We all love a good haunted pub, and The King’s Head Aylesbury certainly doesn’t disappoint. CHRISTINE MILLER tells us more about the ghostly inhabitants that left staff so unsettled that the Ghost Club was called in to solve the paranormal mystery…
One of the oldest pubs in England, The King’s Head has had more than one spooky ghost story attached to it over the years, from phantom nuns and spectral Grey Ladys to unseen hands throwing occupants out of bed. Dare you make a visit?
The Historic King’s Head Aylesbury
Known as one of the most haunted pubs in all of England, the King’s Head first opened its doors in the 15th century, although the cellar section of the building dates back even further. No wonder then that the National Trust-owned pub in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, is said to be teeming with ghosts!
There’s even said to be a secret tunnel that runs under the cellars, which connect the building to nearby churches and was used during the Civil War.
Famous Figures Connected to the Haunted Pub
King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou spent their honeymoon at the King’s Head in 1455, and rumours have abounded that Oliver Cromwell may have stayed in the building during the Civil
War – he was certainly known to be in Aylesbury at the time. There is a chair in the pub, which he is said to have sat on, that remains.
It’s also said that Anne Boleyn stayed for a night in the inn in 1533, the same year she married King Henry XIII. Some even suggest that Anne continues to visit the building in the afterlife, although given how many historic locations she is said to haunt – including the Tower of London and Windsor Castle – coupled with the brief period of time she spent at the King’s Head, this might be unlikely.
But one thing is certain: the pub is very much haunted.
Ghostly Visitors to the King’s Head Upset Staff
Numerous staff and pub-goers had reported a range of odd activity from the building; everything from items getting moved to phantom figures.
Things got so bad for the staff that a few of them were left routinely terrified whilst conducting their duties throughout the King’s Head.
Management was left with little other option than to get to the bottom of the hauntings and purported ghostly sightings. They apparently called in The Ghost Club, although what results the paranormal investigators yielded are not known.
What is for sure is that there are said to be a number of ghosts haunting The King’s Head in the bustling market town of Aylesbury.
Mysterious Phenomena and Ghostly Apparitions
A nun has been seen by one member of staff within the building standing by the fireplace. Noting it as somewhat incongruous that a nun would have such a tie with a pub in life to haunt it in the afterlife, a member of the management team conducted a check, and sure enough, there was mention of a nun in the same room within these historical records.
A woman standing at the base of the staircase was thought to be a maid who perished when she fell down the staircase, now referred to as The Grey Lady. She is said to be a maid who died in the late 18th century. The tall figure of a man in a long black coat and top hat has also been seen parading around the building before vanishing.
Furthermore, in the Great Hall, known to be the oldest part of the building, timepieces have a curious habit of malfunctioning. Clocks and watches have been known to stop, particularly at the stroke of midnight, with little rational explanation. Numerous people have witnessed this, including one staff member who was living upstairs in the building, who was so scared by this paranormal phenomenon that she moved out.
Then there’s also the terrifying tale of a woman who was thrown from her bed as she slept in the Cromwell Room. When she turned on her light, she fully expected to be face to face with the violent assailant.
However, her room was completely empty.
You can visit The King’s Head in Market Square, Aylesbury HP20 2RW.
Have you been to The King’s Head Aylesbury and had a paranormal experience? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
