West Wales Property Finders

  • Who We Are
  • About Us
    • What We Do
    • Why Use Us
      • Testimonials
    • Why West Wales
    • Fees
  • News
    • Property
      • Carmarthen
      • Ceredigion
      • Gower
      • Pembrokeshire
      • Property Prices
      • Holiday Homes
      • Holiday Lets
    • Press Coverage
  • Contact Form

Ghostly Goings On

October 27, 2015 by Carol Peett

Carew Castle, said to be haunted by a Barbary Ape
Carew Castle, said to be haunted by a Barbary Ape

With Halloween coming, on-line estate agents Urban.co have released results of their “Spooky Survey”.

According to this 57% of people would be more than happy to share their house with a ghost. However, 15% are superstitious enough to not move into a new house on Friday, 13th, fearing it would blight their time in the new property if they moved on this fateful day.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, Pluckley in Kent is the “most haunted village in England”. Locals say the village and surrounding area has between 12 and 16 ghosts; the Guinness World Records, puts the number at 12.

One of these spectres is a White Lady, said to be a member of he Dering family who once lived at Surrenden Dering; a house later owned by my own family and which burnt down in the 1950s. The white lady’s ghost frequented the library.  The local legend is that the woman’s beauty was famed throughout the neighbourhood, and when she died, at a tragically young age; her husband was grief-stricken. He could not bear the thought of the effect that the ravages of the grave would have upon her looks, so he had her body wrapped in a priceless flowing gown.  She was placed in an airtight lead coffin with a single red rose laid upon her breast. Sealed inside a further series of airtight lead coffins, she was finally encased in a casket of solid oak and buried in a deep vault in the Dering Chapel. On misty autumn mornings her spirit manifests in the churchyard, as beautiful in death as she was in life. Clutched before her she holds a single red rose.

The white lady was seen whilst Surrenden Dering was the US Embassy between the two world wars. A Mr. Walter Winans supposedly held a lonesome vigil one Christmas Eve in the library with his hunting rifle. When the White Lady appeared before him, he reputedly shot her. The shot passed through the apparition. She vanished through a paneled wall which might have led to a tunnel which was supposed to link the house with the Church. My grandmother and a number of family friends were also said to have seen the apparition.

One of Pembrokeshire’s most infamous ghosts is said to inhabit Carew Castle. Sir Rowland Rees, tenant of the castle in the 18th century, was a well travelled man who had visited the Barbary Coast and brought back with him an injured ape he had rescued from a wrecked Spanish galleon. It is said he was able to train his devoted pet to respond to his every wish with a series of whistles.

The story goes that Sir Rowland had one son who ran off with the daughter of a local merchant, not a union that Sir Rowland approved of. On the fateful night there was a storm brewing. The wind screamed around the castle and the rain lashed at the windows. The ape was restless, sensing Sir Rowland’s evil mood. There was a knock at the door and the girl’s father, a merchant by the name of Horowitz, demanded admittance, distressed and upset that his daughter had run away with Sir Rowland’s son. Sir Rowland did not believe his story and after a fierce argument he released the ape from its chains and ordered it to kill Horowitz.

The merchant fought off the ape and, although badly injured, managed to drag himself from the room. He shouted for help from the servants who tended him for the night. Horowitz cursed Sir Rowland with an evil fate and, as he cursed, great piercing screams were heard from the tower room. The servants, who were terrified of their master, were unwilling to venture into the tower room to find out what had happened.At first light the following morning they summoned up the courage to enter the silent room. There, lying in a pool of blood was the body of Sir Rowland, but of the ape there was no sign.

Legend has it that the ghost of the ape returns to the castle on dark, stormy nights where he has been seen and heard by passers-by.

Happy Halloween!

If you are thinking of moving to Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion or Gower, or buying a holiday home here, West Wales Property Finders offers a bespoke property finding service and can help you find your perfect home. Over 90% of the houses we find our clients never hit the open market, ensuring they get the pick of the crop, and we can save you time, money and stress in the process by carrying out all negotiations for you and micro-managing the purchase right through to exchange. You also gain access to our little black book of contacts including the best surveyors, solicitors, removal companies, builders, plumbers, etc. For further information do call us on 01834 862816, email us at carol@westwalespropertyfinders.co.uk or take a look at our website www.westwalespropertyfinders.co.uk.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google

Filed Under: Property NewsTagged With: Buyers' Agent, Carew, Halloween, Home Finder Pembrokeshire, Home Finder Wales, Homesearch, Homesearch Carmarthenshire, Homesearch Ceredigion, Homesearch Pembrokeshire, Pluckley, Property Expert West Wales, Property Finder, Property Finder Carmarthenshire, Property Finder Ceredigion, Property Finder Gower, Property Finder Pembrokeshire, Property Finders West Wales, Property Pembrokeshire, Property Search Carmarthenshire, Property Search Ceredigion, Property Search Gower, Property Search Pembrokeshire, Property West Wales

Our Committment

We are entirely independent and represent only the interests of property buyers. This means that at all times we are focused solely on the needs of our clients.
01834 862816

Newsletter

Tags

Buyers' Agent Holiday Homes Home Finder Pembrokeshire Home Finder Wales Homesearch Homesearch Carmarthenshire Homesearch Ceredigion Homesearch Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire Property Property Expert Wales Property Expert West Wales Property Finder Property Finder Carmarthenshire Property Finder Ceredigion Property Finder Gower Property Finder Pembrokeshire Property Finders West Wales Property Finder Wales Property Pembrokeshire Property Search Carmarthenshire Property Search Ceredigion Property Search Gower Property Search Pembrokeshire Property West Wales

About Us

West Wales Property Finders can find your dream home and offer a range of services to save you both time and money. About Our Fees.

Our Location

Caermaenau Fawr
Clynderwen
Pembrokeshire
SA66 7HB

  • 01834 862816 / 077966 15332
  • carol@westwalespropertyfinders.co.uk

Press Coverage

For many families, luxury now includes a grand dining room, wine cellar, … [Read More]

All Press Coverage Articles

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Legal

Privacy Policy

© Copyright 2014-2023 West Wales Property Finders · All Rights Reserved · Website Development

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT