Unexplained cold spots, disembodied voices, sudden feelings of uneasiness and more have been reported by staff and customers alike.
The Lion Inn on Pawsons Road is said to be haunted by several ghosts, including the ghost of a young child and a serving girl. Both have been seen in the front bar area. it is also said that the ghost of an old regular haunts behind the bar itself.
Rose Whitbread, has worked at the pub on and off for 16 years, said: “I personally think there is something here, sometimes you can hear someone has come through the door and you go to have a look and there’s nobody there.”
Years earlier when Rose was visiting the pub with her kids, her then four year old boy said “tell the man to leave me alone.’” even though there was no one else in that part of the pub except Rose and her two children.
Another time Rose was physically assaulted by unseen hands. “I was sitting down at the bar at the end of the night, chatting to my boss and I felt like someone had pinched my bum." Her boss was sitting opposite, the bar was closed and no one else was in the room.
She believes the spooky happenings are seasonal and tend to occur more in the winter months. Most activity occurs in the front bar which is in the oldest part of the pub. “It used to be really bad when I first started working here,” said Rose. although in recent years the activity has calmed down.