Irish President's visit
The 2014 Irish President visit to Coventry caused a stir. A ghoulish green 'ghost' hanging out behind Michael D Higgins was spotted when the leader was addressing the city's Medieval Guildhall. The emerald ethereal apparition seemingly goes unnoticed by the gathered great and the good - who are all listening intently to the President's speech.
Coventry poltergeist
Coventry was caught in a storm during 2011 when a city family claimed they were being plagued by a poltergeist. Derek Acorah visited a Holbrooks' home, and helped to try and rid them of the supernatural force. The family's previously healthy dog died following an unexplained tumble down the stairs, before a camera was set up to catch what was going on.
A phantom lorry?
In the latter half of the last century a phantom lorry was occasionally seen on the A45 at Knightlow Hill between Coventry and Rugby. This spectral HGV travelled at speed towards the vehicle in front of it before vanishing the moment before contact. The reports - taken from a paranormal activity database website - range from the horrifying to the ridiculous.
St. John's
St John's is a Jacobean property that sits on lands which was once a Medieval hospital back in the 12th Century. There have been many reports of paranormal activity and ghostly sightings at the mansion by staff and visitors alike, including the sounds of footsteps from empty rooms, dramatic drops in temperature and even a figure seen at one of the windows. It is thought two sisters both met tragic ends at the house; one was burnt to death when her clothing caught light while trying to dry herself by an open fire and the other fell ill after the house was broken into and many believe she literally died of fright.
Galloping horses
In Moat House Lane in Canley one man heard the sound of wheels moving along the road followed by the sound of galloping horses growing increasingly loud. The witness had to jump out of the way in fear of his life before realising that there was no sign of any horses or carriage. And the nearby Phantom Coach pub is named after a spectre that sometimes repeats its fatal crash. The coach left the road and sank in a marsh, killing all on board.
Witchcraft murder
This mysterious and gruesome murder remains unsolved 70 years on. Charles Walton, a 74-year-old farm labourer, was found with a pitch fork buried deep in his chest on the night of February 14, 1945, at a farm on the slopes of Meon Hill, in Lower Quinton. Witchcraft has been linked to the crime after a large cross was carved onto his body. Despite an investigation by Scotland Yard, there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with murder and the crime remains the longest unsolved murder on the Warwickshire Police records.
Days Hotel/Aston Court Hotel, Coventry
Visitors and staff at Days Hotel building - formerly Aston Court Hotel - in Holyhead Road have reported numerous sightings and strange happenings in the hotel over the years. After investigating the location a few years ago, the Ghost Society of England claimed the hotel is haunted by five spirits. Using night vision video cameras and magnetic detectors, investigators and mediums scoped out the spectres. They believed the ghosts include two men, two women and a young girl with a certain hatred for males. Hotel staff now allegedly keep men out of a certain room in the hotel in fear the young ghost might attack them.
St Mary's Guildhall, Coventry city centre
The Guildhall once held Mary, Queen of Scots prisoner within its walls and has always had a reputation for being haunted. Regular sightings include a ‘grey lady’, a little girl and a monk. St Mary's has a room known as the ‘drapers room’ which is rumoured to be very emotional, with many people being overcome with a feeling of sadness and some even bursting into tears for no reason. The building was built on part of the site of the former Coventry castle and is considered to be the finest medieval guildhall in the country.
The Golden Cross pub, Hay Lane, Coventry
The Golden Cross is located in the centre of Coventry and runs as a youthful and edgy bar with a light Gothic theme. Very fitting considering it received a ‘Most Haunted Location’ award. The central bar is part of Spook Hunters Coventry ghost hunt tour.
ETTINGTON PARK HOTEL
Ettington Park Hotel probably looks familiar to you. That is because it featured in 1963 film ‘The Haunting’. The property holds the coveted title of ‘Most Haunted Hotel in Britain’ and it is easy to see why, since it is home to plenty of Coventry ghosts! Just some of the sightings that have been reported over the years include an old woman wearing Victorian style clothing, a man with a dog who vanishes into thin air, several monks, some army officers and also the hotel’s most famous spectral resident ‘Lady Emma’ aka the lady in white. While it is now a luxury hotel, Ettington Park has formerly been a nursing home, a club and even a camp for prisoners of war which probably explains why there is such a vast array of different spirits hanging around!
