Category: Welsh Folklore

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King Arthur or Cavemen?

King Arthurs Stone

When an explanation is needed why a single, huge rock dominates the landscape high up on the moors above Reynoldston on Gower, you’ve got to love the explanation put forward by the local medieval monks. I mean, obviously it was put there by King Arthur. There is no other possible explanation. Especially when its location is so remote.

King Arthur’s Stone may only be a few miles from the city of Swansea but it feels like a world and several millennia away. It sits on a peak towering above the north Gower coastline with commanding views. There is something deeply etherial about the area. I know nothing about things like ley lines but if someone were to tell me this place was riddled with them I wouldn’t doubt it. 

We have many sites in South Wales associated with Arthurian legend but this place is one of the most picturesque and dramatic.

It got its name as the result of an old legend. It was said that on his way to the Battle of Camlan, Arthur felt a stone in his shoe. He removed it and threw it to one side, but such was the magic he possessed that as it travelled through the air it grew and grew until it became this vast boulder.

In reality, this is the cap stone of a collapsed Neolithic burial chamber. There are loads of them dotted around this hill top. Its like the “Highgate Cemetery” of 3,000 BCE. Suggesting that to the ancient Welsh, this was a place of spiritual importance.

Its just one of many prehistoric relics on Gower. Other include the earliest evidence of human life in the UK ever discovered. Only a few miles away from here was the discovery of the Red Lady of Paviland Cave. A human skeleton dating back approximately 33,000 years.

There is also another brilliant story associated with King Arthur’s Stone. A wonderful custom or tradition associated captured by Victorian folklorist Marie Trevelyan. It was believed that if a maiden wanted to know if her betrothed would be faithful to her, she should crawl on her hands and knees around the rock three times. If he then appeared to her he would always be true. If not he’d be off tomming at the drop of a hat. Just like the rest of them!

How do you fancy coming here on a guided visit?

Well if you do fancy it, come and join me when I lead a walk around all these burials, show you the sites and tell you all the stories associated with them. This year, The award-winning Glamorgan History Walks has this place on its 2026 itinerary. You can join us here on Saturday 23rd May 2026. We set off at 11am from the green opposite the King Arthur Hotel in Reynoldston.

Tickets for adults are £10 each and children go free. All information on the starting point, the route and to buy tickets are available on this link: https://grahamloveluckedwards.com/etn/king-arthurs-stone-history-walk-2026/

And if you fancy a teaser, please enjoy this video I made of the Arthurian legend. Excuse the buffering sound though. It was rather windy the day I made this…

More videos on Welsh history and folklore available at https://youtube.com/grahamloveluck

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Welsh May Day Traditions: Fire, Magic & Mischief

Here in Wales, this time of year brings a whole bundle of traditions, superstitions and rituals linked to May Day. Many are said to reach back into the distant past, to the old pagan fire festivals that marked the changing of the seasons. Others may be a little less ancient—perhaps polished, or even invented, during the Victorian era, when people developed a real appetite for folklore, the gothic and the mysterious. It’s not always easy to tell which is which.

Either way, these customs have stuck. Strange as they may seem in our modern, orderly world, they offer something comforting. They connect us to those who came before us, and to the landscape itself. However you choose to interpret them, they are all part of the rich tapestry of Welsh cultural life.

One of the most striking traditions is known as Bâltan (or Beltane). At its heart was a great bonfire, around which the community would gather. The name itself hints at ancient origins. It is linked to Belenus, or Bêl, a Celtic sun god believed to strengthen the sun’s warmth as summer approached.

Bowl dedicated to Belenus

According to the Victorian folklorist Marie Trevelyan, the ritual was wonderfully elaborate. Nine men would begin by turning out their pockets, proving they carried no metal. They would then head into the woods to collect sticks from nine different types of tree. These were laid carefully in a prepared circle, stacked crosswise. The fire itself was lit the old way, by rubbing together two pieces of oak.

