Book tells of North Devon pub ghosts

dave.tanner@archant.co.uk
31 December 2009

TALES of ghostly figures supping ales, footsteps after chucking out time, and things that go bump in the bar all feature in a fascinating new guide to the region's haunted pubs.

A number of North Devon pubs are included in the book, Haunted Pubs of the South West, which recounts hundreds of tales collected by paranormal researcher and author Ian Addicoat.

Among the pubs featured is Buckland Brewer's 13th century Coach and Horses, which was reputedly once used as a courtroom, with the cellars adapted as a gaol and an execution drop situated in the room above the main bar. A lady in black has been seen moving along a corridor, while a number of civil war skirmishes known to have taken place around the area have also apparently left their mark - Cavalier soldiers have been seen standing at the site of the execution drop while a ghostly Roundhead has been spotted in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

The book tells how the Devil's Stone Inn at Shebbear is reputedly attached to the church by a hidden tunnel. A young girl in a white smock as well as a ghost with a grey beard are said to haunt the pub, which has also experienced its share of poltergeist activity, with pictures falling off walls and beer taps being turned on.

At the 13th century Farmers Arms in Woolsery, clocks are said to have flown off the kitchen wall and member of staff hit over the head with a glass bowl. The landlord's wife was reportedly thrown off a chair and stroked by unseen hands, while an old tramp has been seen by a recently discovered Anglo-Saxon well.

Also mentioned is the Fox and Goose at Paracombe and the Old Thatched Inn at Abbotsham, which is said to be haunted by the resident ghost of a former customer believed to be a taxi driver. Strange footsteps and moving objects have also been reported, while dogs brought into the pub often react as if they can see a presence invisible to human eyes. The book is published by Amberley priced £12.99.