Saturday, September 20, 2025
The myths of Pennard Castle
The history points website records that the ruins of castle have attracted more than their fair share of myths over the centuries:
The castle itself was ill-fated. It soon became unusable because exceptionally stormy weather in the 13th and 14th centuries blew large amounts of sand into and around it. See our page about the castle for more of its history.
According to some legends, the castle magically took shape on the clifftop in a single night.
It’s said that the castle was wrecked in one night too, because the lord of castle had reacted nastily to fair folk (fairies) making merry within the walls. The fairies cursed the castle, and it was quickly assailed by sand.
That same night, Ireland’s beaches were stripped of their sand.
My photo shows the castle from the valley leading down to Three Cliffs Bay.
The castle was built in the early 12th century as a timber ringwork following the Norman invasion of Wales. The walls were rebuilt in stone by the Braose family at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, including a stone gatehouse.
Soon afterwards, however, encroaching sand dunes caused the site to be abandoned and it fell into ruin. Restoration work was carried out during the course of the 20th century and the remains of the castle are now protected under UK law as a Grade II listed building.
The history points website concludes with a warning:
If you’re of a superstitious nature, you probably won’t want to spend a night at the castle. The hag is said to jump on anyone who dares to sleep near the structure at night, although some versions of the story say the gwrach only takes offence if the person sleeping is from one of Gower’s old families.
Another old belief was that anyone who dared to sleep within the ruins would die that night, go mad or wake up as a poet.
The sound of a weeping woman is sometimes heard at the castle, it’s said. Some myths say the castle is haunted by the spirit of a tragic bride, others that the weeping maiden is the hag in another guise.
Well worth a visit, if only for the views.