Once the flames took hold, the real fun began. People leapt over the fire in displays of bravery (or recklessness), and oatmeal cakes were eaten. The fire was also believed to cleanse and protect. Anything that had brought bad luck during the winter might be thrown into the flames, in the hope of a fresh start.

Even the ashes had their uses. It was said that placing cooled embers from the Beltane fire in your shoes would bring good fortune for the coming year. Whether that made for lucky feet or just uncomfortable walking is another question.

These events were once common across south Wales. Records place them at the Castle Ditches in Llantwit Major, on Newton Green in Porthcawl, at Nash Manor and in Cowbridge, continuing well into the early 19th century before fading from popularity.

Llantwit Major also had its own dramatic twist on the tradition. An effigy known as “O’Neil” was burned on the fire, much like a Guy Fawkes figure in November. As with all good traditions, there is a story behind it.

According to local lore, O’Neil was a notorious pirate who terrorised the area. He met his end thanks to a clever trap. The maidens of Llantwit supposedly lured him ashore at Colhugh beach, dancing to catch his eye. When he landed, he was ambushed by local men, captured, and burned. The annual burning of his effigy was said to mark the event—though one suspects the tale may have grown a little in the telling.

Pre-Christian Traditions or Victorian Romantic Inventions?

May Day was not all fire and drama, however. It was also a time for romance. Maypole Dances and gatherings gave young people the chance to catch each other’s eye. Some gestures were subtle. Others were not. One tradition saw young men decorating a branch of rosemary with white ribbons and placing it at the window of a girl they admired. A bold move—and one that left little room for misunderstanding.

So, whether it’s leaping through flames, burning pirates in effigy, or leaving herbs on windowsills, May Day in Wales has never been short on character. It is a reminder that, not so long ago, the arrival of summer was something to be marked properly. With fire, flair, and just a touch of mischief.

The Beltane fire
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The legends of King Arthur’s Stone on Gower

Arthurs stone Reynoldston

King Arthur’s Stone near Reynoldston on the Gower peninsular is only a few miles from the city of Swansea but it feels like a world and several millennia away. It sits on a peak towering above the north Gower coastline with commanding views. There is something deeply etherial about the area. I know nothing about things like ley lines but if someone were to tell me this place was riddled with them I wouldn’t doubt it. 

We have many sites in South Wales associated with Arthurian legend but this place is one of the most picturesque and dramatic.

It got its name as the result of an old legend. It was said that on his way to the Battle of Camlan, Arthur felt a stone in his shoe. He removed it and threw it to one side, but such was the magic he possessed that as it travelled through the air it grew and grew until it became this vast boulder.

King Artrhur

In reality, this is the cap stone of a collapsed Neolithic burial chamber. There are loads of them dotted around this hill top. Its like the “Highgate Cemetery” of 3,000 BCE. Suggesting that to the ancient Welsh, this was a place of spiritual importance.

There is also a wonderful custom or tradition associated with the stone according to Marie Trevelyan. It was believed that if a maiden wanted to know if her betrothed would be faithful to her, she should crawl on her hands and knees around the rock three times. If he then appeared to her he would always be true. If not he’d be off tomming at the drop of a hat. Just like the rest of them!

How do you fancy coming here on a guided visit?

Well if you do fancy it, come and join me when I lead a walk around all these burials, show you the sites and tell you all the stories associated with them. This year, The award-winning Glamorgan History Walks has this place on its 2026 itinerary. You can join us here on Saturday 23rd May 2026. We set off at 11am from the green opposite the King Arthur Hotel in Reynoldston.

Tickets for adults are £10 each and children go free. All information on the starting point, the route and to buy tickets are available on this link: https://grahamloveluckedwards.com/etn/king-arthurs-stone-history-walk-2026/

And if you fancy a teaser, please enjoy this video I made of the Arthurian legend. Excuse the buffering sound though. It was rather windy the day I made this…

Map showing Cairns around King Arthur's Stone

Plenty more videos full of nonsense on my YouTube channel.

