Branwen, the Knights and Llanbedr Hall

The eleven stories of the Mabinogion taken together are a  fine example of medieval European literature. The stories are contained in two Welsh collections, the White Book of Rhydderch, recorded about 1300-1325, and the Red Book of Hergest written down  about 1375-1425.

BRANWEN DAUGHTER OF LLYR
Bendigeidfran son of Llyr was crowned king over the Island of the Mighty and made noble with the crown of London. The king of Ireland, Matholwch, came towards the land with thirteen ships from the south of Ireland to ask for the hand of Branwen the daughter of Llyr.
Branwen returned with Matholwch to Ireland, and there was great joy towards her. A son was born to them, Gwern son of Matholwch,.who was given to be fostered in the best place for men in Ireland
However, within three years Branwen had dishonour brought upon her and was ill-treated so she sent a letter, attached to a starling, to her brother Bendigeidfran in Wales telling him of her troubles. There and then the king decided to muster an army from his Island and sail to Ireland to rescue his sister. He left seven knights to take charge of this Island based in the township of Ederirnon, thus the name of Seith Marchawg - seven riders - was given to the township
Much fighting and strife ensued with Bendigeidfran having his head struck off and Branwen dying as a result, as she saw it, of two good Islands laid to waste because of her.

Seith Marchawg - now known as Bryn S M -  is not very far from Llanbedr Hall Estate which is within the path and jurisdiction of the knights, to the coastal area of Wales for the passage to Ireland by sea.
Are the seven knights of the story of Branwen the seven phantom riders of the many sightings witnessed over the years?

                                                                Illustration by Alan Lee

Pursued by the Paranormal

The teacher arrived at the Welsh class somewhat late and a little agitated. There was a sudden hush in the room as the students quickly gathered that Bethan Jones was rather too troubled to be simply upset about being late. After sympathetic enquiries her emotions overcame her and she was visibly shaking.
" I am so sorry for keeping you all waiting, but I found it so difficult to drive here. I kept stopping through fear and panic, and no rational reasoning could make it stop."
She then proceeded to relate the terrifying, supernatural incidence which happened the previous day.

Bethan and her husband Bryn were driving along a main road through Denbighshire:

 Bethan said, ‘Bryn, I can hear horses… galloping along… honestly, there are horses.’

    ‘Oh, yes dear, horses do usually gallop along a main road - I don’t think,’ replied Bryn.

    ‘Bryn, I tell you, horses are galloping along the road.’  Bethan was getting agitated. ‘Can’t you hear anything?’

As Bethan spoke those words the noise became louder and louder, on and on, clatter, clatter, pounding, thundering, booming into their ears!

Just then a group of horses and their riders came right up to them, alongside the car, going in the same direction; first blocking the light, then spreading round the whole of the vehicle, engulfing them, smothering them as if the metal object they were travelling in could be crumpled in a second by the power and strength of the massive horses.

 The riders seemed to be dressed as knights from the Dark Ages, armoured warriors trained to fight on horseback, brandishing their swords. But the most shocking thing of all was when each of them turned at exactly the same moment and peered into the car, staring at Bryn and Bethan with the most icy, empty glare, straight into their eyes.

The couple were gasping for air, their hearts pounding and their bodies shaking with fear as Bryn clung onto the wheel, and Bethan grasped the door, desperately holding on for dear life.

They were petrified; cold shivers running through their bodies. Fear seemed to paralyse them like a clamp, making them powerless to escape from the horrifying images pressing onto the car windows.

The knights held their gaze as they galloped along, trying to force their will over the driver’s control, but Bryn realized, in the grip of his fear, this was something supernatural. He also realized their only hope of beating it was the car. He called out to Bethan, ‘Hold on! We have to beat them. We’ll try to drive through them.’

His foot hit the accelerator, and they shot out of the ghostly trap, like crazed animals suddenly released from a cage.

The students were fascinated although rather sceptical, until one member of the class said, " Actually I live in Llanbedr Hall Drive and I have heard a very similar story several times but in different circumstances. Certainly, the ghostly knights on horseback feature every time.

"Next week I will tell you from where I think they came."

The Spectre of the Horse Riders

Handed down through many generations of village folk and their storytelling tradition in the area of Llanbedr Hall, the North Wales country estate, is the tale of the seven horse riders.
Each sighting has the same thread running through and similar descriptions of seven warriors on horseback usually presumed to be and described as 'medieval knights' charging their way with steely determination whist flailing their weapons.

