Dating back to 1786 The Swan and Royal in Clitheroe has played host to many famous guests including Ghandi, during his tour of the Lancashire cotton mills, Sir Frank Whittle, the inventor of the jet engine and Sir Winston Churchill.

However, the hotel also has a tragic history. In 1878 George Easton read the riot act from the front steps of The Swan & Royal when cotton rioters threatened the building. The Hotel was guarded by 20 soldiers of the 11th Hussars. One of the soldiers fell in love with a 17 year old local girl, Annie Druce, but before they could marry his regiment was sent to South Africa for the infamous Zulu campaign and was killed in action. Annie was pregnant with his child, when word of his death reached her and disowned by her parents, she went to the room at the Swan and Royal where they had conceived their child and hanged herself.

Anne’s ghost has been seen reportedly seen on the top floor of the building, accompanied by duvets being pulled off the beds, windows slamming shut, toilets flushing by themselves and curtains closing of their own accord. On one occasion, a guest was in his room when the taps of his sink turned themselves on and were both running. The soap was seemingly picked up from its dish, rotated and then placed back, at which point the taps turned off.

Bedroom five used to be plagued by the sound of a baby crying and complaints from guests about this were regular for years. Then in 1957 when renovation took place in the attic, workmen discovered a pile of Victorian newspapers, some of which had been used to wrap up a package. Unwrapping it, they found it contained a baby skeleton. The newspaper was dated March 1879.

With its remains now interred, it seems the ghostly baby is now at peace, and complaints about room five have since ceased.