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The demon of Crack Hill

South Wales folklore is full of stories about lone travellers encountering super natural beings at night on a dark, empty highway. They are usually spectres, ghosts, goblins or beasts. But rather more unusual are sightings of something as demonic as in this story. 

Back in 1909, Marie Trevelyan published two testimonies given by two travellers independently of one another. In both their accounts, these two strangers claimed that they had been the victims of attack from the Devil himself. Or at least if not Old Nick, then at the very least one of his demons. 

In both their statements, the place where this attack took place was on Crack Hill. A steep hill on a rural stretch of the Via Julia Maritima; the Roman road that cuts across South Wales from east to west. It was later known as the Glamorgan Turnpike, and now is known as the A48. 

Both swore on oath that their rather chilling accounts were true. Both incidents were claimed to have occurred on Crack Hill at night when travelling from Bridgend to Cowbridge. Enough to put locals off making that same journey in the dark in the future if they could help it.

In the run up to Halloween it’s a great story to share. Especially if you know the place where these events are purported to have taken place. And especially if you can shed any light on what it was these men claim to have encountered.

If you would like to read more about it, I covered this old story in my book Legends & Folklore of Bridgend and the Vale. Or watch the video version below.

Video of the demon of Crack Hill
Crack Hill today (well, last week)
The demon of Crack Hill is a perplexing story from the late 1800s
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History Walks and Talks in Glamorgan | Summer 2024

Glamorgan History Walks and Talks logo
Glamorgan history walks and talks

It has been raining so hard for so long here in Wales lately that I’m beginning to forget that it ever wasn’t raining. A depressing prospect for someone who loves nothing more than taking a walk around some local, historic monuments or sites of historic or legendary interest. Without having to wipe raindrops off my glasses to be able to appreciate them.

But of course we had a glorious Summer last year. So, the time has come to start looking forward and thinking about what we are going to do when weekends start to get warmer and dryer. When it stays light well into the evening.

To that effect I am planning a programme of history walks and talks this summer which I am inviting you to join me on. The plan is that they will all incorporate the following magical ingredients:

  • Walks of between 4 & 6 miles for various abilities
  • Start times around 9:00am
  • Beautiful Welsh countryside
  • Places of historical interest
  • The setting of some of Wales’ most wonderful legends and folklore
  • An author and broadcaster of Welsh history and other experts to tell the stories, sing the songs and bring them to life
  • Some weather (not necessarily sunshine, but definitely something!)
  • Some fun and laughs along the way
  • Always ending up at a pub for lunch and refreshments.
Jasper the history hound guarding my seat

This is roughly how the progamme is likely to look, but at this early stage it is subject to change:

History Walks and Talks in the Vale | May 2024

  • Saturday 4th May: Southerndown – Dunraven – St Brides – Ogmore Castle – Ogmore Estuary – The Three Golden Cups.
  • Saturday 11th May: Llantwit Major Square – The Castle Ditches – Collhugh Beach – Tresilian Bay – The Olde Swan Inn
  • Saturday 18th May: Monknash – Wick Beach – Nash Point – St Donats – The Plough & Harrow
  • Saturday 25th May: Dinas Powys Square – St George Woods – The Iron age Fort – Salmon leaps – The Star Inn
  • Bank Holiday Monday 27th May: St Athan – Berkerolles Tombs – East Orchard Castle – Boys Village – Gileston Manor – The Roost

History Walks and Talks in Bridgend | June 2024

  • Saturday 1st June: Ogmore Castle – Merthyr Mawr – Candleston Castle – Dipping Bridge – The Pelican in her Piety
  • Saturday 8th June: Coity Castle – Coity Common – Hendre – The Five Bells
  • Saturday 15th June: Llangynwyd Village – Llangynywd Castle & Woods – Gelli Lenor Fawr – The Old House Inn
  • Saturday 22nd June: Blackmill – Primaevel Woods – Mynydd Y Gaer – Peterston Super Montum – The Fox and Hounds
  • Saturday 29th June: Kenfig Pool – Sker House – Kenfig Castle – Mawdlam Church – The Prince of Wales

If there is enough demand, I may well add further walks in the other counties of Glamorgan. Namely Cardiff, RCT, Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly through July and August. As well as a pilgrimage walk I am planning from Llancarfan to the shrine of St Baruc on Barry Island on his feast day of Friday 27th September 2024. So watch this space.

