Often called the most haunted house in Britain, this uniquely historic, ancient-looking inn also happens to be the oldest building in Wotton-under-Edge, a small village in England about 40 minutes from Bristol. It is known as one of the most unique properties in the region and has its fair share of strange history and mystery, plus a host of unique residents.
The Ancient History Of The Inn
The Ancient Ram Inn has a rather interesting past with multiple former “lives” to tell. Before the building’s construction in 1145, the site was home to a multi-millennia Pagan burial ground that lies on the Ley Lines, which trace directly back to the ancient and mysterious site of Stonehenge. This connection gives rise to legend that the strange paranormal happenings documented on the property relate to its unique past.
The building that stands today was constructed in 1145 as the home for slaves, masons, and other workers building the St. Mary’s Church nearby. Streams on the grounds had to be diverted around the church’s site, which, according to many, opened up the portal for the dark energy once used in rituals performed by Pagans in the area.
After the masons and other workers moved out, the house became home to a priest. Later, it was made into an inn and public house. In 1968, however, someone new bought the Ancient Ram Inn and made it his home.
He Was The Sole Occupant Of The Inn For Many Years
John Humphries bought the place in the late 1960s to preserve it from destruction. The first night he stayed on the property, he says he met the spirits that make the Ancient Ram Inn one of the most haunted spots in England. He claims that demonic forces grabbed him by the arm and dragged him across the room from his bed. Since that time, he’s found evidence of ritual sacrifices and devil worship on the inn’s grounds. Even more horrifying? He’s come across the skeletal remains of children he believes were stabbed with daggers.
The ghostly spirits never discouraged Humphries from maintaining his residence there. Though his wife and daughters left him at the inn, he remained, preserving the building. Night after night, the spirits returned, but Humphries stuck it out for more than 50 years until his death in late 2017.
Who Haunts This House?
There are several entities believed to haunt the inn-turned-home. Perhaps the most famous is a witch that was burned at the stake in the area during the 1500s — the height of witch-hunting. The woman fled from potential “trial” by government-sanctioned witch hunters and took refuge in the Ancient Ram Inn. She was soon captured, however, and burned at the stake. Of course, she lives on in legend. The room where she hid has been dubbed The Witch’s Room and her spirit is believed to be haunting it to this day.
There are also stories of the former innkeeper’s daughter hanged in the attic, the spirits of ritually murdered children, exorcisms, and other dark, haunting events in the millennia-old inn. Orbs of these spirits have been photographed by paranormal investigators and the curious. Strange lights have terrified visitors hoping for a peek into the afterlife.
The Bishop’s Room is considered the most haunted in the Ancient Ram Inn. This is where bishops stayed in days past and the room is supposedly haunted by the spirits of several bishops today. Dark monks and evil spirits — including the spirits of these bishops — are said to be seen here on the regular. Even a Roman Centurion has appeared on horseback riding through the walls toward plumbers who were minding their own business. An Incubus and Succubus supposedly haunt the room that John Humphries selected for his sleeping quarters, mistreating those brave enough to stay overnight.
Who Owns The Inn Now?
Caroline Humphries, John Humphries’s daughter, now has possession of the Ancient Ram Inn and has given invitations to archeologists to study its unique history. The hotel remains open to visitors; most are paranormal tourists who test their mettle by staying overnight.
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