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Series 5 Countdown

Maes Artro Heritage, Llanbedr, N.Wales

On September 11, 12 and 13th, the Most Haunted Live team investigate Llanbedr, North Wales. The site, at Maes Artro Heritage, served as the living quarters for the adjacent RAF Llanbedr air base during WWII. The base opened in 1941 as a training and rest camp for active squadrons. Since then, the base has witnessed much violent loss of life. Unexplained crashes and accidents were frequent and rumours abound of other macabre incidents...

Located in Llanbedr near Harlech, Maes Artro Village Museum includes three different museums that portray life in the 20th century. The RAF Museum gives the history of RAF Llanbedr, which used Maes Artro Village as its living quarters; the Rural Heritage museums shows how people lived before the electric revolution and the Yester Years Museum features a re-created Welsh village street from the 1900.

Most Haunted Live :: Halloween 2004

Venue :: Pendle Hill

History

The relatively undiscovered region known as Pendle takes its name from Pendle Hill, which can be seen from different angles throughout the area, the 'pen' being the same word as the Welsh for 'hill'.

Pendle Hill towers 1,831 ft. above the region, and as well as the obvious connection with the history of the Witches in 1612, it used to be a beacon hill at the time of the Spanish Armada.

The hill has been associated with the formation of the Quakers and of Methodism, In 1652 George Fox, the founder of the Quakers, had a vision after climbing to its summit. The Quakers flourished, but at the time were often bitterly persecuted.

The village of Trawden was home to their first meeting house in 1697, although membership began to fall around 1844, doubtless due to the strict mode of life adopted by the movement. Methodism too flourished under its founder, John Wesley, who was inspired in his sermons by the beautiful Pendle countryside and landscapes. In 1759 he was preaching to his followers in Waterside in Colne.

In 1821 Methodism flourished under Sir William Hartley Pickles and many chapels can still be seen in the region, although many have now been converted into private homes.

Sir William Hartley Pickles was one of the region's famous sons - he set up factories for jam making and preserving, whose products grew to be world famous and helped to put the area on the map. Another well-known local was one Wallace Hartley, a musician on the ill-fated 'Titanic', who bravely played 'Nearer my God to thee' as the ship was sinking, and indeed perished with his fellow musicians and most of the passengers. He is buried in Colne and has a memorial dedicated to him in the town, which has been visited by people worldwide, particularly since the success of the recent film about the story.

The architecture of the area still reflects its history - Nelson and Colne were once towns at the heart of the Lancashire cotton industry, made famous by the author Robert Neill, author of 'Mist over Pendle' and 'Songs of Sunrise', telling the story of the lives of people in the area during the 19th Century, when passions were aroused by the introduction of power looms. Before the turn of the century indeed most people in the region were earning their living on the land or from textiles, the early morning and evening noise of clogs on cobbles could be heard throughout the area. The area also saw the Chartist riots and the arrival of gas light, and also the steam railway, the building of the Leeds/Liverpool canal for the transportation of cloth from the mills to the port of Liverpool and wool to the factories in Leeds.

The area has several pretty villages with historical connections, one of which is Wycoller (pictured right), the buildings reflecting the architecture of the 17th Century, and it is said that the Old Hall inspired Charlotte Bronte to make it the 'Ferndean Manor' in her 'Jane Eyre'. The villages of Barley and Roughlee feature in the history of the Pendle Witches. All the Pendleside villages have historical backgrounds and we can only hope to give you a taste here of their charm and beauty but we feel you will be captivated by the character and mystery of the area under the shadow of Pendle Hill.

For info on the Pendle Witches visit

http://www.pendlewitchproject.co.uk

Most Haunted Live :: Christmas 2004

Venue :: Blackpool

Blackpool Pleasure Beach,The Tower, Winter Gardens

Derek, Yvette, and the team investigate the town of Blackpool. Under the darkened New Moon what will they uncover, and what will they learn about Blackpools curious past!

Most Haunted Live

Venue :: Torbay

Day 1 Lupton House

Day 2 The Globe Hotel, Brixham Heritage Museum, Smugglers Haunt

Day 3 Berry Pomeroy Castle

The Most Haunted Team are spending the Weekend in South Devon at Torbay and Brixham. Famous for its history of smuggling from ships, as well as other dark goings on around the area. What will they find out as they explore the Lupton Hall, a house built in the late 1700's? What disaster befell the Hall? And who are the spirits which refuse to leave?

