent, disembodied entities, it begins to seem like self-denial to remain agnostic about life after death. Death is not as many imagine it to be. All of us at the hour of our death will see and experience much to which we are not accustomed. Some think death is a sleep without dreams. You close your eyes, fall asleep and there is nothing more, just darkness. Sleep ends in the morning, but death is eternal. Many are very frightened of the unknown and of the question, "what will happen to me?" So, instead, they choose not to think about death. However, deep within us there is always the knowledge of the inevitable and an accompanying sense of disquiet. Each one of us will have to cross that boundary. We should contemplate it and prepare ourselves.

Some say, "What is there to contemplate or prepare for? It's beyond our control. Our time will come and we will die — that is it. While there is time, we must take everything we can from life. Eat, drink, love, achieve power and glory, earn money, etc. Don't dwell on anything unpleasant or upsetting and certainly don't think about dying." Many follow this ideation.

Yet at times each of us may have more disturbing questions: "What if that's not the case? What if death is not the end? What if I find myself in a completely new place with my abilities to see hear and feel intact?" And most importantly, "what if our future beyond the threshold depends in part on the way in which we lived this life and what we were before we crossed the threshold of death?" So how does all this make me feel about dying? If you really, really believe that an afterlife exists, doesn't death seem less frightening? I suppose it does a little. Sometimes I try to imagine myself on my deathbed, thinking how close death is for me. I try to imagine how that would really feel. In truth, I don't feel hugely different about dying, even as I have grown older.

One of the reasons for this is that I've gotten good indications (not proof) from spirits that “crossing over” is painless and easy for everyone. You're really not very aware of transitioning to anything or into anything, it just happens and, poof! You’re there. I look at it now and think, one day I will be going home.

 

 

Members attending the investigation

Andrea Ellis, Lorraine Ellis, Kate Lloyd, Nic Fraipont, Mia Lindop, Tim Cowell, Mike Griffiths, and Jimmy Ellis

The Investigation

The Paranormal activity is said to be widespread with many stories of ‘strange’ occurrences being reported – and for many years.

Previous activity has included: people hearing unexplained noises and witnesses having seen ghostly figures, apparitions, moving shadows, sudden flashes of light and many other peculiar sights.

A very atmospheric place indeed. Would we unlock Penrhyn Hall’s dark secrets, we were about to find out.

After performing a protection prayer Jim and Mike performed their usual baseline test throughout each room to try and find any EMF spikes. We've all heard reports of ghostly activity where lamps flicker, TV sets turn themselves on and off, mysterious voices and sounds come through radio and stereo speakers, etc. Since light is also a form of electromagnetic radiation, paranormal researchers could argue that all visual sightings, including the appearance of "orbs" and other mystery objects in photographs, should also be classified as electromagnetic. And let's not forget about EVP which, by definition, is electronic in nature.

We started our investigation in the oldest part of this magnificent building and our medium soon started to draw spirits to him. He became aware of a lady and a gentleman standing close to the old fireplace and described the lady as being in her 70’s and both devout Catholics. Both the man and woman wore predominantly black and white clothing, she resembled a nun, but she wasn’t a nun. Her head, neck and arms were covered by a white garment and only her facial features peered out. On her head she wore what looked like a small white bonnet with a little frill across the top of her forehead. She also wore a black short sleeved blouse which appeared pinched in at the hip and a long flowing black skirt that covered any shoes she may have been wearing. This elderly lady gave her name as Joan Pugh and she was the lady of the house. This lady was not too happy about the events that had taken place involving her husband Robert and a Father William Davies who was a close family friend. Davies, who she said was a good man had apparently been hung, drawn and quartered in  Beaumaris around the 1890’s This man’s head had been impaled on a pole and displayed for all to see as a deterrent to others. She said William had been helping catholic priests In Holyhead escape across to Ireland to escape protestant persecution. The gentleman was described as wearing a white shirt with pointed collars, he wore a black tunic over the top, his black leggings ended just above his knee’s and wore tight white stockings and black shoes. Although he was showing himself younger than the lady he was her husband Robert Pugh. The only information our medium managed to glean from him was something about a Mirror and a book. We where told at the end of the night by Guy Marsh that Robert Pugh and Father William Davis had written a book called “The Christian Mirror”

Other information our medium revealed from a spirit included the death of a young man who had been set upon by four men and killed, his body was placed in a lime barrel. Our medium gave this man’s name as Jonathon, he had returned to the house and was the rightful owner however the present owner wanted him gone and paid others to kill him and dispose of his body.

Mike also picked up on a cavalier from around 1680 by the name of Thomas Bulkeley who was very elaborately dressed with a yellow sash across his chest and a big floppy black hat but no feather as depicted in most cavalier pictures. He was a tall man and had a very large black moustache. He was apparently related to Joan Pugh whose maiden name must have been Bulkeley so whether he was her grandson, I don’t know, or why he should return there in visitation is also unclear. Although spirits can be quite talkative they don’t always give you the answers you want and it can be very frustrating for any medium. 

Another spirit he picked up on was a young teenage girl who had been bludgeoned to death. Again Guy told our group that a young girl who lived a few hundred yards away from the hall had been beaten or bludgeoned to death some years ago…Could this be this young girl’s spirit, unfortunately he couldn’t get a name for her and her spirit energy dispersed. Some other names he came out with included Ceinwen and Mary, thought to either belong to the Pugh family or perhaps had worked for them in some capacity.

The only thing of note that was gleaned was that our medium picked up on a building that had stood on the same site prior to the hall and it had some link to do with princes and again at the end of the night Guy said that it had indeed been a building where princes and the leaders of all the welsh clans had held their meetings there.

Table Tipping & Ouija Board

Again the table tipping proved quite successful when we asked for the spirits to help us by moving the table, the table began to rock back and forth and then move across the floor. Most of the female members of the group went onto the Ouija Board. Most of the information that we gleaned from it was of a personal nature and we never divulge personal information.

Noises that were picked up were as if a chair was being dragged along the floor when there were no chairs in the room, various noises like taps and bangs and a deep breath were also heard. We have still got to do some analysis i.e. play back the voice recorders and examine the footage on our night vision cameras that had been set up in all the rooms, plus the night vision camcorder that was used. Again we enjoyed the investigation and discovered some interesting facts about those who lived and died at this magnificent location.

We would like to thank Guy Marsh of the Penrhyn Old Hall for allowing us in to this fabulous location to search for paranormal activity and we look forward to returning there in the near future.