In a nutshell, if you love history, and you love walks, pubs, South Wales and chirpy banter – then you’ll probably enjoy these walks.

If you would like to come along, tickets with be on sale soon for £10 per walker per walk, and will be available from this site and Eventbrite.

Over the coming weeks I will be doing risk assessments on each of the walks to make sure the routes are suitable but if you do fancy joining me, there are a couple of things you need to take into consideration.

  • We will be walking across country on public footpaths rather than just on roads and pavements. There will be mud, puddles, rocks and uneven surfaces. So stout footwear is required.
  • Many of these public footpaths require you to be able to climb over gates and styles. Dogs (on leads) and push chairs are welcome on these walks but you need to be prepared to lift them over such obstacles.
  • Like any outdoor activity you will need to be prepared for the predicted weather conditions of the day. Waterproofs for rain, sun hats and sunscreen for sunny days and so on.
  • Water bottles are essential to keep hydrated on these walks. You may also want energy boosting snacks.
  • When I publish the individual walk details they will feature important information to help you decide if the walk matches your abilities. These include distances in miles, the type of terrain we will cross, if the going is easy or tough, and if any climbing is involved. I will also flag any potential hazards such as stepping stones or cliffs. Please read these details carefully before committing to a walk. 🚶

If you would like to be notified when the itinerary is completed and tickets are available, or even if you just want to ask a question, please use the form below:-

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Click the “Contact Us” button below to receive further information about the Glamorgan History Walks and Talks (when available).

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The lost city of Kenfig

Kenfig Castle remains

Kenfig; on the Glamorgan coast line is a bank of sand dunes and an inky black lake. But history tells us this was the site of a major town and port. The seat of a Royal household. And a place fiercely contested by Welsh warriors, raiding Vikings and Norman invaders. It was possibly the most significant settlement for miles around. But now, just a handful of cottages.

What happened here? How did this important place just disappear? Is the old legend that it still lies at the bottom of the lake true? What was it like in its prime?

All these questioned are answered from the places where they happened.

This video is an episode in the Ghost towns of Britain series.

Click to watch the video in full

In this series of short videos, I uncover the hidden truth of towns, villages and cities that have been lost to the sands of time. Nothing but a few remains and historical documents to give you any clue that they ever existed. I hope you enjoy them. And if you do, please subscribe to this channel and share them on social media.

And if you want to read more about the legends of Kenfig and surrounding area, this is the book for you.

Also available from Amazon.

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A tombstone to confound the devil.

In a churchyard in Monmouth stands one of the most curious tombstones in the county. And one so unique that it was given Grade II listed status in 2005. As you might expect with such a memorial, it and the man it commemorates, have quite a backstory. It concerns one man’s obsession with outsmarting the devil.

His name was John Renie and he was born in Monmouth in 1799 and worked as a painter and decorator in the town until he died in 1832. He was known to be one of the town’s more eccentric characters and nothing exemplified this more than a plan he hatched to try and ease his own passage to heaven on the event of his inevitable death. The plan was simple. He wanted his gravestone to be so confusing to read, that if the devil were to ever come looking for his soul, he would not be able to work out where his body was buried. Thus allowing Renie’s soul to slip past the devil, straight to the gates of heaven.

He became concerned that he would not be able to trust any local stone mason with this job. Either because he considered them incapable of pulling off his complex instructions, or worse, that they may reveal the secret of it to Satan himself. So to make sure the job was done properly he did the engraving himself. He dedicated years to getting it right. The end result is this fascinating and intricate, stone engraved ‘acrostic puzzle’.

