Derek Acorah’s Most Haunted Experiences: Red Lion Inn

Our columnist shares his tale of a heart- breaking murder at the famous Red Lion Inn…

“Apart from Stonehenge, I think that the most famous stone circle in the UK has to be the Avebury Stones which sit in a field in front of the famous Red Lion Inn. They lend a mystical air to the old inn, which is the answer to any ghost hunter’s dream. With its thatched roof, log fire and long history, it is everything that an investigator could ever require. There is so much residual energy that it would take many days to complete a thorough and in-depth investigation.

“Many ghosts have been reported as being seen at the Red Lion, and these include a woman known as Beth. There is also an unnamed man and a small girl. I have to say that when I visited the premises I saw none of these spirit people, but I did catch sight of a monk in full habit standing in the doorway of the lounge of the pub. He stood silently with his hands folded in the sleeves of his robe before fading away to nothingness. I also caught briefly the sight of a man dressed in what I would call the uniform of a Cavalier soldier. I saw the spirits of two children in a bedroom on the upper floor. They calmly continued on with their play as I stood watching them from the doorway. The spirit person I had come to investigate was that of ‘Florence’ or ‘Florrie’, as she was known.

“As I stood in the centre of the lounge I became aware of the presence of a female. I saw a lady standing in the same doorway as the monk had appeared. “They call me Florence,” she said, “and I lived here many years ago. I met my end in the well”. Tears streamed down her face. “I loved him” she said as her spirit form started to fade away. I had been told nothing about a well in the premises, and quickly asked Sam as to its location. “I will show you,” answered Sam and then proceeded to relate to me the sad story of the lady who had shown herself in the lounge. She had been a young woman from a modestly well-off family who had been waylaid by three men, had her throat cut and her lifeless body had been thrown down a well. I was overwhelmed by a feeling of great sadness. Poor Florence! Robbed of her life and the opportunity to marry the man she loved. The sadness of her husband-to-be when he arrived home to find her gone overwhelmed me.

“Sam guided me to a room at the rear of the inn. There was the well. It had been surrounded by a low brick wall and covered in a sheet of plate glass. I looked down through the glass and could see that this was indeed the well where poor Florence had breathed her last. I once again felt overcome by the feeling of great sadness and loss. I prayed that Florence should find peace at last after her terrible end. One thing that I would mention about the Red Lion Inn (to anybody who is interested in going there to conduct an investigation), is that it is a very old building, and the windows do not fit as snugly as they might in a modern home. Take care that a swinging chandelier is not to be taken as proof of spirit activity – the breezes from the windows can be thought responsible for many alleged paranormal happenings.”

Meet Derek…

Derek Acorah is one of the world’s most renowned spiritualist mediums, having demonstrated to millions of people in theatres throughout the UK and beyond over his 25 year career in the public eye.  For more information, visit derekacorah.com