 

Most Haunted Live :: Summer Solstice 2003

Venue :: Woodchester Mansion

The day when the power of the sun is at its greatest and the power of the darkness is even more so ... when Derek, Yvette and Phil with the Most Haunted team are sent out to unravel the secrets of Woodchester Mansion

History

The present, incomplete Mansion at Woodchester Park replaced a Georgian country house called Spring Park, which was first built at the beginning of the 17th Century and named for the many springs in the valley. The estate, which had much earlier origins, which included Nympsfield, parts of the parishes of Frocester, Kings Stanley, Avening and Horsley, as well as Woodchester village, and formed part of the land holdings of the second Earl of Ducie. It was put up for sale by them in 1844.

William Leigh, a devout convert to the Roman Catholic church, bought the estate in 1845 for £100,000, moving from his home at Little Aston Hall in Staffordshire. Leigh approached Augustus Welby Pugin, co-architect of the newly built Palace of Westminster, inviting him to design a new house in the fashionable Gothic style. After initial discussions Pugin dropped out of consideration, and Leigh looked elsewhere.

Leigh gave land in nearby South Woodchester to the Congregation of Passionists for the construction of a Roman Catholic church and a monastery for the Passionist brothers. His architect was now Charles Francis Hansom of Bristol, brother of the designer of the Hansom Cab.

By 1854 Leigh returned to the idea of creating a grand Gothic mansion in Woodchester Park, and a new set of designs was prepared by Hansom’s office. By 1859, however, most of the drawings were being produced by Hansom’s assistant Benjamin Bucknall, who was local to the Stroud area. Bucknall was very young for the responsibility of such a large scheme, being only 21 when he began. However his passion for the spiritual qualities of the purest forms of Gothic architecture led to Leigh entrusting him with the Mansion project. Bucknall was greatly influenced by the French architect and writer, Viollet-le-Duc, whose greatest treatise, the "Dictionnaire Raisonne de L'Architecture Francaise du Xième au XVIème Siecle", provided a treasure chest of ideas for the young Englishman. Bucknall eventually translated the work into English.

Woodchester is undoubtedly Bucknall’s masterpiece and, even incomplete, illustrates his profound grasp of the medieval Gothic tradition. It is rich in architectural form and details and appears today as an astonishing blend of the domestic and the monastic, with brewery, bakery and laundry cheek-by-jowl with one of the most beautiful private chapels in England. The exact date for the start of building is uncertain, but by 1858 the clock tower had been completed, and by 1866 the main building had been roofed. In its heyday there were over 100 people of varying trades working on the site.

A 1904 Postcard of the Lake William Leigh died in 1873. His son, also William Leigh (known locally as Squire Leigh) did not have his father’s religious vocation and he asked a number of architects, including Bucknall, to give advice about his father’s house. Many schemes were advanced, including recommendations to demolish and rebuild – advice which uncannily echoed A.W. Pugin’s original advice on Spring Park. No scheme was taken up, perhaps because the estate was now considered too small to support the original Mansion and funds for total rebuilding were too scarce. The only work of any significance to be carried out after Leigh’s death was the completion of the Drawing Room for a visit by Cardinal Vaughan in 1894.

The estate remained in the Leigh family until 1938. Vincent Leigh, Squire Leigh’s son, lived in part of the Mansion at the turn of the century whilst his sisters Blanche and Beatrice lived at Scar Hill, the lodge near the main gate. Blanche and Beatrice sold the estate to the Barnwood Trust, who intended to convert the Mansion into a mental home. But the house was somehow, once again, left undisturbed.

American/Canadian Tents in the ParkAfter 1938 the Park and its Mansion had a chequered history. American and Canadian troops used it as a base during the Second World War, constructing pontoon bridges over the lake in preparation for D-Day. In the 1950s the Mansion became a field study centre, but was not altered. After further changes of ownership Stroud District Council bought the Mansion, now classified as a Grade 1 Listed building, to save it from ruin. (English Heritage provided 75% of the £20,000 cost). Emergency repairs costing £30,000 were carried out, again aided by English Heritage. But heritage and conservation organisations considered the Mansion too expensive a project to undertake.