Some years ago, after the manor house had recovered from its derelict state and was being used for events and activities, a group of dancers were practising in the former banqueting area of the hall when very gradually the sound of galloping horses seemed to be heard. Only a few people were alerted at first, but gradually more members turned their attention to the oncoming onslaught, rapidly becoming a total invasion of thunderous sound..
Everyone's attention automatically turned to the right wall of the room where all the huge windows were and through them saw, in the distance, the spectre of impending slaughter as the seven aggressive  horsemen rapidly galloped towards the windows.
The group froze on the spot. There was no alternative. The horsemen would crash through the windows and annihilate them.
But that did not happen - to the dancers' absolute amazement the horsemen glided through the windows, through the group of people, through the wall to the left, and disappeared towards the mountains.

Who were these horse riders -  from where and whence did they come?

The group never quite recovered from this experience and consequently made extensive enquiries amongst local people but  to their chagrin most of the locals were not in the least perturbed. They'd heard it all before - if not the same, definitely nearly the same.

 
An illustration from Alan Lee - The Mabinogion of Dark age Knight

Haunting of the Walled Garden

In its heyday the estate's magnificent walled garden was the source of most of the produce required by the family and workforce. It included greenhouses, orchards and many rare plants. However, since becoming a sanatorium and housing a mortuary, then later becoming overgrown, totally neglected and derelict, these conflicting states caused much spiritual activity and discord between the ghosts of each era.

The presence of children's voices, happy  and carefree but then merging into sobbing, screams and desperate cries have frequently been experienced and recorded. One particular occasion was when a group of children were exploring the ramshackled gardens when they were entranced by the laughter of children and quickly made their way towards the activity only to be stopped in their tracks by a searing, painful sound which made them run for their lives.
To this day, the person who told this tale cannot bring himself to explain further because it is too disturbing.

Many, many sightings have been related of the 'man in black' - John Jesse the last of the gentry to own the estate. He is intimidating, ugly and disfigured with an evil aura.
The most frequent ghost to roam he seems to resent any presence in the area, although one witness reported the apparition being quite friendly looking and not in the least threatening; but this person was trying to excavate a small patch of the original garden and nurture some plants - the first attempt since John Jesse's devotion to the garden.

Since then 50% of the walled garden has been returned completely and sympathetically to its former glory and no recent sighting of the ghost of John Jesse has been reported.

Perhaps John Jesse can now rest in peace..

Old walled garden door

TB sanatorium then decay

After the death of John Jesse in 1865 the manor house eventually became a private sanatorium in 1901, primarily for the treatment of Tuberculosis, but when Hugh Morriston Davies took over in 1918 it achieved worldwide fame in the treatment of thoracic diseases. The sanatorium closed in 1953.

The estate did not sell and gradually became almost derelict until a few years later an entrepreneur from Liverpool bought it and almost single-handedly turned the manor house into an hotel and later it became apartments and a restaurant. It is now almost derelict again, but not without the the collection of spirits, ghosts and supernatural phenomenon which has been apparent since the estate was first built around 1650.

The four diaries written by John Jesse were started in August 1859 and recorded the journey to Chester to take his daughter Sarah to boarding school. A system whereby the child boards at the school in term time.
He was obviously quite upset at the prospect and stated that he slept badly that night.
In the last diary dated 1865 he describes his failing health and how he was considering the drafting of his will.

However, why were these diaries not bequeathed to his family? Why were they squirrelled away in a secret drawer within his desk? We will never know, but the desk survived through the hospital years, the terrible neglect and is probably still there! The dairies were discovered by the owner from Liverpool in the 1950's.

                                                     Library Window  -  centre with balcony

It is apparent from the diaries that John Jesse devoted his life to the affairs of the estate which was very much self-sufficient, but also to the local community and the unfortunates in Ruthin with his medical training. It is believed that the many sightings of him as a 'ghost' nicknamed .'the man in black' as he appears all dressed in black, bent and with a stick, and being quite intimidating and frightening, is due to his total disgust and unrest at the fate of his beloved property.

The Ghosts of Llanbedr Hall

After the demise of John Jesse, head of the last family to be termed 'of the gentry', his wife and children found themselves in dire straights. As a retired doctor who married late in life and left young children, he found himself unable to manage the estate and all his local duties as well as provide for the lengthy future of his growing family.The hall and estate were. sold privately and debts settled in 1865.
In fact much of the detail of his family life became apparent with the discovery of  four diaries, dating from 1859 - 1865, left in a secret drawer in his former library, but only found one hundred years later.


First page of John Jesse's Diary

Ghosts in our midst

Is there a reason for certain ghost stories to prevail, century after century ? Carried through the generations within storytelling traditions.
Follow this journey and find out why !

Having moved to North Wales some years ago I was intrigued by the tales and rumours told by local folks - especially the ghost stories reiterated by well known skeptics.