Tucked away in a corner of Gloucestershire, England, is a sleepy little town called Wotton-under-Edge. Its Ancient Ram Inn is nearly 900 years old and said to be one of the most haunted places in Britain.
The Bishop’s Room Is Said To Be The Most Haunted Room In Britain
The Bishop's Room is named for a custom that dates back to when the inn was owned by St. Mary’s Church. Visiting bishops used to stay there. Interestingly, John Yates, the former Bishop of Gloucester, did visit the room in modern times in an attempt to exorcise it. He ultimately failed in his mission, later calling the room "the most evil place I have ever had the misfortune to visit."
Some of the room's previous guests have heard screams during their stay. Others saw the furniture floating in the air. Many claimed to have seen the ghosts themselves. As many as nine ghosts have been spotted in the Bishop’s room, from monks praying in the corner to a cavalier pacing the room, to a woman hanging from the ceiling.
A Witch Was Burned Alive In The 16th Century, And Some Say She Still Haunts The Inn
One of the rooms in the inn is cheekily named “The Witch’s Room,” though the story behind it is tragic. In essence, a 16th-century witch fled her trial and hid in that very room. She was subsequently captured, tried, and burned at the stake. It’s said that she haunts the room to this day and visits sleeping guests in the middle of the night.
The room is notable for a small collection of stuffed animals that occupy the room. The innkeeper’s daughter says that when she stayed in the room, she heard the cries of children during the night. She put the toys there to keep them calm.
The Ancient Ram Inn is truly ancient, having been built in the 12th century. Who's to say how many people have perished in, around, or perhaps because of it? Combined with the fact that the inn sits at the intersection of two ley lines, and right on top of a pagan ritual site, it makes sense that it would attract more specters than the typical ancient building.
Some ghosts are known by name, such as Rosie, a former innkeeper's daughter who was slain in the attic. Another woman, Elizabeth, is supposedly buried under the inn. There’s even a shadowy black cat that slinks around and talks to visitors as it passes by.
In 1997, the owner of the inn gave his blessing for ghost hunters to dig up parts of the floor. They were looking for a long-buried cellar underneath, but instead found something more gruesome.
The bones of a woman and a child were unearthed, along with a few iron shards. The pieces were sent to the Bristol Museum, which concluded the bodies may have been victims of a sacrificial ritual. The iron shards were speculated to be remnants of the dagger used in that very ritual. On discovering this, the inn's owner stopped the digging out of fear of stirring up more spirits.
Some Patrons Claim They Were Visited By A Succubus
According to ghost hunter Samantha Coupe, the inn is home to a succubus, or female demon that seduces sleeping men. Judging by its description, the demon could be something similar to a mare. The mares of Germanic folklore would lay down on a person while they slept, taking their breath and giving them nightmares.
The succubus at the inn has been known to do just that. Guests have reportedly woken up in the middle of the night pinned to the bed and unable to breathe.
The inn was originally erected to house the workers and enslaved people who helped build St Mary’s Church back in 1145. However, legend has it that long before the building or the town existed, the land was used for pagan rituals.
Ancient Britain was home to Anglo-Saxon pagans between the 5th and 8th centuries. The pagans believed in multiple gods whose names were similar to Norse deities, such as Woden, Tiw, Thunor, Loki, and Hel. Archeological evidence of their rituals remains, including weddings, drinking, and most notably, funerals.
