Matilda by night …
(Coch Castle, Wales)
In the small village of Tongwynlais stands the Neo-Gothic-style Coch Castle with its pointed roofs. Nestled in the middle of the woods, Castell Coch is the fruit of a luby by architect William Burges who transformed the ruins of a 13th-century building into a fairy castle.
Castell Coch was the summer residence of the rich Bute family, also the owner of Cardiff Castle. The massive towers with conical roofs home exuberant apartments, with décor inspired by nature, mythology and legend…
But, is Matilda of the Night really a legend?
In the 13th century, Norman Lord Gilbert de Clare was in control of the castle. One of the noble ladies of her house, Matilda, was a very skillful and active horse rider. Leading the hunt, she rode through the forest surrounding the castle chasing wild boars, deer and any other potential prey.
Being very passionate about the sport, legend has it that she prayed to spend eternity hunting rather than in heaven… And she was exonerated…
In fact, over the years, locals have reported hearing a large group of hunters run wild in the forest at night. The villagers were always making sure they were home, doors locked and windows barred, when they heard Matilda’s hunt approaching, but there were always a number of sightings of a group of wild hunters led by a woman with long hair and sparkling eyes.
Still today, she is known as “Matilda of the Night” and rumor has it that if anyone comes across Matilda’s wild hunt, she will kidnap him and turn him into one of her hunters, destined to wander the night in the dark woods looking for prey, by never making it home.
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Matilda of the night…
(Coch Castle, Wales)
In the small village of Tongwynlais stands the neo-Gothic style castle of Coch with its pointed roofs. Set in the middle of the woods, Castell Coch is the brainchild of architect William Burges who transformed the ruins of a 13th century building into a fairytale castle.
Castell Coch was the summer residence of the wealthy Bute family, who also owned Cardiff Castle. The massive conical-roofed towers house exuberant flats, with decor inspired by nature, mythology and legend…
But is Matilda of the night really a legend?
In the 13th century, the Norman lord Gilbert de Clare had control of the castle. One of the noblewomen of his house, Matilda, was a very skilled and active horsewoman. She led the hunt, riding through the forest surrounding the castle in pursuit of wild boar, deer and other potential prey.
Being very passionate about this sport, legend has it that she prayed to spend eternity hunting rather than in heaven… And she was granted her wish…
In fact, over the years, locals have reported hearing a large group of hunters running amok in the forest at night. The villagers always made sure they were at home, doors locked and windows barred, when they heard Matilda’s hunt approaching, but there were always a number of sightings of a group of wild hunters led by a woman with long hair and sparkling eyes.
To this day, she is known as “Matilda of the Night” and it is rumoured that if anyone comes across Matilda’s wild hunt, she kidnaps them and turns them into one of her hunters, destined to roam the dark woods at night in search of prey, never to return home.
