Ghostly Tales

At Kingston Russell House, near Bridport a coach drawn by four headless horses driven by a headless coachman and inside containing four headless passengers is supposed to appear on certain nights of the year. It drives up to the door, stays a moment and then drives back again.

The Grosvenor Hotel in Shaftesbury is reckoned to be one of the country’s most haunted hotels with as many as three ghosts. A grey lady haunts the upper floors, a monk has been witnessed in the cellar while a young girl has disturbed sleepers by pulling back bed sheets. In Blandford, the Crown Hotel can claim even more ghosts. These include a horse’s head which burst through a toilet wall, a young boy chimney sweep who died trapped in a hotel chimney and a highwayman who made his appearance in a bar area. There is also an elderly lady who was associated with a gin company. The 16th century coaching inn, the Bull Hotel in Bridport is said to have a lady ghost dressed in tweed sitting in the reception area.

The ruins of Knowlton Church, near Wimborne have hosted the sightings of a phantom horse and rider, a weeping nun and a ghostly face appearing at a window.

Legend also claims the ghostly chimes of a stolen bell can be heard from a nearby river.

Athelhampton House, near Puddletown, is reckoned to be one of the most haunted in England. There’s a pet ape said to have perished in a secret cellar, two duelling Civil War soldiers, a cooper who haunts the wine cellar and the ‘grey lady’ who haunts the bedrooms. Portland Castle can boast a headless cavalier, an apparition of a young girl in the kitchen and a ‘lavender lady’ associated with the scent of lavender in a stairway.

The Smugglers Inn at Osmington Mills, near Weymouth is steeped in smuggling history. A smuggler and a revenue man are believed to be among the ghosts that haunt the inn. Some locals reckon that famous pianist, Russ Conway haunts the Ship Inn in Dorchester where his music could sometimes be heard.

Surprisingly, Bournemouth Town Hall has had more than its fair share of apparitions. The municipal building can claim a soldier who appears to be drinking from a sink, three brothers confined to the basement while on the fourth floor a headless maharaja could be found sitting in a chair. Outside horses and carriages have been seen and heard.