As Halloween is approaching, the following pubs in Wiltshire are great places to visit for those seeking a more supernatural and even historic pub visit.
The following are five haunted pubs in Wiltshire with great history beind them.
WANBOROUGH: The Harrow Inn
One of the oldest pubs in the Swindon area, the Harrow Inn has parts dating back to before 1740 when it was known as the Harrow and Kings Head.
Originally built as a coaching inn on the Roman road to London, it still operates as an inn today.
Apparently, The Harrow Inn is haunted by a friendly spirit of a one-time coachman.
The story is that he crashed his coach right outside of the inn and killed not only himself but also his passengers.
His apparition is now seen with some regularity walking around the dining room.
DEVIZES: The Black Swan, Market Square
Room Four at the Black Swan Hotel in Devizes is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the most haunted bedrooms in the country.
Both staff and guests of the hotel have seen the transparent figure of a woman in a long white flowing dress.
The sightings of this young woman in white are always fairly similar. The woman appears the walls of rooms and then sits down for a short time, usually staring out of the window. She then gets up again and leaves by walking through the wall!
There have also been reports of paranormal activity in the cellar, where a face has been seen coming out of the wall.
AVEBURY: The Red Lion
his pub is considered to be one of the most haunted places in Wiltshire! The thatched public house was built in the early part of the 1600s as a farmhouse. It then became a coaching inn around 1802.
Today, it is known mostly from its appearance on the first season of paranormal television show Most Haunted and for the six different ghosts that call this place home.
Florrie is the most famous. Back in 1643, Florrie was married to a soldier who returned from the English Civil War only to find that she had been unfaithful!
In a fit of jealous rage, he murdered his wife and disposed of her body by dumping it in the village well which is now inside the pub and has a perspex cover so drinkers can look down.
There have also been reports of a couple of children in the Private Room. Terrified witnesses report seeing the apparitions cowering in one corner. On the odd occasion, the children are also accompanied by a female apparition known as Beth.
DEVIZES: The Bear Hotel, Market Square
One of the most well-known tales of unexpected happenings comes from 1965 when a barman heard loud voices coming out of an empty room.
On another occasion, a maid from The Bear Hotel was outside and noticed a grey figure closing the curtains in a room she knew was unoccupied.
She entered the hotel and went straight to the room to double-check and again, she was correct and the room was empty!
MALMESBURY: The Old Bell Hotel
The Old Bell Hotel stands right next to the ruins of Malmesbury Abbey and it is believed that the hotel’s East wing is actually built on top of a section of Abbey’s cemetery.
Rumour has it that there are even a number of sarcophagi concealed underneath the hotel bar.
The most famous ghost linked to The Old Bell Hotel is the Grey Lady. She is frequently sighted in the James Ody room by staff and guests alike. She is usually described as looking sad and a little lost as she glides silently around the hotel.
Legend has it that if you stand in the James Ody room and chant ‘Grey Lady, Grey Lady, Grey Lady’ then she will appear in the room.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel