The Most Haunted House in Britain

Recently I listened to a rather fascinating and honestly terrifying podcast on BBC Radio 4, called the Witch Farm. It’s one of those lesser known, supposedly true ghost stories. It centers around this farm in rural Wales called Heol Fanong. The acting, the way its told and the sound effects all combine to make it one of the scariest podcasts I’ve listened to. It’s even been called the Welsh Amityville and Hellfire Farm. I recommend you listen to it yourself before reading this because I’m going to go into spoiler territory, as I’m going to do a quick run down of the case. 

In 1989, Bill Rich, his wife, Liz, and Bill’s son Laurence from a previous marriage, move into a remote farmhouse in the Welsh countryside. The house seems fine enough and they’re both excited to start a new life for themselves. Except one night Bill hears some loud footsteps on the landing, like boots running up and down the stairs. Although, like many of us would, they kind of just brushed it off because nobody else heard it. Until they got their first electricity bill. 

It was over 700 pounds, which is just insane for a small family in 1989. When they contacted the electricity provider to come look at their meter, they found absolutely nothing wrong with it, there was no leakage and it didn’t look like anyone was stealing their electricity. Apparently the electricity meter would just surge at random times and this would usually be followed by some kind of paranormal activity. Like something was charging itself up. 

It was soon after this that the family reported having feelings of being watched. Swarms of flies and insects would congregate on the farm and they also reported smelling some awful odors throughout the house. Such as rotten eggs and the smell of incense. This was also followed by cold spots and times when the house would just become unbearably hot. 

Although one the most chilling tales would come from one of Bill and Liz’s neighbors. They alleged that the old farmhouse Bill and Liz had moved into, had been built from gravestones from a local burial ground. Animals also wouldn’t last long on the farm, pets, pigs, goats, even a guinea pig would seemingly meet gruesome fates or simply just run away. Even the neighbors were affected. 

You see, Bill was an artist and one of the local farmers had commissioned a painting of his favorite horse. But it soon died after the painting was completed and the locals believed that Heol Fanong’s curse had spread to them. There were also reports of an old woman dressed in black appearing in the house. During the 6-year stint they lived on the farm, Liz had two kids, Ben and Rebecca and even the children reported seeing this woman while they played in the nursery. Laurence was also showing some behavioral changes, he’d become withdrawn and angry and would often swear and spit at his parents. 

Eventually Bill and Liz brought in physics and mediums in an attempt to rid the house of its ghostly inhabitants. These mediums informed them of Heol Fanong’s history of witchcraft, reporting that a coven of witches had performed rituals on the farm in the past. They also uncovered evidence of a murder that took place on the farm as well, in which a young man was attacked and killed on the farm with an axe and later buried on the grounds. They also recommended sending Laurence away for a while, as they believed the spirits were trying to take hold of him. 

These mediums would try and perform the first of many exorcisms on the house, but to no avail as the activity would just continue. Bill would also start to show behavioral changes, he would drink more, spend more time alone in his studio and would become angry and withdrawn. His art would also become more and more disturbing and abstract. He has since passed but Liz would come to believe he had become possessed by the house itself. The family eventually moved out of Heol Fanong altogether. 

The farm had a reputation for being haunted well before the Rich family moved in and the locals seemed to be aware of it. Previous occupants had also tried in vain to exorcise the house in the past. A new family now reportedly lives there, but no activity has been reported by them and they wish to remain private.