A BOOK of myths, legends, superstitions, customs, ghost stories and tales of the supernatural originating from Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan, has been published.

Published by Candy Jar Books, Graham Loveluck-Edwards the book includes the ship wreckers of Dunraven, the story of the 18th century, mass murdering highwayman - Cap Coch, the pirates and smugglers of Barry Island, Sully, Aberthaw and Porthcawl, and the lost city of Kenfig.

It also tells a wealth of lesser known ones like the dragons of Penllyn and Penmark, when the Devil terrified travellers on the road to Cowbridge and in a pub in Maesteg, when the streets of Llantwit Major were plundered by rioters, the sacred well of Newton, the miracles performed by St Cadoc and St Illtyd and all the local ghost stories such as the haunting of the white lady of Ewenny and the spectres of Second World War RAF Airmen in Stormy Down and Llandow.

Mr Loveluck-Edwards has also told the stories against a backdrop of historical context and with information about their origins and their authors.

Authors like Sir Edward Stradling and Iolo Morganwg.

They were characters as colourful and fascinating as the stories themselves.

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The book also looks at folklore, customs and superstitions native to our counties - such as ancient cures and remedies, ways to get the object of your desires to fall hopelessly in love with you and how people safeguarded their homes in Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan in days gone by, to protect them from evil spirits and bad luck.

The final chapter is dedicated to the origins of some of the more interesting place names in the region - such as Cowbridge, Rhoose, Dinas Powys and Llancarfan.

They are not what they might seem to be.

Every chapter is accompanied by photography and hand-drawn illustrations by the author's daughter; local artist and photographer Jessica Loveluck-Edwards.

Mr Loveluck-Edwards is also a school governor at Rhws Primary School and a church warden at St Curig's, Porthkerry.

He has been an amateur historian all his life.

He said: “I have had a lot of these stories buzzing around in my head since I was a small boy.

“I just knew that I had to get them down on paper as many of them are in danger of being lost for ever to future generations.

"Lockdown gave me the perfect opportunity to do this.”

“There are many legends and stories in the book that are new even to me.

"I stumbled upon some really old books which had legends I had never heard of before.

"Also, I found news reports online with locally based ghost stories that are only a few years old.

"They had to go in as well.”

Legends & Folklore of Glamorgan and the Vale is available from Amazon.

It costs £12.99 plus post and packing or at a discounted price on the author’s website www.bridgendvale.co.uk