THE INSPIRATION BEHIND MURDER MANOR
Gwrych Castle is located near Abergele in Conwy, North Wales. Built in 1812, the castle has been linked to notorious ghost sightings & paranormal activity for well over two centuries.
Fact vs. Fiction
Gwrych Castle was constructed between 1812 and 1822 by Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh as a tribute to his mother's family, the Lloyds of Gwrych. The castle was built on the site of an Elizabethan house called ‘Y Fron’ (meaning rounded hill), which had fallen into ruin by 1810. By the time Lloyd married Lady Emily Esther Ann Lygon, daughter of the 1st Earl of Beauchamp, in 1825, the main structure was finished.
Did You Know?
During World War II, Gwrych Castle was requisitioned as part of Operation Kindertransport. In 1946, the Dundonald family sold the castle, ending nearly 1,000 years of continuous family ownership.
In 1948, Leslie Salts purchased the castle and transformed it into the "Showplace of Wales," a popular attraction for two decades.
After Salts sold the property in 1968, it became a medieval entertainment venue, hosting jousts, banquets, and markets on its grounds. However, this period marked the beginning of the castle's gradual decline. It closed to the public in 1985, with the final jousting event held in 1987.
The Haunting of Gwrych
n 1990, an American company acquired the estate with plans to develop an opera center and hotel, but these ambitions were never realized. Instead, the castle was stripped of its assets and extensively vandalized, leaving its future in jeopardy.
