This weekend saw me travel to the ancient henge at Avebury, although ive driven through the area a few times and seen the stones briefly from the car, this was the first time I had been in their majestic presence.
I arrived accompanied by my wife and kids at around lunch time and as every parent knows if your going to drag your kids around a field to look at big rocks it is best to make sure they have full stomachs first. So we popped into the Red Lion pub to refuel before going to see the stones.
I must say that the food in there was great and the service was top notch even though it was nearly full with others who had had the same idea as us. But of course it isnt reviews of pub grub that has brought you here dear reader onward with the good bit.
As ever I wasn't long in the pub before I found out about some ghostly goings on the premises, and it lays claim to being the most haunted pub in England, (along with every other pub with a hint of spook in the country). So I thought you guys would be interested in hearing about the phantoms that are supposed to hunt the old pub.
The Red Lion is a mere pup compared to the age of the stone circle that the village of Avebury sits in, built in the early 1600s it served as a farm house up until 1800 when it became a coaching inn.
The Inn is said to be the home of several ghosts, as well as being visited by the sudo ghost hunters from Most Haunted. The first of our spooky collection is a ghostly carriage that starts its journey at the near by manor and then thunders along the road finishing up outside the pub at which point witnesses say it disappears, perhaps its the ghost of a long dead lord of the manor racing to make last orders.
Our second spectre is a woman named Flori who it seems has been witnessed many times over the years. It is said that when seen she appears to be a women in her early 20s. Flori' story is one of love jealousy and rage. It is told that during the English civil war young Flori' husband had gone away to fight and Flori had taken a lover. Then one evening her husband returned catch Flori in the bedroom in the arms of her lover. One version of the story has her lover escape leaving Flori to her fate but in another telling the lover is shot and killed by Flori's husband. Sadly for the cheating wife both versions of the story end with her husband dispatching her, either by being strangled or by being stabbed. He then drags the poor womans corpse down stairs and disposes of it in the well.
The weeks passed and the people of the little village grew suspicious and started asking question as to the whereabouts of Flori an inquest as held and eventually her husband consumed with guilt admitted his crime and was hanged.
These days the well where Flori's body ended up is in what is now the restaurant area of the pub and has been turned into a rather nice glass topped table, it is from the well that Flori's ghost is said to appear dressed in black, she is also said to appear in the ladies toilet (maybe even ghosts need to use the facilities from time to time) and she is also reported to be the cause of a spinning chandelier that spins when bearded men in particular walk by.
The third ghost is reportedly of an old landlord who was forced to hide a gang of outlaws the cellar to avoid being caught by the law. He went along with all their demands but they must of thought he had seen and heard too much so the gang silenced him by stabbing him to death. His bloody shade is seen down in the cellar and members of staff who have witnessed him make a very quick exit indeed.
Upstairs in the pub in a room called the Private Bedroom the spirit of a woman known as Beth has been seen gazing out of the window and the forms of two children have been reported to cower in fear in the corner.
Another bedroom The Avenue Room houses the spooks of a man and a woman who frighten guests by popping up beside the bed and even removing the bed clothes from people trying to get some sleep.
So as you can see the Red Lion is rich in paranormal happenings and is well worth a visit for a cheeky pint or some great food and who know you might even bump into one of the more ethereal residents.
So after our lunch it was time for us to take a walk around the henge. The henge is the largest of its type in Europe and covers a massive 28 acres and around its perimeter is a bank and ditch that still
makes an impression after around 4500 years. Sadly only around 27 of the original 100 stones remain, many being robbed out to be used for building but there are still some very impressive ones left weighing upto 40 tons that of course were placed there with out the use of any modern machinery.
The henge's original use will most likely be lost to the mists of time for ever and all academics can do is speculate on what its purpose was. But I think its safe to say that what ever it was built for it was built to last and it must of been a very important place to it builders, why else would they make the monumental effort to construct it?
Today it is still very much in use by various different types of people ranging from tourists to various pagans, weed smoking hippy types and of course curious forteans. Unlike its slightly younger neighbour Stone Henge it is still completely accessible and your are free to look around at you leisure and if your able I strongly urge you to go and see this amazing piece or British heritage.
During excavations of one of the then fallen stones in the late 1930's items dating back to the 1400 century were found including coins and other items and unfortunately the owner of the items was also found seemly crushed in an accident under the stones massive weight. Since that time the stone has become know as the barbours stone due to the items found with the man remains being those of a barbour-surgeon. It is likely that the weight of the stone made the retrieval of the mans body impossible so he was left to rest where he died.
Many people over the years have reported seeing ghostly figures moving around the stones at night and the sound of singing has also been heard coming from the circle when on inspection there has been no one there maybe these are the ghosts of the original builders of the henge returning to celebrate or worship long forgotten gods.
There is also tell of fairy folk being seen there, dancing in the night and there lights have been seen late at night by motorists driving along the roads that now bisect the monument. Perhaps the Fairies are continuing the rituals of man or maybe they both used it for the same purpose ;)
I have also come across the story of an entity named The Haunt, plagues any building made from stone taken from Avebury causing poltergeist type phenomena. Sadly I know little more of this but I'll endeavour to find out.
Another tantalising bit of forteana is that there has been reports of UFOs over the skies of Avebury dating back over 300 years again this is something I will look into in more detail very soon!
After our walk around the stones marvelling at the sheer effort of there creators, we made our way to Avebury Manor, which is now used as a museum. I couldn't help being a little angry at the people who first built the manor as they have brutishly destroyed part of the henge and but various buildings in it place.
Avebury Manor itself was built in the 1500's and its suggested that the site may have been in use for around 1000 years. It is as you would expect a little bit haunted. It ghosts include A woman in white seen by a workman near the front gates and I think its fair to say he was probably just a little shocked when he witnessed her disappear before him. She is also seen wondering around the grounds as well as the stone her face covered by a hood.
Another spirit at the manor is said to scatter rose petals around what is called the crimson room, who says ghosts cant be romantic? Also the spectre of a cavalier has been seen on occasion and what haunted manor would be complete with out the ghost of a monk who has been seen in the library.
So I hope you have enjoyed the rather spooky tale of Avebury Henge and it surroundings. There are even more ghosts and legends than I have told you perhaps soon I'll tell you about the rest.
Bye for now.
The Curious Fortean.
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