A shell exploding in the lakeIn 1988 the Woodchester Mansion Conservation Group was set up by local people, becoming a Charitable Trust in 1989. In 1992, as The Woodchester Mansion Trust, the new body signed a 99-year lease on the Mansion and 23 acres of pasture. The Trust is repairing the house, preserving it in its unfinished state with regular public access, and provides training in stonemasonry, conservation and architecture, with courses for students and the general public. It is the only on-site training opportunity nationally for students of stonemasonry.

The Heritage Trust has set about the task of raising more than £5 million for repairs to complete its programme of conservation for the Mansion. With the help of an initial Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £815,000, the Trust has been able to complete the first three phases of restoration, including the repair of the Grand Staircase, essential works to the rainwater system and in 2003 the restoration of the West Range and Clock Tower.

Most Haunted Live :: Elstree Studios

History

Elstree Film Studios has a long and colourful history. The present facilities are built on land originally purchased in 1925, to locate a 'silent' studio constructed one year later. At that time, ALFRED HITCHCOCK was engaged as a staff director and was responsible for a number of films, including the first British talkie, Blackmail.

During the pre-war years, the Studios undertook pioneering work in colour films and produced the first French talkie and the first multi-lingual film. It launched a number of pre-war movie acting careers including those of CHARLES LAUGHTON, RAY MILLAND, STEWART GRANGER, LAURENCE OLIVIER, ROBERT NEWTON, ANNA NEAGLE, VIVIEN LEIGH and MAUREEN O'HARA.

During 1939, the original Studio closed and was commandeered for 'wartime purposes'. A few years later, Warner Bros. Purchased a 25share in the parent company, ABPC, and the Studio was largely rebuilt before re-opening in 1948. The first major post-war movies were Stage Fright with MARLENE DIETRICH and The Hasty Retreat starring RONALD REAGAN. Post war careers launched at Elstree include RICHARD HARRIS, AUDREY HEPBURN, LAURENCE HARVEY and RICHARD TODD.

The 1950's and 60's saw productions such as Moby Dick with GREGORY PECK, Kings Rhapsody with ERROL FLYNN, The Dam Busters, Look Back In Anger and hit TV series such as The Avengers and The Saint. The stars GARY COOPER, JEFF CHANDLER and TALLULAH BANKHEAD were to make their last movies at Elstree.

Between 1959 and 1975 Hammer Films produced 39 films here starring such actresses as STEPHANIE BEACHAM, MARSHA HUNT and KATE O'MARA. Films included the comedies On The Buses and Man About The House, the ambitious The Lost Continent as well as the chiller thrillers for which the company is notorious, such as 'The Horror of Frankenstein, The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb and The Vampire Lovers.

Elstree was busy throughout the 1970's and 80's with productions such as Murder On The Orient Express, Never Say Never Again, the Star Wars trilogy, the Indiana Jones trilogy and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The post-production facilities were used on a wide range of movies, including Chariots of Fire, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Last Emperor.

During 1986, Cannon purchased the Studios and sold off the film library - before announcing closure plans during 1988. The complex was then purchased by Brent Walker who agreed with the planning authority to retain 15.5 acres as a film studio, in return for permission to sell 12 acres of land to Tesco Superstore for £19 million. The agreement involved rebuilding the facility and its leisure amenities, and maintaining them for 25 years.
The Section 106 planning agreement, signed in 1990, was designed to secure the Studio's future. However, in 1993, Brent Walker announced it was closing the facility, as it wished to maximise the site's value. A legal fight ensued that lasted until Brent Walker offered the Studio to Hertsmere Borough Council for £1.9 million in February 1996, in return for dropping all legal actions.
From 1988 onwards, a successful voluntary 'Save Our Studios' campaign was mounted, which resulted in world wide media coverage, a 700 strong audience at a public meeting and nearly 30,000 petition signatures. It was successful in enlisting the support of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Lord Attenborough and a host of stars including PETER CUSHING who offered to lie down in front of the bulldozers!

