Many locations try to lay claim to being the most haunted, but with a reputed 40 ghosts and a documented often violent history going back to 1100 AD, the so called Creepy Cauldron at 21 Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon has got to be a good contender.
The building is all that remains of the White Lion Inn, which was back in the 1500’s the biggest coaching inn anywhere in Europe. The building stretched from Windsor Street all the way to the site of William Shakespeare’s birthplace – quite some distance.
Of course being so large, the inn attracted many famous and infamous visitors with reports of strong connections to royalty and various secret societies meeting there. Things turned rather violent in the 1700’s with a series of brutal murders in the upper rooms, and later during the English Civil War the building was taken over by parliamentary soldiers – some say you can still hear them whispering to this day.
Today 21 Henley Street is a tourist attraction in the form of the museum of Witchcraft and Wizardry known as the Creepy Cauldron.
At night however when the visitors leave, the upper floors are opened up to ghost hunters and paranormal investigators. There is a haunted chamber where guests are invited to spend the night…or at least try to – many have left early sighting all kinds of strange noises and visions.
In the Apothecary room, visitors often claim to have seen ghostly apparitions many believed to date from the period when the building was part of the White Lion Inn. A common complaint when spending time in this room is headaches and nausea.
In the Nursery Room, a ghost of a young boy is often seen and there are many ‘cold spots’ felt by those walking through. Toys move around the room when left alone and investigators have found significant spikes in EMF readings, suggesting there might be presences in the room.
Dare you enter the Creepy Cauldron at night?
Do you know of a more haunted building, or have we finally found the most haunted in Britain…? Let us know in the comments section below…
Other links:
More visitor attractions in Stratford on Avon
Hotels & B&Bs in Stratford-on-Avon
