Craig y Nos Castle in the Brecon Beacons is a place where history, music, tragedy and the supernatural collide.
Just over an hour’s drive from Cardiff, the Gothic revival mansion rises dramatically from the landscape, its towers and turrets giving it an almost cinematic presence. By day, it’s an impressive landmark. By night, it’s one of the UK’s most haunted hotels.
A castle steeped in stories
Built in 1841, Craig y Nos was made famous in the late 19th century when it became the home of Adelina Patti, the world-renowned opera singer known as the “Queen of Song”. She transformed the estate into a cultural hub, building a private theatre where she performed for an exclusive circle of guests. The glamour, however, did not last forever.
After Patti’s death in 1919, the castle took on a darker chapter when it was converted into a tuberculosis sanatorium for children. The walls that once echoed with music became home to the quiet suffering of patients, many of whom never left. It remained a hospital until the late 1980s, before standing empty once again. Today, it is a hotel and wedding venue, but the memories of its past linger, fuelling its ghostly reputation.
It’s little wonder that Craig y Nos is regularly listed among the most haunted places in Britain. Guests and paranormal investigators have reported everything from sudden temperature drops and unexplained knocks to voices in the theatre long after the curtain came down.
Arriving at the castle
Driving up Brecon Road, the castle almost creeps up on you. Our first attempt landed us in the overflow car park before we realised the main entrance was further along, where a fountain greets you alongside the castle’s grand façade. The architecture alone makes the journey worthwhile.
But any sense of romance is quickly tempered by a reminder of its hospital past. Etched into the floor outside the entrance are the faded words “Ambulances Only”. It’s a sobering detail, and one that set the tone for our stay.
Inside, the corridors are lined with old photographs and memorabilia, much of it celebrating Adelina Patti. The chesterfield furniture and hunting lodge-style bar gave the place real character, though the atmosphere definitely carried a chill. Walking past the theatre, knowing how many stories are tied to that room, added an extra layer of eeriness.
Our stay in the Theatre Loft
For the full experience, we chose one of the Theatre Loft rooms, directly above the stage where Patti once performed. These rooms were once changing spaces for actors and are often described as some of the most paranormally active in the building.
To get there, you climb a narrow, slightly unnerving staircase. The room itself was surprisingly comfortable, with lots of storage (a leftover from its theatre days) and a bathroom that had been fully modernised with a powerful shower and floor-to-ceiling tiles. The bed was on the small side, a cosy double rather than a sprawling king, but it was fine for a night. It’s a loft room after all.
We had half-expected to be woken by footsteps or whispers in the early hours, but the night passed quietly. No strange knocks, no sudden chills, no phantom music. Perhaps the spirits were giving us the night off.
Ghosts, weddings and timing
While Craig y Nos is known for its ghost tours, none were available during our stay. That meant the spookier, derelict areas of the castle were off limits to us. In hindsight, joining a tour and hearing the ghost stories first-hand might have made our experience a little more unsettling.
Instead, what really shaped our stay was the fact that there was a wedding booked for the following day. The place was buzzing with excited guests, boxes of decorations and even wedding dresses hanging in one of the rooms. The staff were lovely and made sure we had dinner tucked away in the bar area, but the atmosphere wasn’t quite the eerie, isolated one we’d imagined. It felt a bit like we’d stumbled into someone else’s party.
Was it haunted?
Craig y Nos Castle is more than a haunted hotel. It’s a place where history hasn’t just been preserved, it’s been lived in layers, from Adelina Patti’s golden age of opera to the heartbreak of its years as a hospital. That past still clings to the stone walls and shadowy corridors, making it one of Wales’ most intriguing stays.
Would we have been more spooked if we’d had the castle to ourselves, or joined one of the tours into the darker corners? Probably. But even without ghostly encounters, it was an experience unlike any other.
For those seeking something different in the run-up to Halloween, Craig y Nos offers more than just a bed for the night. It offers a glimpse into Wales’ cultural and medical history, the thrill of its ghostly reputation, and a chance to stay somewhere that feels genuinely alive with the past. Whether you leave with a ghost story of your own or simply a sense of awe at the setting, it’s a night you won’t forget.