After Hertsmere Borough Council bought the Studio in February 1996, it soon reopened for business with a British Lottery assisted movie Peggy Su starring BURT KWOUK. Next to be produced was the $25 million Warner Bros. movie Watch That Man starring BILL MURRAY and JOANNE WHALLEY. This spoof spy thriller was subsequently re-titled The Man Who Knew Too Little.
Since reopening, Elstree Studios has proved an attractive facility for commercials including those for BT, Cointreau, Pontins, Success, One To One (with IAN WRIGHT), St.Ives Swiss Formula, Bisto (with JULIE WALTERS) and Puma.
Elstree has also attracted numerous television productions such as a 90 minute film of Jane Eyre for LWT, interiors for the long-running Last of The Summer Wine, Wuthering Heights, Big Women, The Fast Show and The Judas Tree ballet for Channel 4. Major television series to use Elstree's sound stages include Kavanagh QC and Playing The Field and big TV productions include the BBC's Tom Jones and Coming Home starring JOANNA LUMLEY and veteran actor PETER O'TOOLE.

http://www.elstreefilmtv.com

Investigation Events

The most interesting encounters they experienced, included the spirits of a family located in one of the large empty studios. It is belived this family died during the great plague of the 17th Century, and that the area where the studio now stands they passed away together, trying to escape from the awful disease.

Various paranomal activity occured during the investigation, including the switching off of a televsion set and a candle falling over many time.

Live In Liverpool

The BlueCoat
The BlueCoat is the oldest building in Liverpool and was completed in 1725, although the foundation of what was to become a school for boys, was launched earlier in 1708 by Reverend Robert Styth and Bryan Blundell.

In 1713, the Reverend Styth passed on, and the following year, Blundell gave up his seafaring career to apply himself to the then BlueCoat School - formally known as Blue Coat Hospital, which was dedicated to promotion of Christian charity and training of poor boys. At the time it housed 50 boys.

In 1756 Bryan Blundell died. He had been treasurer of the school since 1714 and during his service had seen it expand to provide places for boys and girls. By the early 1800’s there were more than 300 children housed here and by 1906 the school moved to a larger premise in Wavertree.

Sadly, this historical building was badly damaged in 1941 during the Merseyside blitz. Eight years later, the "Bluecoat Society for the Arts" began restoration on this old building and its completion was celebrated in 1951 with a series of concerts.

But with an old, ravaged building comes an even more interesting paranormal history. Visitors and staff have seen child-like apparitions in the west wing and through the school hallways. In the room at the top floor (thought to have potentially been a room for punishment), the sound of a child's cries have been heard here. On the top corridor, a lady in a long, grey dress has been spotted by a previous tenant.

Several years ago, there was much activity in the garden, when a lady in Victorian attire, accompanied by a man in a stovepipe hat was reported standing there. Other strange occurrences including: unusual creaking sounds that spread through the building at night, the feeling of an odd "presence" in the Green room behind the concert hall, poltergeist activity with the stock cupboard closing of its own volition and doors opening and closing on their own.

Royal Court Theatre
Originally an old well, the site of the theatre provided a meeting place for the early inhabitants of Liverpool, as they drew their water, from the 12th Century onwards.

In its early years the site of the Royal Court seemed haunted by disaster. After incarnations as Cookes New Circus in 1826 and Cookes Royal Amphitheatre of the Arts in 1830 it was eventually christened the Royal Court Theatre in 1881. In 1933 a fire completely destroyed the building (there were no recorded deaths) but construction began in March 1938 to ensure the theatre was rebuilt and reopened in October of the same year.

But the theatre has a dark side - and witnesses have reported many strange and unexplained occurrences. Staff tell of unusual noises emanating from many different rooms in the building. But that's not all - poltergeist activity has been reported and numerous items appear to have been moved by an unseen force. A figure has been seen at the top of the main seating area in the theatre, rooms turn cold and doors open and close by themselves.

The Wirral Museum
The building was designed in 1882 by local architect, Charles Ellison. Four years later, the clock in the Clock Tower was started by Elsie Laird, the daughter of Mayor William Laird on November 27. The following year, the town hall was opened but in 1901, a raging fire destroyed the tower.

In 1974, the Town Hall building became used as council offices but throughout its history, the building was used as the focal point for many local celebrations and occasions. Election results have been declared, bunting has been put on building for coronations, jubilee celebrations and dinners have been held there. Local troops have been inspected in front of the main entrance during royal visits. For over 75 years Remembrance Sunday has been celebrated by a march past the front of the building.

However, in 1990, the building became earmarked for a different purpose: to become the site for a new Wirral Museum, celebrating the history and archives of the local Wirral area.

