The little coastal village of Llangrannog, located in the Welsh county of Ceredigion, is a rather charming place. It lies at the end of the narrow valley of the River Hawen, whose waterfall cascades close to the settlement. On the beach stands a striking, sea-weathered rock stack pointing out towards the bay, known as Carreg Bica (Bica’s Rock).

Legend tells that this rock was once the tooth of the giant Bica, who dwelt in the county. One day, after suffering from a terrible toothache, he was forced to spit the offending tooth onto the beach, where it can still be seen today.

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But Llangrannog is a village stained with a legend far darker and more unpleasant than that of a giant and his rotten gnashers. For it is home to a very modern myth - a Welsh campsite ghost story - a tale that has chilled youngsters for decades: The Black Nun.

Urdd Gobaith Cymru is an activity centre located close to Llangrannog. It has been active since 1922 and was founded by Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards. Children travel there on school trips to take part in outdoor activities, drama classes, and team-building exercises, all conducted through the Welsh language. They sleep overnight at the residential centre, and for many children this is their first time away from home.

The legend of the Black Nun was possibly created by the children themselves to scare one another at night in their bunks, or perhaps even by members of the residential staff. The basic elements of the tale vary, but common details speak of a faceless or shadowy nun who roams the dormitories and corridors at night, punishing children who stay up after lights-out, or stealing the eyes or tongues of unsuspecting sleepers. Some versions even claim that she killed a girl and hid the body beneath a bunk bed — usually, unnervingly, in the very room the listeners were staying in.

A common memory - and complaint - among residential staff was having to sand away graffiti about the Black Nun, often scratched into the bunk beds themselves. One theory suggests the tale may have been influenced by a 1978 episode of the television series Armchair Thriller, which featured a similarly sinister nun. Today, ex-residents and former staff often recall teachers or older pupils playing pranks on the unwary to keep the legend alive.

However, some ex-residents have gone online to report what they describe as genuine encounters with the Nun on forums and chat rooms. One claims that he and his friends were looking out of a window at dusk when they saw the Nun sitting on a swing. The sight terrified them, leading to a troubled night’s sleep. Another commentator reported seeing a figure dressed in black rush past their dormitory window.

Despite my best efforts, I could find no evidence of a nunnery ever existing near this location. So what are we to make of these stories? They could, of course, be tall tales spread to frighten new arrivals - or perhaps something truly does walk the halls at night.

Tibetan Buddhist mysticism speaks of a phenomenon known as a Tulpa, a being created through sustained thought, belief, and repetition — an idea given shape until it behaves as if it were real. Could the shared fear and belief of thousands of children have created a shadowy entity where originally none existed? Tulpas are often described as vague, indistinct figures, which to the impressionable and over-excited mind of a child could easily be mistaken for a nun.

So what is the Black Nun of Llangrannog? A ghostly remnant of some long-lost and forgotten convent? A Tulpa given form through decades of belief? Or an intriguing example of a modern legend, told and retold by generation after generation of children, surviving on through internet chat rooms and memory?

I will let you, dear reader, decide for yourself.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope this ghostly tale has left you trembling with a pleasurable fear. If you enjoy what I do, please consider picking up a copy of either of my books, Threads of Shadow or Fireside Horror, terrifying folk-horror collections told through short stories — available on all Amazon stores, I have enclosed link to the UK & US versions below.

Until next week,

Stay spooky.