It contains 285 very delicately carved letters in rows and columns. To be able to read the inscription you need to begin at a letter ‘H’ in the centre of the puzzle and follow the letters in any direction. Mathematicians who have studied the stone report that there are 32,032 different ways to read the words “Here lies John Renie”. It is quite an incredible achievement.

If the devil were not yet confused enough by John Renie’s endeavours, there is one final obstacle he might encounter if he was sufficiently determined to find his soul. And It is one Renie himself could not have foreseen but would no doubt have been absolutely delighted with. Put simply, the chances are, he probably isn’t even buried here at all!

In 1851, there was a rash of unexplained deaths amongst the residents of Whitecross Street in Monmouth. The street which runs along the edge of the churchyard at St Mary’s Priory Church, where this tombstone can be found. There were also reports of a terrible stench emanating from the raised area of the churchyard. The bodies and bones of the people buried there had become exposed by ground movement and weathering. All the exposed bodies had to be reinterred else where in the graveyard, but it was an impossible job to know who was who so they just did the best they could.

If this story is not already weird enough, the church council at the time decided to wade in with their own contribution. They felt that the churchyard looked over cluttered with memorials and headstones so a decision was taken to clear them all away as part of this work, to create a park. Only a small handful of stones now remain which have been laid out in accordance with the paths rather than where people are actually buried.

The end result. John Renie’s body could be anywhere. As could his soul.

If you want to see more of this tombstone and the yard of St Mary’s Priory Church in Monmouth, as well as other stories concerning the Devil in Monmouthshire I have made this YouTube video on the subject. Just click on the link below to watch in full. And while you are there, please subscribe to my channel.

If you would like to read more Monmouthshire related folklore, you might enjoy the blog and video available on this link. It is all about the scars of the reformation to be seen to this day at The Robin Hood in Monmouth and the White Harte in Llangybi between Usk and Caerleon. And if you like ancient Welsh myths, folklore and legends in general, then you may also be interested in the books I have written on the subject available to buy on this link. or my YouTube channel which is packed with loads of videos on the subject. Just visit https://youtube.com/GrahamLoveluck.

The tombstone of John Rennie in Monmouth
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The Glamorgan Witches

As we are in the shadow of Halloween, it seems only right that we should look at some famous witch
stories from Glamorgan. Especially as we have some real belters. Arguably our most famous local Witch is the Mallt-y-Nos. She is described in some texts as a witch in others as a ghostly apparition but she is quite unique to the counties of South Wales. She filled the hearts of all who saw her with fear. Another witchlike creature in Glamorgan folklore is the Gwrach- Y-Rhibin. Her phenomenon has been described by many sources across the centuries. My favourite,
a book entitled British Goblins, published in 1880. It has this to say:

“A monstrous Welsh spirit in the shape of a hideously ugly woman whose appearance is typically
with unkempt hair and wizened, withered arms with leathery wings, long black teeth, and pale
corpse-like features. She approaches the window of a person about to die by night and calls their
name or travels invisibly beside them and utters her cry when they approach a stream or crossroads.
She is sometimes depicted as washing her hands there”.


An altogether more conventional witch story though, concerns a lady who used to live at a cottage
which once stood in Cliff Wood on the edge what is today, Porthkerry Park. Its ruins are still there to
be seen. There is a fabulous old legend inspired by her. It involved a lovesick aristocrat and his manipulative servant.

The young man was naive in the ways of love. He wrote poems and letters to the object of his
desires, but she just rebuffed him. Sensing an opportunity, his servant told him of the famous witch
who lived in the woods in Porthkerry. And how she could make the young man a love potion to win
his girl over for a Guinea. Worth about £1.05 now but a lot of money back then. He agreed and followed him into the woods.