But for all the pomp and circumstance, the building has a few secrets: museum workers report seeing the apparition of a man pass through the main reception and other rooms in the building. In the ballroom, which used to be used for local celebrations, the sound of a party, including clinking glasses and piano playing can be heard from there late at night. The sound of a dress sweeping along the floor has once followed a staff member through this room at night, too.

 

 

Most Haunted Live at Halloween

Venue :: Dudley Castle

The first Most Haunted Live episode sees the Most Haunted crew taking on Dudley Castle on Halloween night.

History

Dudley Castle was founded in the Norman style around 1071 and underwent many changes over the following centuries.

In 1530 it was rebuilt as a Renaissance palace by John Dudley who was later beheaded by Queen Mary for hatching the ill-fated plot to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne. During the Civil War the Castle was a Royalist stronghold but surrendered in 1646 following the defeat of Charles I at Naseby.

The living accommodation was used by the Earls of Dudley until 1750 when it was gutted by a huge fire which burned for three days. By then the family had moved to nearby Himley Hall, but continued to hold the site and were responsible for founding Dudley Zoo in 1937.

Most Haunted Live :: Halloween 2003

Venue :: Beaulieu Abbey

Includes special Hallowe'en edition of "Loose Lips", an entartainment show hosted by Melinda Messenger and Richard Arnold. Join them live from Beaulieu Abbey with the Most Haunted ghost hunting team.

Beaulieu Abbey was founded in 1204 by Cistercian monks on land given to them by King John. Although much was destroyed at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII, there is still much for visitors to see today.
The Domus, once the lay brothers' refectory, houses an exhibition of monastic life prior to the Abbey's purchase by Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton in 1538. Visitors can view a series of modern embroidered wall hangings depicting scenes from medieval monastic life and the history of the Abbey since 1204. The Abbey Cloister is a place of tranquillity, planted with fragrant herbs.

In medieval times, when the Abbey was an important Cistercian monastery, the monks would have provided hospitality to visitors. Indeed, by the 15th century when the monks' numbers had dwindled, the Domus was adapted to accommodate important guests.

Most Haunted Live At Christmas

Venue :: Dover Castle

Most Haunted Live at Christmas takes presenters Yvette Fielding, David Bull, spirit medium Derek Acorah, and the rest of the ghost-hunting team to Dover Castle in a bid to name the band of brigands who beheaded and robbed a young Drummer Boy in the castle grounds.

History

One of the largest castles in the country, strategically located at the shortest crossing point to continental Europe, Dover Castle has played a prominent part in national history. Its origins lie in the Iron Age, and a Roman Lighthouse and Anglo-Saxon church can still be seen within the grounds.

William of Normandy strengthened existing Anglo-Saxon fortifications here in 1066, but it was Henry II who set the blueprint for today's castle when he had the fortifications rebuilt in the 1180's, adding the massive keep and a series of concentric defences. Over the centuries, the defences were continually enlarged and improved, with the castle retaining a military role into the mid twentieth century. An underground hospital and the command centre used for the Dunkirk evacuation are a legacy from the Second World War.

Most Haunted Live :: April Fools Day 2003

Venue :: Midland Grand Hotel, London

The Most Haunted team take on the Midland Grand Hotel live on April Fools Day.

History

In May 1865, (while the station was still being constructed), the Midland Railway Company launched a competition for the design of a 150 bed hotel, with eleven architects asked to submit their entries.
One of the architects, Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878), got completely carried away and submitted a grand plan bigger and far more expensive that the original specification.
But his bare-faced audacity paid off and he was awarded the contract - although the Directors of the Midland Railway immediately demanded some hefty cost cutting measures which included knocking off two floors of office accommodation and one floor level from the hotel.
The usual financial problems beset construction, causing delays in building the hotel with the eastern wing of the building not opening until 5 May 1873, with the rest following in Spring 1876. Altogether, the hotel fabric had cost £304,335, decoration and fittings £49,000 furnishings £84,000, adding up to a not-inconsiderable £437,335.
The completed building had used 60 million bricks and 9,000 tons of ironwork including polished columns of fourteen different British granites and limestones.
The Midland Grand soon acquired an excellent reputation as an upmarket, 300-room hotel, charging 14 shillings (70p) a night in 1879 - only six pence (2.5p) more than the luxurious and famed Langham in Portland Place, W1.
Inside, the fixtures and fittings throughout the hotel were to a very high standard with Gillow (now Waring and Gillow) being closely involved in providing furniture and furnishings.
The building included many innovative features including hydraulic 'ascending chambers', concrete floors, revolving doors and a fireproof floor construction.
The Victorian decor was rich, lavish and expensive, with suites of rooms decorated with gold-leafed walls and a blazing fire in every room.
But the hotel was built before the time of en suite bathrooms, requiring an army of servants to scuttle around the 300 rooms, laden with tubs, bowls, spittoons and chamber pots.
The hotel managed to prosper until after the first world war, but even the Moroccan coffee house and in-house orchestra couldn't protect the hotel from the country-wide decline in the hotel trade.

