Cardiff’s history hides chilling tales of poltergeists – objects flying, voices in the dark, and chaos that still defies explanation
Poltergeists – literally “noisy ghosts” – are among the most disturbing paranormal phenomena.
Unlike passive hauntings, they’re often violent, erratic, and focus on people rather than places.
Tell-tale signs include bangs, sudden cold, and objects flying through the air without warning.
So why Cardiff?
Some point to its long, layered past, from Roman outposts and medieval rites to industrial hardship.
Others believe the city’s unique blend of spiritual history and working-class resilience has created a hotspot for supernatural disturbance.
Whatever the cause, Cardiff has seen some of the UK’s most unnerving poltergeist cases – seven of which still baffle residents and investigators alike.
The Roath Rattler (1897)
In the winter of 1897, a house in the Cardiff suburb of Roath became the scene of sustained paranormal disturbance.
A widowed mother and her children reported violent crashes, whispering voices, and furniture moving of its own accord.
Despite multiple police visits and even intervention from a priest, the activity refused to stop.
A psychic medium eventually described the home as a vortex of unsettled energy.
The family fled, and the house stood empty for years.
Locals still refer to it—somewhat warily—as “the rattler house”.
The Cathays Chaos (1900)
Spring of 1900 brought strange happenings to a quiet terraced house in Cathays.
A family of five, known in the community for their churchgoing habits, found themselves at the centre of a supernatural storm.
Doors slammed violently, chalk symbols appeared overnight, and kitchen items reportedly flew across rooms.
The family’s young daughter seemed to be the focus, raising theories about adolescent-linked poltergeist activity.
After a local minister performed a brief exorcism, the disturbances ceased.
Yet the house’s eerie past continues to be a topic of hushed conversation.
The Cardiff Blitz Spirit (1917)
Although decades before Second World War, 1917 saw a different kind of shock in Grangetown.
A soldier returning from the First World War encountered nightly bangs, cold draughts, and heavy bootsteps pacing the upper floor of his modest home.
Neighbours and visitors confirmed the events—one man was reportedly thrown backwards by an invisible force.
Strangely, war memorabilia began appearing and disappearing on the dining table, despite being locked away.
Several nearby widows later reported similar disturbances.
The case remains one of Cardiff’s most unsettling blends of psychological trauma and unexplained phenomena.
The Workshop Wrecker (1922)
A small carpentry workshop near Cardiff Docks became the focus of widespread concern in 1922 after tools started moving unaided and heavy chains clattered with no one near.
The building had once stored munitions during the war, and workers spoke of a thin man in naval uniform who vanished whenever approached.
Owner Llewellyn Davies said he and his apprentice were chased out on multiple occasions by flying hammers and screeching sounds.
The business temporarily shut down, unable to guarantee safety. Though it eventually reopened, staff refused to work after dark for years.
The Splott Scratcher (1981)
In the summer of 1981, a quiet residential street in Splott became known for something far less ordinary.
A family began hearing scratching sounds from within the walls – soon followed by deep claw-like marks appearing on furniture and even the children themselves.
Neighbours also experienced flickering lights and inexplicable blasts of sound. A visiting doctor confirmed the injuries but offered no explanation.
Spiritualists linked the activity to a young girl who died in a nearby fire in the 1920s.
The family fled. For years, the house stood vacant – feared and avoided.
The Llanrumney Lurker (1988)
In 1988, a newly moved-in family in Llanrumney began experiencing nightly footsteps, breathing from empty rooms, and objects rearranging themselves – most famously, chairs stacked into pyramids overnight.
During one incident, the family’s teenage son was reportedly lifted off the ground by an unseen force, in full view of guests.
A local journalist from The Echo visited the home and had his camera smashed by something invisible.
The photograph taken moments before showed a ghostly, distorted figure.
Theories later linked the site to a demolished children’s home, fuelling speculation of a haunting rooted in forgotten tragedy.
The Tremorfa Terror (1995)
What began as cold spots and missing keys quickly escalated into full-blown chaos in a family home in Tremorfa during 1995.
A mother was shoved on the stairs. Her son was taken to hospital after a mirror shattered and lacerated his arms.
Strange symbols appeared in bathroom condensation, drawn with unnerving precision.
A neighbour caught a chair being thrown across the room on camera.
The footage aired on a local TV programme, drawing public interest—and fear.
The house was eventually sold at a reduced price, and subsequent owners reportedly kept the lights on constantly.
Why does Cardiff attract poltergeists?
There’s no single explanation, but Cardiff seems unusually prone to this kind of disturbance.
Is it the city’s layered spiritual history? Ancient burial sites? Or collective emotional trauma lingering in working-class communities?
What’s clear is that these cases span over a century – and all feature witnesses who remain convinced of what they saw.
None are more famous than Pete the Poltergeist, a chaotic spirit who haunted a home in Ely in the 1990s.
Pete became a household name for his antics – turning off lights, hurling objects, and even reportedly slapping a priest.
Read more about Pete the Poltergeist in our Spooky Cardiff feature
Have you witnessed poltergeist phenomena in Cardiff or anywhere else for that matter? Tell us in the comments section below!
