Eerie ghost town in Wales uncovered

A Welsh content creator has released new images of a deserted hamlet hidden in plain sight in south Wales.

In images already gaining traction online, Jay Curtis visits the picturesque hamlet in on the former BP Llandarcy oil refinery site near Swansea.

Though it is complete with stone houses and lake, with preparations made for residents 12 years ago, there’s no sign of anyone ever having lived in the village.

Additionally, despite its position just moments from the M4 motorway, where thousands of motorists drive past every single day, most are largely unaware of what sits silently beyond the roadside.

The hamlet was widely seen at the time as a flagship example of eco-friendly, community-focused design, intended to breathe new life into the area.

The project also received royal endorsement, visited by then-Prince Charles during its development, known for his interest in sustainable living and traditional architecture.

The homes were constructed as early test homes, designed to trial new architectural designs, materials and construction techniques.

Unlike a typical housing development, the dwellings were built well ahead of surrounding infrastructure, with the intention that they would later be incorporated into a much larger regeneration scheme that envisioned thousands of new houses, schools, shops and community facilities.

Despite this optimism, the hamlet was never connected properly to surrounding infrastructure, with many locals citing the land contamination as an ongoing issue. To date, no roads have been built, leaving the hamlet frozen in limbo.

The images show rows of homes standing untouched and boarded up, weeds creeping through pathways and render falling off, raising questions about the fate of the project and why no one ever settled here.

This discovery comes at a time when urban exploration and forgotten spaces are capturing global interest.

Jay, who regularly explores abandoned sites, lost locations and overlooked heritage across Wales for his growing online audience, stumbled across the settlement while filming new content locally.

Jay Curtis, originally from Swansea, said: “I’ve documented countless forgotten places across Wales, but this is one of the strangest I’ve ever come across.

“Knowing this village was once shown to Prince Charles and now sits completely empty makes it all the more surreal. it’s almost like something out of an apocalyptic film.”

The discovery has sparked renewed online interest in the site, reigniting debate around the project and the involvement of King Charles.