Pythouse

Semley
Wiltshire

History

The current Palladian mansion was built in 1725 to replace an Elizabethan house. The Bennett Stanford's who lived on this estate for 700 years.

Paranormal Activity

A housekeeper accidently killed her own child by scalding her with hot water. She was hanged for the crime and it is believed that if her bones are removed from the house a terrible act with occur. The bones have only been removed three times, the first time a wing of the mansion caught fire, the second time the son and heir died and the third time the only daughter died, so the branch of that family died out.

The Black Swan Hotel

Market Place
Devizes
Wiltshire SN10 1JQ

Tel: +44(0) 1380 723259
Email: blackswanhotel@talktalk.net
Web: www.blackswandevizes.co.uk

History

Former pub, now a hotel. The current building was built in 1732. According to John Girven (local historian) the cellars date back to the 1600s when a previous pub known as the Nags Head stood on this site. It was owned by a notorious horse dealer and suspected highwayman, Ambrose Saintsbury. In 1732, the building was re-built and renamed the Sergeants Head. The proprieter at that time was Francis Paradise, a former sergeant of the mace to the towns Mayor In 1789, the building was leased to Walter Flay, and in the same year, was struck by lightening, causing severe damage to the stables The cellars have five chambers which lead off from a central passage; however the rear of the cellar has been bricked up, blocking access to what is believed some extra 100 feet or so of underground tunnel, which runs under the establishments yard In 1999, John Girven removed a brick from this area while investigating the suspected tunnel. This act allegedly marked the start of the severe haunting of the cellar area.

Paranormal Activity

There is a story of a highwayman who was reputed to keep his horses stabled in such a tunnel along with a change of clothing. The story states that the man led a double life as a highwayman as well as respectable man about town. During a recent investigation, a man in a three cornered hat was seen in the basement. Many guests who have stayed in Room 4 have reported the apparition of a young woman who sits in a chair and looks out of the window towards the Market Place. She is described as an attractive female figure with long blonde hair and dressed in a flowing white gown which drapes to the floor. It has been reported that the young woman sits in the chair for a short time, before rising to her feet and gliding across the room past the bed and disappearing in to the wall. She is believed to have died during childbirth in this room. The conference room is said to have a lot of poltergeist activity in it. Some ghosthunters who have visited the hotel previously have tried trigger object experiments, where an item was placed on paper. They were surprised to find that it had moved.

Red Lion Pub

Wiltshire

History

Paranormal Activity

A jealous husband returning from the English Civil War threw his wife Flori down a deep well after finding her in bed with another man. This legend haunts the Red Lion pub, with several customers and employees seeing Flori, dressed in black, walking around the pub in search of a bearded man. One eyewitness report detailed a spinning chandelier with a bearded man sat underneath. Customers have seen Flori in the ladies toilets and a previous pub landlady said the ghost of Flori hurled salt and pepper over tables and chairs. Ghostly horse-drawn carriages have been seen pulling up outside the pub, which dates back to the 16th century.