Man buys £1m castle and makes surprising discovery in the garden

A man who bought a historic castle for £1 million has made a surprising discovery – but he thinks it’s ‘amazing’. History enthusiast Mok O’Keeffe, 55, bought a five-bedroom Elizabethan castle in 2021 with husband Joe Magle, 37.

Before moving in, Mok researched the history of the Grade II listed building, learning it had once been a school and a WWII prisoner of war camp. However, he didn’t find out until after moving in that the castle’s previous owner was buried in the garden.

Gladys Atkins, born around 1898, requested her ashes to be buried in a cherry tree in the garden of her childhood home when she died in 1995, aged 97.

The cherry tree, now sadly half-dead, still stands in the garden and Mok says he and Joe bid Gladys a good morning each day. Mok stated they’ll never remove the tree stump because “it’s our home, but it will always be her home too”.

Mok, an inclusion consultant and historian, said: “When I heard we had a woman buried in our garden, I wasn’t freaked out. I actually thought it was amazing – Gladys wanted to stay at this property forever.

“I say hello to her every morning and I find something about it quite calming and beautiful. People have told me they’d never buy a house with a woman buried in the garden – but I love it.”

The previous owner Gladys is buried in this tree in the garden -Credit:SWNS

Mok and Joe purchased Twr Mihangel, located near Abergavenny, Wales, and now valued at £1m, and moved in soon after. The miniature castle, built in the late Elizabethan era, boasts five bedrooms, three sitting rooms, two kitchens, four bathrooms, four hallways, stables, a topiary garden and a paddock within its two-acre estate.

Mok and Joe even inherited titles with their purchase, becoming Lords of Glynbach. The property is steeped in history and is rumoured to be home to several ghosts of former occupants, which the new owners are happy to embrace.

Mok shared: “When you own a historic building, you don’t really own it. You’re just a custodian, until you pass it onto the next owner. As owners, it’s our job to do improvements to leave it in a better condition for the next generation. But you have to keep its original features – it’s about protecting and preserving it.”

Mok learned from the previous owner that Gladys, who was born in the castle and whose family owned it, had planted a cherry tree on the grounds as a child.

After her parents passed away and left the estate to her, she lived there with her husband Herbert. The castle has served various purposes over the years, including a village school in the 1870s and even a prisoner of war camp.

Mok added: “There’s a presence in the house, a feeling of history and past lives. But it’s a good feeling. When I first moved in, I told the ghosts ‘you’ve been here longer than me, I’m just passing through – let’s get along’. I feel that they’re here with us, but we’ve never had any problems.”

He mentioned that the fact often comes up in games of ‘two truths and a lie’, tricking people when it’s revealed to be true. Adding to this, he stated: “We’ll honour Gladys and never cut down the tree. She wanted to spend eternity here – and maybe I’d like my ashes buried here too.”

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