What an odd atmosphere surrounded the House last Friday. I have done many Spooky Tales tours and have never really felt anything particularly strange. Psychics and Mediums tend to have a field day at Tredegar House, but, whether it is because of my naturally sceptical nature, or, because perhaps I am not sensitive to such things, I have remained oblivious to all-that-is spooky. I haven't seen, felt, or really heard anything unusual in eight years. The spirits have seen me, and are obviously not interested.
But last Friday night I definitely heard something. I have been trying to put a rational explanation on it ever since. Goff was in the middle of his tour and the whole group were in the Bells' Passage. He was explaining that the servants at Tredegar in the 1930s and 40s used to think that the ghost of Gwyneth Morgan (only daughter of Courtenay, Viscount Tredegar), who drowned in the Thames aged 29, haunted the Bachelor Staircase and upstairs. I was sat on the foot of the Bachelor Staircase as he said this, and I smiled politely as inevitably every face on the tour turned to peer inquisitively in my direction hoping to catch a glimpse of Gwyneth. Goff then moved onto 'Dragon's Breath' and why you should never build on running water, and it was at that moment that I heard it.....
I could swear that I could hear singing coming from above me. Not music. Just singing. As if somebody was cleaning upstairs and they were singing to themselves as they dusted. Now, the entire tour and the only other members of staff in the House were in the Bells' Passage. There should not have been anybody upstairs at all. It is true that there was an event at the Brewhouse that night, but I did not hear bass, or the thudding sound of music from a CD player; I heard no music at all. Just the sound of somebody singing gently to themselves.
Fortunately my girlfriend Samantha was beside me at the time and heard it as well. As did Gafyn, a friend who was on the tour. We couldn't explain it. As soon as we called other people over to listen, the singing stopped. What was it? I have tried thinking rationally about it. I know how sound sometimes travels strangely in Tredegar, so it is possible that a member of staff may have been present at another part of the House and their singing reached my ears. However, this was late at night, and all the staff that were working were present in the Bells' Passage.
It is not as exciting as some of the ghost stories of Tredegar House, but perhaps, perhaps, I have at last experienced something a little odd, after eight barren years. Maybe the spirits are warming to me, after all!
2 comments:
i went to Tredegar House as a boarder in the 60's. One day I was ill and was allowed to stay in bed in the dormitory which was up in the attic, quite close to the back stairs. I was laying down in bed, but something made me turn over and look towards the door. Above me was a ghost of a man, dressed
in old fashioned clothes, an embroidered waistcoat and funny round old fashioned spectacles. He was in physical form, and was staring down at me intently as if concerned about me. I screwed up my eyes and closed them hoping he would go away when I opened them, but he was there for at least two minutes, and then vanished. I told no one at the time fearing ridicule, and have only told the story a handful of times since the event. What a creepy old building it is, and when I was there, some of the old nuns were very creepy as well!
Thank you very much for that. It is usually quite a happy house in my opinion, but, you are quite right, at times it DOES feel odd and creepy for no readily apparent reason.
Your story is fascinating. I wonder if you would know the room it all happened in, if you returned to Tredegar House. Have you been back?
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