The Midland Grand was taken over by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1922, before closing in 1935 - its facilities were outdated and it had become too expensive to run and refurbish. Now renamed St Pancras Chambers, the premises settled down to a somewhat less glamourous existence as railway office.
The building survived the bombing raids of the Second World War but found itself threatened with complete demolition in the 1960s.
Thankfully, this incredible building was saved from being swept away, and was awarded Grade 1 listed status in recognition of its importance as an example of high Victorian Gothic architecture.
In the 1980s, the building failed its fire certificate and was closed down, remaining empty ever since.
In the mid nineties, the exterior of the building was restored to its original condition and made structurally sound and weatherproof, at a cost of around £10 million (paid for by British Rail and English Heritage).
Some restoration work continues to take part, while the entire site around St Pancras is being dug up as work on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link continues.
Although the interior of the building has suffered badly at the hands of corporate vandalism, much of the original decoration, including stencilling, mosaics and ornamental ceilings, survives.

Most Haunted Live :: New Years 2003

3 Days investigating the legend of Dick Turpin

Day One Hampstead Heath, Spaniards Inn

Day Two Epping Forest

Day Three Knavesmire

265 Years ago, a man destined for disaster made his way north to York on the run from a vengeful army, stopping along the way to confiscate the riches of those he deemed too privileged. Following his arrest in October 1738, Dick Turpin spent his final Christmas and New Year at York Castle prison before being put to death in April 1739. It was a tourist attraction then, and to this day visitors come to hail the legend of Dick. This New Year, Yvette Fielding, Derek Acorah and the Most Haunted team will start a three-day extravaganza of paranormal investigations that start in London and make their way to York. Will they solve the mystery that is Dick Turpin?

Most Haunted Live : Leap Year 2004

William Shakespeare

On this Leap Day, in memory of the man who wrote the greatest love stories ever told, Most Haunted Live will endeavour to unearth the mysteries and stories that surround the Stratford bard, William Shakespeare. Spoken from the heart and immortalised in print, the life and works of Shakespeare have created some of the most romantic heroes and heroines of our time, inspired by local tragedy and the many muses and women who filled his heart.

 

Most Haunted Live ::Easter 2004

Witchfinder General

Day 1 Graveyard Of St. Nicholas Church, Crossroads

Day 2 Seafield Bay, The White Hart, Mannigtree Green

Day 3 Mistley Towers, Thorn Hotel, Mistley Pnd & Hpoong Bridge, Church Ruins

This holiday weekend, Derek, Yvette and the rest of the Most Haunted team will be following the story of "The Witchfinder General" and that of the Essex witch trials to tap into the past and reveal some of England's darkest secrets!

Most Haunted Live :: Summer Solstice 2004

Derby

Day 1 House Of John Flamsteed, The Silk Mill, The Old Dolphin Inn

Day 2 McCluskys Nightclub, Derby Gaol, The Friary

Day 3 Elvaston Castle

Most Haunted Live Summer Solstice comes from the 'dead' centre of Britain. Is Derby Britain's most haunted city?

Llanelli Wales

Llanelli House
Llanelli grew only very slightly during the 18th Century and was still just a small town at its close. However, at the end of the century the demand for coal to fuel the ongoing Industrial Revolution led to the increase of its production and export. By the early 19th century, these important industries and services were being established in the town.

One of Llanelli's most historic properties, Llanelli House has been called "Wales' finest early Georgian house" and it's thought that much more of the original internal fixtures and fittings than are visible at present may survive behind 20th century wall linings and false ceilings.

