Bron Y Garth Hospital and Workhouse dates back to the early 1800s. Originally built as a workhouse for the destitute, this abandoned hospital is said to be rife with paranormal activity.
Bron Y Garth Hospital History
Bron Y Garth opened in 1839 as the Ffestiniog Union Workhouse in Gwynedd, North Wales.
It was built as part of the government’s Poor Law system, which aimed to provide relief for the poor and needy. The workhouse was operated by the Ffestiniog Union, a group of parishes from the Snowdonia area that united to provide support for the poor.
The sprawling institution was originally built to hold 150 individuals and was intended to be a last resort for locals who could not support themselves. However, as was the case within most workhouses across Victorian England, the refuge ultimately became a prison system detaining the most vulnerable in society.
Living conditions in the workhouse were very harsh. Residents were forced to sleep on metal wire beds, and diseases like smallpox were rampant due to overcrowding and poor sanitation. Those infected were transferred to another building called ‘The Cottage.’
Ffestiniog’s inmates, who were often physically or mentally impaired, were required to earn their keep by working long hours breaking rocks in the yard. The most disobedient and unruly were caged in the dimly lit vagrant’s wing, which still stands today.
The workhouse was deemed unfit following a commission set up by the British Medical Journal to improve workhouse conditions. The site was expanded and became a care home for the elderly in 1954.
It went through a period of modernisation and several further expansions, finally becoming the Bron Y Garth Community Hospital until its closure in 2009.
The forgotten buildings have been left largely untouched, and many of the fixtures remain intact, but there are plans afoot to turn some of the hospital into a luxury hotel.
Ghosts of Bron Y Garth
Bron Y Garth Hospital is said to be one of the most haunted places in North Wales, with many reports of strange occurrences since the building opened its doors to ghost hunters.
Footsteps, disembodied voices, and doors slamming violently have all been heard in Bron Y Garth’s many crumbling rooms and corridors.
There have also been several ghost sightings. The spirit of a young boy has been seen running through the empty corridors of the abandoned hospital building while a nurse and a young female have manifested in the old maternity ward.
The untouched vagrant wing is also a hotbed of paranormal phenomena. Poltergeist activity has been witnessed, and visitors often feel a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Bron Y Garth Hospital is closed to the public; however, several companies run paranormal events, and private tours can occasionally be arranged with the owners.
Address: Bron y Garth Hospital, Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales, LL48 6HE
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to learn about another haunted location in Wales, the Jacobean Mansion, Plas Teg.
