Ghost Sightings

A group of friendly spirits frequent this timber framed 16th century establishment that is made up of an eclectic mix of nine different buildings. Speculation has it that this was a secret meeting place for papists planning thier escape to France, which might explain why furniture, and in particular chairs, are often found re-arranged in a circle overnight. A previous landlord of the inn is on record saying that in a room closed to the public furniture would whirl around in the air before crashing down in a big heap. Other accounts talk of muffled voices, footsteps and a fire which re-lights itself.

A sprightly spook has scared many a guest in the gent’s toilet here by suddenly appearing and disappearing, her identity is unknown but it has been suggested that she may be the same ghost that haunts the Theatre Royal nearby. On one occasion a former landlord became so frustrated by the ghost that he threw a loaded paint brush at it, the assault produced no effect but left a paint smear on the wall! There is also a poltergeist that annoyingly locks doors, throws cutlery and kitchen equipment around, and generally makes a nuisance of itself.

The Olde Starre Inn dates back to the time of Henry VIII and has several different ghostly tales attached to it. It is said that the cellars of the building date back to the 10th century and that they were used to house wounded Royalist soldiers who had fought at the battle of nearby Marston Moor. Their dying screams are still said to ring around the empty rooms of the building in the dead of night. Visitors of the canine variety are more likely to sense the ghosts of two black cats who are said to haunt here after being bricked up alive in the pillar between the door and the main bar. There is also the spirit of an old lady who has been glimpsed climbing the stairs, although she can only be seen by children.

George Villiers, the second Duke of Buckingham, who lived during the reign of Charles II is the saucy spirit who haunts this public house. Villiers was made immortally infamous as the hero of the nursery rhyme ‘Georgie Porgie’ which refers to his downfall in parliament in 1673. He makes his presence known mostly to women and has been described as ‘a shadowy figure with long flowing hair and embroidered clothing’. On one occasion he was caught spying on a former landlady in the shower and has been known to stroke or even fondle young ladies!

Two ghosts are known to haunt this inn that was said to be a house of ill repute in the past. The first ghost dates from more recent times, that of a 19th century landlord who perished in a fire, but the second is a reminder of the building’s more colourful past. Legend has it that on a cold winter’s night a man seeking company called at the house. After imbibing copious amounts of alcohol, he began to harass one of the girls who rejected his advances. He subsequently pursued her around the building, finally strangling her in a drunken rage, and her desperate spirit is said to re-enact her last moments, still running from room to room, trying to evade her assailant.