One of the favoured homes to ghosties in the UK are Hotels and pubs.........*waits for inevitable cracks about 'spirits behind the bar'*

In my book I have a vast collection of stories form troubled landlords and thier staff and families, so I thought I'd start a little Haunted Pubs thing on here.
And further information would be greatly recieved.

The Ring O' Bells is supposedly one of the oldest buildings in Middleton, and is rumoured be one of its most haunted.
Historically the pubs foundations are thought to date all the way back to Saxon times, and of course, legend has it that a Druidical temple stood at this spot with the obligitory tales of human sacrifice.
In the Middle Ages it was believed to have served as a Refectory for the local monks brewing their potent ale, probably in the area where the pubs cellars are currently situated. We've had this 'drunken monk' conversation before haven't we?).
The pub is said to be haunted by a Cavalier, who has been named 'Edward'. The then Landlord was interviewed, (some 10 years ago now), and he described how the ghost, dressed in his Sunday best, had been seen on a few occasions, inside and outside by other landlords and a local lady.
'He also explained that 'Edward' manifested in other less visual ways, including footsteps sounding on the stairs, and other strange noises. He was also known to lay a heavy hand on customers, much to their surprise when they turn to find nobody in the vicinity.'

Blimey...imagine that....having a quiet pint and something grabs your shoulder...

'One of the more frightening incidents was recorded in the Oldham Evening Chronicle, August 18th 1972: the Landlord at that time, Mr George Barnett, was checking barrels in the cellar around midnight when a stone was thrown at his shoulder, he looked around but no-one was in the room. This was the first time Mr Barnett had been shaken by a strange event within the pub; he had felt a strange presence, and had even seen a glass slide along the bar but the stone throwing seemed a more aggressive action. He thought that someone had perhaps upset the spirit. The story about the ghost suggests he was the son of the Lord (Stannycliffe) of Stannycliffe Hall in the 1600's. The Lord and his family were unwavering Royalists during turbulent times of the Civil War. Unfortunately for them, Middleton became more staunchly Parliamentarian, with the Old Boars Head becoming the Roundhead's headquarters in the area. The story goes that a pocket of Royalist resistance - including the Lords son - survived in the area, and used the cellars of the Ring o' Bells as a clandestine meeting place. The cellars were linked to Middleton Parish Church by a secret tunnel, by which they could escape if their furtive council was compromised (this passage is said to have been verified by openings which were bricked up within the cellar). One day somebody betrayed the son of Lord Stanycliffe to the Roundheads whilst he was still in the pub. He managed to flee to the cellars and down the dark tunnel, only to be cut to pieces by Roundheads who were waiting at the church by the passage exit. His body is supposed to have been buried under the flagstones of the cellar.'

So here we have the traditional idea that ghosts are bourne of tragic or violent deaths.

'The body is supposed to have been buried under the flagstones of the cellar, where it is said to remain to this day. Some time in the past, helmets and pikes have been discovered under the cellar floor, which date to the 1600's, but no human remains have been found. At one time the snug (a small room in many old pubs; now often disappearing with modern alterations), which is situated directly over the cellar, was said to have been the room in which the Cavaliers plotted against the might of Cromwell's Model Army.
This served as a focus for the haunting, and a seat within the snug was for long known as the Cavaliers seat, which was always said to be much colder than the rest of the room. Some enthusiasts, who were allowed to spend a night there, recorded colder readings in this area than in any part of the room.'
Taken from Mysterymag.com

So all-in-all this is a great 'old-fashioned' British ghost story. I'm sure that there is a rational explaination for the vast majority of the 'sightings' and phenomena, but perhaps there is no smoke without fire.........

Hammy x x x

LMAO!

Quite honestly Thistle, I'd rather look round and see nothing than the wonky, drunken grin of some cretin squaddie out on the pull.........which is what we normally get down here!

LMAO....

I saw the thread, and thought, ooh, I'll add the Ring O' Bells in Greater Manc.

Or perhaps not.

*Goes away to find another... *

Too quick for ya!!!!!!!!!!

How about the 'Red Lion' in the Avebury stone circles? Haunted by a woman who was thrown down a well for infidelity... Also featured on Most Haunted.

Or I'm sure there is a pub in Sheffield which has the reputation of the 'most haunted' pub in England. Will get back to you with that one...

Hi Loon

I went to the Red Lion in Avebury last April, and can tell you that the most horrific and terrifying thing there is the pricing. £8 for a Caesar salad - actually, just a bowl of lettuce with a bit of cheese grated over it.........felt like chucking the chef down the well to join Florrie

How about, The Goat Gap Inn, in North Yorkshire.

To be found on a stretch of moorland, this is an unusual, and allegedly haunted place. Inside, low ceilings, narrow corridors, and dark rooms. Outside, a bright white-washed appearance, and a helicopter landing pad!

It has several ghostly phenomena. In one bedroom, several guests have seen the taps turn on their own. Tapping has also been heard. In another room, the unsettling sound of unseen children singing `ring-a-ring-a-roses', who are thought to be plague victims.

Downstairs in the bar, a ghost of an old farmer has been seen many times, sat in the corner near the window, staring ahead at nothing in particular. He has been named `George', by Landlords over the years. He is believed to date back to when the pub was a farm house. The regulars and staff seem used to him, and his ghost is left unbothered.