BROWNSOVER HALL HOTEL
Brownsover Hall Hotel is a Victorian Gothic mansion which is said to be haunted by a former resident who is known as ‘One Handed Boughton’. The story is that he lost his arm in Elizabethan times and he has been haunting his former home for quite some time! In fact, in the 18th century local members of the clergy were called to Brownsover Hall in order to cleanse it of the entity that was haunting the building. They were able to persuade him to get inside a bottle which was then sealed and thrown into the lake in the grounds. It was considered a success and all was peaceful for a time. However in the 1880s, the bottle was apparently recovered by fishermen who opened it, thus freeing One Handed Broughton from his prison! The haunting resumed immediately and both staff and hotel guests have reported heating groans, footsteps and disembodied voices, all apparently coming from the tower – which to this day remains empty!
THE ESTABLISHMENT BAR & GRILL
The Establishment Bar and Grill is actually one of Coventry’s oldest buildings, so it is probably no surprise that it is one of the must see spots on any tour of haunted Coventry! Although it is now a restaurant and bar, the building was at one time a medieval jail complete with gallows and its own cemetery! Staff and customers alike have reported lots of paranormal activity ranging from strange shadows to poltergeist activity. Court officials and former prisoners have been seen in the bar area and staff say that poltergeist activity is very common. Customers will often comment on the strange shadows that can be seen flitting around with no explanations as to their source. One of the ghosts who is usually held responsible for the ghostly goings on in The Establishment Bar & Grill is that of Mary Bell, the last woman to be hanged in Coventry.
OLD MILL HOTEL
The Old Mill Hotel is in the Baginton area of Coventry and it is said to be home to a grey lady who has called the building home for several generations! The Old Mill was at one time, as the name suggests, an old water mill. However it is now a beautiful hotel and restaurant. It is also one of the most haunted places in Coventry. The bulk of the paranormal activity that goes on here is attributed to the fact that when the building was still in use as a water mill, a woman was apparently trapped under the wheel and subsequently drowned. Could she be the mysterious grey lady who is seen wandering around the hotel? Another strange thing about the mill is that during excavation work, the body of a mummified cat was discovered. It was promptly removed from the premises, but all manner of bad luck began to befall the hotel, but when the cat was returned things seemed to go back to normal. The cat was removed several more times over the years with similar consequences. The last attempt to removed to mummified cat was in 1999 and for now it has been decided that perhaps it is best left where it is!
COOMBE ABBEY HOTEL
Coombe Abbey was originally constructed in the 12th century to serve as a monastery, and it has certainly managed to garner itself a colourful history over the years. It now serves as an upmarket hotel, but it seems that not all of the monks have left! There are many reports of paranormal occurrences in the hotel and many of them are attributed to the ghost of Abbott Geoffrey who was murdered in 1345. His hooded figure is seen walking the grounds and he is also blamed for plenty of poltergeist activity in the kitchens! Some have suggested that this could be because he is angry that his killer was never brought to justice. The Abbott is by no means the only spirit to be found at the hotel, there are also frequent sightings of Matilda. This is the spirit of a young, green eyed woman who was a stablehand for the Craven family. The master of the house was quite taken by Matilda and ended up getting her pregnant , but denied he was the father. Matilda’s baby was stillborn and in her grief she cursed the Craven household saying that the children would die young and under horrible circumstance. It seems her words had some weight, because several children in the Craven family have indeed died young over the years. Matilda is said to wander throughout the Coombe Abbey Hotel and visitors report hearing footsteps and seeing doors slam shut when nobody is around. There have also been several guest who have left their rooms in the middle of the night and refused to return, saying that they are not alone in there! Other spirits spotted in the hotel include a horseman who rides near the lodge house and a woman in Victorian style clothing riding past the hotel on a bicycle!
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