Standing immediately opposite the Parish Church it is the former house of the Stepney family, and was built in 1714 by Thomas Stepney, M.P. for Carmarthenshire. A Grade One Listed Building, Llanelli House was radically rebuilt after Margaret Vaughan inherited the building in 1705.

Having passed through the family, except between 1827 - 1855 when Sir John Stepney had passed the house onto his friend William Chambers, the house finally came into the ownership of the Borough Council in 1965. Since this date the ground floor of the building has primarily been rented out to private tenants, but over time it has fallen into a dilapidated condition.

Before the house came into the possession of the Borough Council, Llanelli House was used for various deserving causes in the 19th Century including the Salvation Army, the County Blind Society, Ministry of Works and in the Second World War the local Women's Voluntary Service.

There are a number of ghost stories relating to this house. It is thought a pregnant maid may have jumped from one of the top floor rooms in the house, and many people have said they have seen the maid on the stairs. Visitors have also claimed to hear a dress dragging on the floorboards.

Other experiences include the spirit of a distressed man, whose presence is felt in the cellar of the house and on the ground floor near the fireplace, where visitors feel as if they are being watched. In fact, past retail residents have come into the house in the mornings to find that the gas fires have been lit - although they were certain the fires were turned off the night before!

KIDWELLY CASTLE

Kidwelly is one of the finest castles in South-West Wales, and remains remarkably intact.

Dominating a long disputed region, the strong and splendid castle developed during more than three centuries of Anglo-Norman/Welsh warfare: a chronicle in stone of medieval fortress technology. With its walls-within-walls fortifications, Kidwelly looks today as an outstanding examples of late 13th century castle design. Kidwelly was established on the estuary of the river Gwendraeth in 1106 by Roger, bishop of Salisbury, the justiciar of England, within a short time of the Norman Conquest, to defend the road to west Wales.

Its half-moon shape stems from the original 12th century Norman timber castle, of the motte-and-baley type, defended on one side by the river and on the other by a deep crescent shaped ditch. At the end of 13th century one of Edward I's baron's, Henry Earl of Lancaster, raised within this a rectangular stone stronghold with round corner towers, perhaps echoing castles he had seen on Crusade.

Even the chapel, in a protruding tower on the river side of the castle, was designed for defense. Then the South Gatehouse was begun but stood unfinished when Owain Glyndwr's Welsh troops attacked in 1403. Yet Kidwelly's tiny garrison of two dozen archers and townsmen held out behind improvised defenses and later the great gatehouse was completed. This three-storeyed gatehouse, with portcullis, drawbridge, constable's lodgings above and dungeon pit below, attracts particular attention: it was extremely well defended, and indeed was designed so that it could be held independently if the remainder of the castle had fallen to besiegers.

At the end of the 15th century a new great hall was built on the west of the outer ward with a connecting kitchen within the inner ward. Another building and bakehouse were added, probably the work of Rhys ap Thomas who was granted the castle by King Henry VII. In the 17th century the castle played only a secondary part in the English Civil War, lying as it did far away from the central area of the struggle.

With such a history it's not surprising that visitors to the Castle have reported a number of paranormal sightings. The eerie apparition of a soldier has been seen on the battlements, a bowman and a priest or monk has also been spotted. Interstingly, a number of 'normal' photographs have revealed ghostly images - including a face in the prison chamber and what appears to be a small man standing in the ruins of the castle.

PARC HOWARD MUSEUM

Before Parc Howard became a museum it was the mansion house of a prominent local family - the Buckley family in 1885, a family with a long association of brewing in the town.

The area was known as Bryncaerau or Bryn Y Caerau, the hill of fort. Also, it is believed that Bryncaerau was the site of an old Celtic burial ground, which has given rise to local ghost stories.

The mansion, with its 27 acre park, was given to the town of Llanelli in 1912 by Sir Stafford and Lady Howard.

Parc Howard museum houses a renowned collection of Llanelli Pottery (1839 - 1921), an art collection and material related to the history of the town. The museum is of one of Llanelli's most a historic buildings and is set in the civic park.

The museum has also experienced its fair share of paranormal activity. Used as a hospital during the war, many visitors to the museum have apparently witnessed apparitions from this era, including one in a nurse's uniform and a lady in white.

A solider in uniform has also been seen in one of the windows, and a phantom coach has been seen passing the building within the grounds.