Did the dead ironworkers return to work after dark? Can an ironworks itself be haunted? And what would you make of the sound of machinery coming to life when the works should have been silent?
In this episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, we travel back to Victorian Merthyr Tydfil and one of the strangest industrial ghost stories.
In 1881, a "remarkable account" emerged from Cyfarthfa, once one of the great industrial powerhouses of Wales. A witness claimed that, after the works had fallen silent, the huge wheels began to turn, the machinery sprang into motion and the sounds of production filled the darkness.
There were no workers. No obvious source of power. Just the sounds of a working ironworks where the machinery should have been still.
And the story doesn't end there. Another local witness claimed to have heard the same mysterious sounds, while an elderly woman offered her own explanation involving the Crawshay family and their deep attachment to the works.
Was this a supernatural haunting, an echo of Cyfarthfa's industrial past, or something more easily explained? And what does it mean for a place to become haunted not by a ghostly figure, but by the work itself?
Expect Victorian ghost stories, industrial folklore, Cyfarthfa Ironworks, Merthyr Tydfil, supernatural encounters, the Crawshay dynasty and one very strange tale of machinery that seemingly refused to stay silent.
Tune in now... if you dare. 👻
Until next time, nos da!
About the podcast
Ghosts and Folklore of Wales is a monthly podcast exploring Welsh ghost stories, folklore, strange history and forgotten accounts drawn from books, newspapers, archives and personal experiences.
Hosted by Mark Rees, a Welsh journalist and author of books including Ghosts of Wales and Paranormal Wales, each episode looks at the uncanny stories people recorded across Wales and beyond - from rural legends and Victorian sightings to odd reports that never quite settled into explanation.
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