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We know how exciting it can be wandering the rooms and grounds of our historic sites after dark, when the creak of wooden beams in a 15th-century manor house or the hoot of an owl in the grounds of a medieval castle can send chills up your spine!

So, this year we decided to welcome visitors to Cadw's most ancient monuments for some after dark experiences.

Our team pulled out all the stops to create atmospheric evenings of ghost tales and ghoulish goings-on at sites like Caerphilly, Raglan and Kidwelly castles.

Our fairy-tale castle, Castell Coch presented an evening lecture with Professor Ronald Hutton, delving into the traditions of the Welsh New Year — Nos Galan Gaeaf — a night of ancient rituals to welcome the start of winter.

Our very own former custodian Roger Morgan was on hand to recount local legends and create a sense of drama within one of the most important Roman sites in Wales — Caerleon Roman Baths — after visitors had gathered in the adjacent pub for some Dutch courage!

Tretower Court and Castle’s medieval great hall flickered in the candle light while myths and legends spread around the group just as it would have done in centuries past.

Over the Halloween period we welcomed over 450 visitors to our evening events across Wales and your feedback was wonderful. Thank you to everyone who came and supported us, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!

The Cadw team.