Yours for £100,000: the haunted lighthouse with great views and a resident ghost

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Yours for £100,000: the haunted lighthouse with great views and a resident ghost
November 4, 2011
Claire Miller
WalesOnline

For sale: Converted lighthouse – comes with two acres of beach, fantastic views of the Welsh coastline ... and resident ghost.

The Point of Ayr Lighthouse, near Talacre, on the north-eastern coast of Wales, has been put on the market for £100,000.

But timid buyers should beware – because the tower has a history of paranormal activity.

The most common ghost sighting is of a figure dressed in work clothes standing on a balcony and footprints on the beach below, and paranormal investigators who have visited the property have reported spooky vibes, the sound of laughter and a name being called out.

Among stories about the online about spooky happenings at the lighthouse, Adam Corkill, from Stockport describes seeing a figure of a man up in the top tower, who appeared to be fixing equipment.

However, when the group he was with approached the bottom of the lighthouse, the padlock seemed to be fully locked and the figure disappeared.

Neil Hayden, from Birkenhead, said: “When I was 16 me and my best mate used to go and visit a relative of his in Talacre.

“The occasion that sticks out is one day while on the beach, we saw what we can only describe as one massive footprint, like nothing human size.

“The footprint was pointing towards the lighthouse, and as we stared at each other and panicked, there was an almighty bang on the inside of the lighthouse door, we ran back towards the dunes, and turned round to see someone shining a torch at us, this was about eight o’clock at night, just going dusk.

“Not only did the torch business frighten us but the footprint too, which believe it or not disappeared within the 15 mins it took us to go get a witness. No high tide, no one on the beach and no sign of the footprint being rubbed out.”

Others describe dogs refusing to go near the lighthouse.

Investigations by the Pathfinder Paranormal Investigators recorded strange sounds and unusual lights.

Psychics in the team reported that the spirit of a man called Raymond, who was once a lighthouse man and died of fever and a broken heart, as well as four other spirits may still be connected to the property.

One tale, however, might put prospective buyers off.

Paul Sanderson, from Stoke on Trent said: “My grandparents always went to Rhyl for their annual holiday.

“I was a young boy, my mother had a brother named Jeffrey Moses. He was fascinated by the lighthouse, and he said to my mother one day I will own that lighthouse.

“A few years later it came on the market, and was up for sale, he was excited and thrilled he was going to buy it. Alas, as he put his offer in he became very ill and died in 1966 aged 38. My grandparents never got over it.”

The property, which is being sold through Strutt and Parker, is described as having potential for residential use. However, at the moment the interior is simply made up of several empty floors with stairs leading to the top.

The lighthouse is Grade II listed. It is approximately 60ft high and 18ft in diameter.

It was built in the 1770s by community leaders in Chester, and was one of the earliest “lantern” lighthouses in Wales, according to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW).

Its records explain that the need for a lighthouse became a big concern after the loss of two ships in 1775 with the loss of lives and cargo.

The lighthouse continued to shine until 1883 when it was superseded by the Dee Light-Ship.

On the balcony stands a 7ft tall keeper made from highly-polished stainless steel – the result of a joint project between the current owner and Flintshire County Council.

The lighthouse is cut off by the sea at high tides, although it is accessible on foot at low tide. The dunes on which the lighthouse was originally built have retreated inland over the years and it now sits in the middle of the beach.

Although the property comes with two acres of beach, dreams of enjoying sun, sand and sea on your own private beach may not come to fruition as the beach is not fenced off and is accessible to the public.