The Garrick’s Head was constructed around 1720 by Thomas Greenway and can be found adjacent to the Theatre Royal in the historic spa town of Bath in Somerset. This magnificent grade II listed building was once home to the celebrated dandy and leader of fashion in 18th-century Britain and Master of Ceremonies for Bath, Richard Beau Nash.
Garrick’s Head is said to be haunted by a shadowy figure that lurks by the entrance, known as the Grey Lady. Legend says that many years ago, the lady fell in love with an actor who her husband, out of pure jealousy and rage, then killed in a duel.
Upon her lover’s death, it is thought she either hanged herself or jumped from a high window to her death. The Grey Lady is now frequently seen when the temperature drops unexpectedly, followed by the faint smell of jasmine.
Mysterious knocks have also been reported, whilst those who have seen her say she wears an 18th Century evening dress with feathers in her hair. She has no colour, her whole figure appears grey. At times she appears solid, although sometimes as a wispy, smoky figure.
The only adverse effect that she has is that after a sighting of her, most people feel depressed, as if they have absorbed the misery that she must have experienced when she took her own life.
One particularly shocking account of poltergeist activity took place in the Garrick’s Head in 1996. Bar staff reported that just after finishing clearing up for the evening, they were sat at the bar having a drink. There was an almighty crash and the till in the next door bar, which was lodged in a tight space, had mysteriously been thrown 3-4 feet across the room, landing on the other side of the bar.