GWENT is reputedly one of Britain’s most haunted places, with ghostly locations including Skirrid Mountain Inn at Llanfihangel Crucorney, Tintern Abbey, and Caldicot Castle.
Investigator Anthony Edwards, 40, who runs Newport Paranormal Research with his fiancee, got into ghost hunting 20 years ago but was hooked from a young age. 
“Gwent is quite well known in the paranormal field. There are such amazing locations, rich with hundreds of years of history. Reports of spirit sightings go back decades,” he said.
His most memorable investigation was at dusk in an unnamed Newport manor house: “On our initial walk around I was stood in the entrance and saw an apparition of a woman in a white nightdress with blonde hair. She appeared half way up the wall from the corner of my eye in another room.
“I can’t think of any logical explanation other than a spirit. I know what I saw was real.”
So how does one go about contacting ‘the other side’ or finding ghosts?

South Wales Argus:

Mr Edwards runs Newport Paranormal Research with his fiance Toni.

“Methods vary from location to location. For a house for example, prior interviews are conducted with the residents.”
Investigating homes requires much research before entering. Information on what has been seen, heard and felt must be collected, along with any pictures or videos. 
Mr Edwards said residents’ state of mind is also a huge factor, and any medication is taken into consideration. 
He said: “In my experience 99 per cent of alleged ‘hauntings’ can be explained logically, but what about that one per cent?
 

He said:

"In my experience 99 per cent of alleged 'hauntings' can be explained logically, but what about that one per cent?

“Sometimes it takes an outsider with a different view to get logical answers. I am a believer in spirits, but you should never jump to a paranormal explanation straight away.”
The kit needed can be quite costly, yet its validity is often debated.
“I believe the human body is the best piece of equipment. In certain places you can feel spirit energy better than any scientific tool,” said Mr Edwards.
He uses an electromagnetic field detector - spirits are thought to emit an electromagnetic radiation, or disturb an existing magnetic field - and a ‘spirit box’, a device said to rapidly scan multiple audio channels which spirits may use to communicate.
Being scared is not necessarily the best response, said Mr Edwards: “Usually, activity is for a reason. A lot is loved ones popping in for a visit. Not everything in the paranormal world is sinister with an ‘evil presence’, or means you harm.
“Sometimes they want to send a message. My job is putting together the pieces of the puzzle to work out what that is.”

Have you ever had any paranormal experiences? Let us know in the comments.