Cwmamman Ghost Stories

Ghost funerals past Ty-Llwyd

It was claimed by one former inhabitant of Ty-Llwyd, Glanamman, that every time there was a funeral held at the nearby Hen Fethel burial ground, the previous night would witness a "Ghost Funeral" procession heading past the old farmhouse. Later inhabitants did not witness any such events.

Ghost music coming from Hen Fethel

It is claimed by some that ghost organ music has been heard eminating from the old chapel in the dark of night. Another claim is that an eerie figure wearing a top hat and cloak was seen standing by the cemetery gates on one dark evening. Are these stories a figment of an over enthusiastic imagination brought on by the remote location of the chapel?

Min y Nant, Glanamman

On the night that some former residents moved in, heavy footsteps were heard ascending the stairs and moving along the landing towards the front of the old detached house, which dates to the early 1900's. When the new residents went to investigate, even though every room was checked, no one was found.
Other strange incidents, such as a knocking on the door by invisible hands and a "Whirlwind" disappearing into the living room floor were enough to make the inhabitants believe in a possible haunting. The invisible inhabitant was not without manners, however and when one of the residents went to bed one night, with their hands full and unable to work the handle of the bedroom door, their approach was enough for the door to open voluntarily, the handle worked by invisible hands.
It should be noted that the current residents have not experienced any strange events although they have lived there for several years.

180 Cwmamman Road, Garnant; an apartment above the former Arcade

One resident was irritated by the fact that the bedroom light would regularly be switched off by unseen hands when he was in the adjoining bathroom. Was this haunting conducted by an energy conscious spirit or one who was merely mischevious? One evening, the resident was disturbed by an enormous clatter in the kitchen, as though the wall cupboard had crashed to the floor, causing the distruction of every piece of crockery within it. On immediate and urgent inspection, the kitchen with all its contents were found to be undisturbed with everything as it should be.

Haunted house on Cwmamman Road, Garnant

One double fronted detached house on Cwmamman Road, not far from the Emporium, fell into a state of disrepair after being left empty for around 40 years. Local children made claim that this house was haunted though no reason other than the condition of the property is known.
The house was taken over by Carmarthenshire County Council under their Compulsory Purchase Powers and was sold by auction in July 2011. The house has since undergone complete renovation by the new owners.

The tale of the old lady and the coins

One popular tale told for generations in Cwmamman was that of the old lady and the coins.
A poor man living in lodgings was woken one evening by the ghostly figure of an old lady. After his initial surprise, he heeded the beckoning gestures of the old woman and followed her into the street outside. She pointed to the roadside and when the man looked to see what she was showing him, he saw a coin of small denomination, but enough to help the man buy food the next morning.
The same pattern occurred several times, with the old lady waking the man in the night and leading him out of his lodgings to some lost coin of small denomination lying on the road; enough money to help him in his unfortunate financial situation.
One night, the old lady led him further than normal, to an old and derelict farmhouse where the collapse of the roof had caused a considerable amount of debris to lay over the fireplace. The old lady gestured for the man to remove the debris and lift the hearth stone. In a cynical fashion, the man asked the old lady whether the required labour was going to be worth his while as all he had received from her so far had been coins of small denomination. The man's lack of gratitude caused the old lady to scowl profoundly before her shape turned into a whirlwind of light which disappeared into the ground. The man never saw the old lady again and to this day, it is not known whether the hearthstone covers some coin of small denomination or whether some greater wealth lies hidden beneath.

Raven Railway ghost /Angel of death

There have been a number of fatal accidents on Cwmamman's railways since they were built around 1840. The Raven Crossing is one place where at least two people have claimed to have had unusual experiences.
One former Garnant resident could have been considered as having a certain amount of knowledge in the subject of supernatural phenomena, having taken an interest in the subject for many years. One night, he arrived home in an unusually breathless fashion, claiming that he had been followed by the Angel of Death. He first noticed a shadowy figure behind him as he crossed the Railway on Upper Station Road and, startled by the experience, made haste homewards. He claimed that the ghostly figure did not follow him further than the River Garnant, unable to cross fresh water.
Some years later, another Garnant resident also saw a ghostly figure at the same place.

Back to say hello

On Cwmamman Road in Glanamman is a terrace of houses which was once known as Bryngrenig. In the early part of the 20th Century lived a resident who, as did many of his generation, enjoyed hunting. Among his hunting partners was a favourite uncle who, when he died, couldn't resist coming back to say hello.
The resident and his wife were sitting in their living room enjoying the evening fire when suddenly, from the doorway came the words "Hello David". The man and his wife looked towards the doorway where they saw the man's deceased uncle standing in the doorway. The man looked away and resumed his gaze into the fire. Again the man was hailed by the apparition, but this time he showed no response. After several attempts to get the man's attention, the apparition vanished and was never seen or heard again.
The man's wife asked her husband whether he had seen what she had seen and he confirmed that he had. She asked her husband why he had not acknowledged the apparition of his favourite uncle. He replied wisely, that if he had, the apparition would have been coming back forever more.

Victorian woman at Bridge Row

At another house in the same terrace, the apparition of a woman dressed in victorian clothes has been seen on several occasions.

Ty-Newydd - near Brunant Farm

There is a partially overgrown track leading from Llwyncelyn Road near Cwmgrenig Farm at Glanamman, heading steeply upwards towards the open Betws Mountain and the derelict Brunant (Briwnant) Farm. The track itself is narrow with tall hedgerows on either side, making it dark even on sunny days. Near the end of the track, where the farmers gate signals the start of the open mountain, sits the derelict old cottage once known as Ty-Newydd.
One day a Glanamman resident took a casual amble along the path, accompanied by his large dog. The animal on reaching within yards of Ty-Newydd became visibly distressed and no matter how much the owner pulled on the dogs lead, the animal refused to pass the derelict cottage. The puzzled owner carried the dog past the old building as far as the mountain gate and then put the animal down, where it continued to walk on the lead as normal.
The strange thing was that on the way home, as soon as the dog approached the cottage, this time from the opposite direction, the animal became distressed again, not wanting to pass along the track. Again, once carried for a few yards, when Ty-Newydd was behind the walkers, the dog resumed his normal behaviour for the rest of the journey home.

Half Moon Hotel

A Glanamman resident was surprised to see a new face behind the bar of the Half Moon Hotel and assumed he was a guest staying at the hotel. When asked about the guest, the barman stated that there were no guests staying at that time. No one knows who this visitor was.

Cynhordy Farm

The reputation of this property is that it may once have been used as a court house where local villains may have been condemned to the gallows. Although some people say that supernatural phenomena have been witnessed there, one resident who lived there for around 30 years says that she and her family never witnessed anything unusual.

Trecynllaeth Farm

Trecynllaeth Farm is the site of one of the reputed "Hanging Trees", where condemned men may have been executed.
Residents of the farm have confirmed to a local newspaper that they have witnessed strange events, such as hearing the voices of children laughing and hearing voices when there is no one there. They also claim to have seen apparitions walking up and down the stairs.