The Haunting Ruins of Pennard Castle...

Half buried in windblown sand along the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, is what's left of the once majestic, Pennard Castle.

By Eiona R

Commissioned by Henry de Beaumont, the first Earl of Warwick in the twelth century, the castle has slowly been consumed by time and sand after its abandonment right around the turn of the fifteenth century. Now all that's left is the gatehouse, the curtain wall, and the remains of the Norman Hall - oh - and the ghosts, of course.

They say that the Gwrach y Rhibyn (The scary banshee creature of Wales) haunts the area. Stories handed down through the centuries tell us that anyone daft enough to spend the night inside the castle, won't live to see the dawn! We also have tales of a ghostly woman, consumed by sorrow, who walks the grounds on moonless nights. Some say that despair caused her to walk into a nearby lake from which she never emerged--at least not in mortality. No one is quite sure who she is, or what caused her sorrow.

Personal Photo of Three Cliffs Bay near Pennard Castle

Tylwyth Teg or The Fair Folk of Ancient Welsh Legend.

The Tylwyth Teg--or the Fair Folk--are the ethereal, fair-haired, beautiful fairies of ancient Welsh myth. They were kindhearted as well as mischievous, and they were a curious mixture of both good and evil. However, according to Owen's Welsh dictionary, unlike other fairies that dwell within Great Britain, these fairies are not your typical Tinker Bell Fairies which fit nicely in the palm of your hand. You see, as a whole, these fairies are quite tall.

Take the Fair Face of Woman by Sophie Anderson 1823-1903

These lovely beings are said to live very happily in lakes or streams or in the hollows of the hills. The women folk are called y mamau or mothers. They dance gracefully in the moonlight, make fairy rings, heap treasures on those they favor, steal little children (especially those with fair hair) and substitute them for gifts or changelings. They also create fairy paths and those that follow such a path should do so with caution.

Beneath the Sea... The Kingdom of Cantre'r Gwaelod...

Llys Helig isn’t the only kingdom to have disappeared beneath the sea in Wales. We also have Cantre'r Gwaelod (or the Lowland Hundred as translated into English), sometimes called the Welsh Atlantis. This fertile tract of land once existed between Bardsay and Ramsay Islands. However, if you want to visit it now, you might have to get yourself a wet suit and scuba gear, and then dive to the bottom of what is now Cardigan Bay, West Wales.

Sunset Over Cardigan Bay by Peter Broster

As with other lost kingdoms, a legend or two is also associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod. If we go way back in history and take a look at the Black Book of Carmarthen, we find mentioned therein, the land of Maes Gwyddno or the plain of Gwyddno. According to this book, the sea swallowed Cantre'r Gwaelod when a maiden named Mererid ignored her duties and in consequence of the neglect, the well overflowed. (Doesn’t make any real sense to me either…)