How many people who take the splendid walk over Rhossili downs or admire the sweeping curve of Rhossili Bay know that, according to tradition, a "phantom chariot" haunts the golden sands? In the old story the "phantom chariot" is in fact a black coach drawn by four grey horses and the driver of the spectral carriage is supposed to be a man named Mansel who came from Llanddewi. When a bullion ship was wrecked off the bay, the Lord of the manor of the day claimed the valuable cargo. Mansel broke into the ship at dead of night and with the help of a horse drawn coach made off with a large portion of the silver, and fled the country. Thereafter his ghost said to have been seen on stormy nights, driving his spectral coach across the sands, retracing his frenzied dash that dark night long ago. Perhaps he returns in the hope of finding more of the ship's valuable cargo? In 1978 an elderly couple who had lived there most of their lives were interviewed and they knew all about the phantom, for their son had seen it! After a hard day's work he had gone down to the sands for a rest in the late evening and had fallen asleep. When he awoke it was to find that a storm had broken out. For a few moments he sat still, not minding the wind and the rain, admiring the storm as it played itself out over the sea. Then suddenly something else caught his attention. Moving over the sand was a strange shape, definitely not a car. As it drew closer he saw that it was an old coach, a very old fashioned square coach, drawn by four horses. He could see the driver urging the horses onward and as he watched fascinated, wondering what on earth they were doing and where they were going, there was a blinding flash of lightening and a thunderous clap of thunder. He looked out to sea for a moment admiring the rolling waves glistening in the moonlight. When he looked back there was no sign of the coach or the horses anywhere on the sands.
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