At 6:50 p.m., under a light drizzle, I arrived at Bodelwyddan Castle, a historic 19th-century listed monument near Rhyl in North East Wales. I was there to experience a "Victorian séance," recreating spiritualism as practiced in the Victorian era. The goal: contact the spirits said to haunt this notorious site—in pitch darkness, using specialized paranormal tools. Bodelwyddan is renowned as one of the UK's most haunted locations, even attracting American ghost hunters for TV shows.
While waiting for my guides, castle guardian Les kindly let me inside, opening the heavy door. He admitted skepticism about ghost stories but shared intriguing encounters: a man in white socks shoeless one evening after closing, unexplained tobacco smells in the billiard room, and tearful visitors evacuated due to sightings of a child in soaked clothes haunting the grounds. In the shadowy, empty castle, I felt a mix of excitement and unease.
Thankfully, my guides Pea and Lucy arrived in authentic Victorian attire to "reassure the spirits." Lights off, we toured the castle by flashlight before diving in. They introduced classic tools—dowsing rods, pendulum, crystal ball, round table, and stemmed glasses—plus modern gadgets like an electronic spirit detector and a laser gun for temperature drops. I received a protective crystal stone to hold.
Seated at the table, fingers on a glass edge, thumbs up, Pea called out: "Spirit, are you there? Give us a sign." Silence. The cold intensified. I tried calling in French—ghosts might understand, the guides encouraged. Clapping, singing—nothing. The spirits stayed elusive.
Last shot: the cellar, home to a reportedly malicious ghost. Amid the clutter, another attempt. Lucy recounted her flashlight flying across the room the previous night. Eyes closed, I focused intently. No luck. A skeptical participant scoffed; Pea noted, "It works if you believe," consoling that spirits sometimes have other priorities. Some visitors, overwhelmed, flee—facing not just resident ghosts, but personal ones.
Phew—I was relieved to avoid family spirits! Heading out for a two-hour drive south to the stunning baroque village of Portmeirion, filming location for "The Prisoner" series. Nightmares and captivity visions ahead...
Here we go!
With Comptoir des Voyages: stay "In the footsteps of the Prisoner" from €820/pers. 4 days/3 nights in a double room with breakfast, return flights and car rental included, comptoir.fr.