They met the witch of Porthkerry, and she made the potion and gave it to the gentleman. As
gentlemen of this era would never carry money, it was always left to the servant to pay for things
from his master’s coffers. But seeing how old and frail the witch was, this unscrupulous man thought
he’d pocket the money for himself and refused to pay her.


Angered by the deception she cast a spell over the two of them uttering ‘May these men never leave
these woods. The two men only got as far as the edge of the woods before turning into two trees.
The master tall and elegant turned into a yew tree. The servant became a twisted and gnarled
hornbeam tree. Both trees are still there and the path they took from the cottage to the edge of the
woods has ever since been known as Lovers Lane.


Now, as much as this story is more than likely absolute bunkum – Here’s the thing. There really was
a lady who lived at this cottage who was widely believed to be a witch. Her name was Ann Jenkins.
Also known as Ann Ddu and she was a provider of potions and remedies. There is written account
that she was inspected for witch marks by the Cowbridge magistrates. There is no record of the
outcome. Were they able to prove that she was in league with the devil? Probably not. Official
records register Ann Jenkins as being buried in the yard at the church of St Nicholas in Barry. If she
had been proven to be in league with the devil she would never have been allowed to be buried in
the yard of a Christian church.

If you want to know more about these stories, they are the subject of my latest YouTube video. Also, they are discussed in more detail in my books about Glamorgan folklore available to buy on this link.

You can also ‘listen again’ to my radio show on Bro Radio where I also interviewed a modern day witch for her take on them.

Watch my latest video about the Witches of Glamorgan
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The legend of the white lady of West Orchard

This is a really tragic, old legend from St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan. The back story of an oft reported aparation of a white lady ghost in a field near West Orchard Castle. With a lot of historical context.

We hear about the second crusades, the De Clare family, the Berkerolles family, the Umphraville family, and of course the local castles at the heart of the drama.

The general gist of the story is Jasper Berkerolles of West Orchard Castle marries very well, but always harbours doubts that he is punching above his weight. And when he has to go to war he becomes consumed with jealously that she is having infidelities with his neighbour. When he returns home he is so tormented he condemns her to a gruesome death.

I wrote about this story in my second book on local legends: More legends and folklore from Barry, Bridgend and the Vale.

Telling the story at the place where it is set adds quite an element of drama. Enjoy. And please subscribe to my channel to enjoy more in the future.

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The Wreckers of Dunraven

One of my all time favourite Welsh legends this.

Dunraven Castle used to stand on the Glamorgan coast of the Bristol Channel. Not far from Bridgend on the Heritage Coast by Southerndown beach. It has a fascinating history dating back to the Iron Age but nothing is more spectacular about this place than this legend. It is the story of the wreckers of Dunraven. The Lord of the Manor; Walter Vaughan saw his life fall apart when two of his children and his wife died prematurely. He turned to drink and gambling and squandered his fortune away. Then, when at his lowest ebb he turned for help to a henchman, a local pirate, smuggler and wrecker called Matt of the Iron-Hand who had a score to settle with his new partner in crime.

Together, they terrorised sea farers in the Bristol Channel in the sixteenth century.

They would tie lanterns to the sheep grazing on the cliff tops to mimic the lights of Newton, to lure ships onto the jagged teeth of Tuskar Rock. It kept the scavenging, coastal-living folk of the Vale of Glamorgan in a plentiful supply of plunder, washed up on their beaches from the wreckage of numerous merchant ships.

In this video I tell the best-known version of the legend. It deals with grief, greed, avarice and the final tragic outcome when all these things are allowed to come together.

I also answer the obvious question; is this a true story? What sources do we have for it? And where does Iolo Morgannwg fit into all this?

This was all filmed on location at Dunraven Castle on a cold but clear day.

If you want to read more about this story, I wrote about it in my book ‘Legends and Folklore of Bridgend and the Vale’. Also now available for Kindle Download.

In this video I tell the story of Walter Vaughan, the Wrecker of Dunraven and examine the likely truth of this story.