The Lord Crewe Arms public house in Blanchland, Northumberland was formed from the Abbot’s lodgings, guesthouse, and abbey kitchens during the mid 13th century. It was once the home of General Tom Forster of Bamburgh, who led the doomed Jacobite rebellion in 1715. After initially being captured, he escaped from prison and was reputed to have hidden in a priests hole near one of the huge fireplaces, before fleeing to France where he lived until his death in 1738.



It is believed that Dorothy Forster is the ghost seen many times inside this pub, she approaches guests and asks them to take a message to her brother Tom in exile. Dorothy was instrumental in his escape from capture, and helped arranged his subsequent life in France. It is believed she even organised a mock funeral for her brother shortly after his escape, the coffin filled with sawdust and carried through the streets to its burial place in an attempt to fool the authorities into believing he was dead. It worked, and they promptly called off their search for him, leaving them both to live quiet, and peaceful lives.

The Eclipse, Winchester, Hampshire, is haunted by the grey shade of Dame Alice Lisle, who emerged from the top window onto the scaffold in 1685. Poor Dame Alice was condemned by Judge Jeffries after unwittingly providing shelter to two renegades from the Duke of Monmouth's failed army at her Moyles Court home. The Judge wanted to burn her alive, but, after an uproar in Hampshire, generously allowed her to be beheaded instead. Aged 71 and barely aware of her predicament, Dame Alice meekly submitted to the axe. A plaque in her memory lies opposite the inn.

Check out the Angel Inn in Niagara On The Lake or The Buttery in Niagara On The Lake.

These have to be two of the most celebrated pubs in all of Canada, if not North America. If you can get your hands on a copy of the video Haunted Niagara, it's well worth listening to the stories and seeing the recreations.

Ciao
Johnnie

Has anyone read any of Roger Long's Haunted Inns of... series? What do you think of them?

The Buck,Thorpe St Andrew,Norfolk.Once was a rectory,the bar is built over graves.If you go out the back you will find gravestones leaning against the wall.A friend of mine lived and worked there,one Sunday she was woken up by a man knocking on her door saying "Come on (name removed),it's 7.30.Time to get up."
She shouted back that she was awake.When she got downstairs she reliased that there was only herself and a woman in the pub!
People have often been seen sitting up one end of the pub talking to themselves,when asked they would say they had been talking to the customer who had come in(when noone had)

Cheers Freddy xx

Red Lion, Southampton.
The compasses, Norfolk.

The Bridge House,Norwich.
Is built above16th century holding cells.During the time when witches were burnt the site where the pub is now there used to be pits.These were where the witches were burnt to death
Old landlords have had furniture rearanged,customers have been trapped in the toilets only to find noone there when they got out.
The cells are still there but it has been bricked up.They have got a camera through and the restraints are still up on the walls.

Cheers Freddy xx

You will find some more haunted pubs here, among other things. A bit sparse on detail, but may interest someone.

LINK

********

Alas no longer a pub, the King's Head, Cuckfield, W Sussex, was ghosted by the fragrantly named Geranium Jane, so called because she was killed when a pot of geraniums fell on her head. Jane was a barmaid and at the time pregnant by the landlord, a man with slippery fingers rather than green ones.

Geranium Jane unnerved witnesses by running through the building with blood streaming down her face. One of her last appearances was thought to be to a child who remarked on the woman with 'make up' over her face.

I was gonna ramble... but nahhh I'll save that for the Off topic threads...

Another cool story Hammy. *Looks at her European lore books* Okay... As soon as I can get over there I am soooooooo there. Would give me a chance to visit a few friends over there...

Hm... You guys won't make fun of me if i Unfortunately catch the Southern drawl would ya?

Then again... I visit Europe I'm gonna be talking with a Brittish accent when I get back...

let's see.... I just have to remember 'Chips' are french fries... hm... gah.... I'll have to drag out my slang books again... *Goes diving into her closet for her slang books*

Let's see ... where did I put it... I think it was stashed behind the lego model of Camelot and under the lego model of stone henge... *Bonks her head on the shelf*

Itai... Who put that shelf in my way... Probably the closet gnomes again... I know they've been eating my socks...

This report is from my now no-longer web site about the 'Bulls Head' pub in Swinton:

i've been to the red lion pub ,avebury for a ghost hunt...not alot happened..only the bar door closing of its own accord...the door was too heavy to be closed by a draft or anything.....i also work in a supposedly haunted pub near bristol...i don't feel anything odd...just things move about in the bedrooms(its a b&b too)
juliexx

Glad I could make you laugh Agent. That hurt too... *Rubs the back ot her head* Found where I stashed my highlander DVDs... but no sign of the book.

The Old Ferry Inn,Horning,Norfolk.
Seen once every twenty years,this ghost is thought to be of a young girl who was raped and murdered by some monks who had got slightly too drunk to realise what they were doing.They threw her body into the nearby river Bure.
The last time she was seen was 25th September 1936,which she will be seen next 25th September 2016

Cheers Freddy xx

I think that spirits choose to haunt the places that for them holds the most appeal. So usually it's the places they used to frequent most often, i.e. houses and pubs... Says a lot for British culture, but hey, at least they're happy spirits.


ghostsandghouls, I like your avatar quotation... MH is the BEST programme EVER.

The Angel, Lymington, Hants. A tall figure in a mariner's coat complete with brass buttons, a ghost coachman who presses his face against a window and an invisible pianist *ahem*, are among the haunters of this establishment according to R. Long's masterpiece of literature, Haunted Inns of Hampshire.

Hey Agent

I have been to the Angel as well. This time though no sign of the Grey Lady but the pianist was rather fabulous and played exceptionally well!