It was a cold Tuesday evening, 4th April 1871.

Local Farmer John Jones, age 45 of Tyn Y Fron, Mochdre and two friends had been drinking all afternoon.

Around 8.30pm, the three friends entered the Dolau Inn, but only two would live to tell the tale.

They drank ale all evening, then around 11.00pm, Farmer John Jones left the Inn but was discovered ten minutes later by the Innkeeper John Hamer, collapsed outside on the pub step.

With the assistance of two able men, Farmer John Jones was carried into the stable and laid on his back on the bare stable floor.

The Innkeeper then proceeded to lock the stable door and closed up for the night.

The following morning, the Innkeeper rose early, upon opening the stable door, he discovered the lifeless body of Farmer John Jones, who had sadly died during the night.

An inquest was held the following week, which concluded that Farmer John Jones, having been placed on his back had died of choking probably produced by excessive drinking and the fall, however, in summing up, the Coroner cast doubt on the conduct of the Landlord John Hamer and indicated to the Jury, that had the landlord offered timely assistance, the deceased might have recovered.

To this day, it is said that the tortured soul of Farmer John Jones, roams the floors of the Dolau Inn and that previous landlords have witnessed many ghostly apparitions.
Story as told by Steve Crozier

John Jones was buried at All Saints Church, Mochdre on 14th April 1871, Age 45 years.

The inquest into John Jones death was reported in the Cambrian News 21st April 1871

In the mid 19th century, the Dolau Inn was a popular resting place for travellers as well as the local community, and the inn keeper, Humphrey Jones, was known for his hospitality and good cheer. But there was a dark secret known only to the locals - the story of the servant girl who fell down the cellar.

Humphrey employed a young servant girl to help keep the inn running smoothly, her name was Catherine. Catherine was a sweet and hardworking girl, always eager to please her employer and the guests of the inn.

One evening, as Catherine was carrying a tray of glasses down to the cellar, she lost her footing on the steep, narrow stairs and tumbled down to the bottom. Humphrey and his wife rushed to her aid, but it was too late - poor Catherine was dead.

Humphrey was beside himself with grief and guilt. He had always been fair with his servants, and he had a particular affection for Catherine, in fact, Humphrey and his wife had taken both Catherine and her mother in when they fell upon bad times.

As for poor Catherine, her spirit could not rest. Every night, she would wander the dark, musty cellar, searching for a way out. Guests would often report hearing strange noises coming from the cellar, and some even claimed to have seen the ghostly figure of a young girl wandering the Inn.

Eventually, the grief and the haunting ghost became too much for Humphrey and his wife and they gave up the tenancy and the Inn and it was sold, But the legend of Catherine's ghost continued to haunt the inn, and the cellar of the Dolau Inn remained a place of fear and mystery for generations to come.
Story as told by Steve Crozier

Catherine's ghost still haunts the Dolau cellar