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Gwrych Castle - Abergele, Wales

Gwrych Castle was constructed between the years 1819 and 1825, for Lord Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh, grandfather of Winifred Cochrane, Countess of Dundonald. By the time he married Lady Emily Esther Ann Lygon in 1825, the construction of Gwrych was almost complete. 

Between 1894 and 1924, the castle was the residence of the Dundonald family.  When the countess died in 1924, she tried to leave the castle in to King George V however the gift was refused and it passed to the Venerable Order of St John. 

It was purchased in 1928 by the Earl of Dundonald in whose possession the castle remained being used to house Jewish refugees in the Second World War.  After the war however the castle was opened to the public after it left the ownership of the Dundonald family.  The castle was closed to the public in 1985 and began to fall into disrepair and although it was purchased by an American businessmen in 1989, his plans to renovation never came to fruition and the castle was extensively vandalised and limited becoming little more than a derelict shell.  Thanks to the support of enthusiastic individuals, there are hopes that the castle will soon be completely renovated and turned into a five-star hotel.

Gwrych Castle is however probably one of the most haunted castles in Wales and for many years there have been paranormal events taking place in what has sadly been a much vandalised and decaying castle. Stories have been told of a White Lady and a Red Lady and apparently a seven foot solid oak door was once ripped from its hinges following a seance in the banqueting hall.

In the 1930s, the caretaker at the Gwrych Bill Price would each night to go round securing doors and apparently as he got near the old library he always had a feeling that someone was watching him. On many occasions Bill reported to the 13th Earl that when he opened up the library in the morning he found items had been moved around. This was most peculiar as the doors has been locked, there had been no forcible entry and Bill Price had the only key to the room!