Mermaid Inn Most Haunted episode reviewed by CHRISTINE MILLER
Episode Title: The Mermaid Inn
Location: Rye, East Sussex
Series: 1 Episode Number: 13
Originally broadcast: 2001-2002
Main Medium: Derek Acorah
Parapsychologist: Jason Karl, David Scanlen & Vicki Purewal
Mermaid Inn Most Haunted Review
The Mermaid Inn was built in the 11th century and is steeped in history – and ghosts.
Allegedly, there are eight resident spirits that call this building home.
A rocking chair within one of the bedrooms moves on its own. Sometimes a spirit has even been seen sitting on the chair. The chair caused so much unease that it had to be removed from the bedroom, but for the benefit of the Most Haunted team, it has returned to see if any activity can be experienced tonight.
The property owner claims that there are a particular five rooms full of activity. When starting her shift one morning, the owner states that upon entering the building, she was shocked to see a coupling sleeping in the reception area of the inn. Both point-blank refused to return to their room because they saw a figure walk through the wall on the previous night, insisting that staff retrieve their belongings from the room.
There is a ghost of a young girl in the 1700s who fell in love with one of the smugglers that were notorious throughout the Rye area. She was murdered by her lover’s accomplice so she would not divulge their secrets. It is said she may be the spirit that manipulates the rocking chair. Chambermaids refuse to work in the rocking chair bedroom alone and have to perform their job in pairs, such is the uneasy atmosphere in the room.
In another room, a man in old fashioned clothing has woken shocked guests in the middle of the night by sitting on the end of their bed. One guest was so scared by this apparition that she pulled the mattress off the bed and slept in a separate room.
One psychic and her friend were staying the night in a particular room, and her friend awoke to see two men, again in old fashioned clothing, having a duel in the middle of the room. One apparently murdered the other and threw his body down a secret stairwell within the room; all this playing out in front of the terrified woman’s eyes as a residual haunting. Interestingly, the psychic did not awake during all of this.
The Walkaround
The walkaround the Mermaid Inn begins with Derek, Jason and Yvette exploring Bedroom 18, a room with no paranormal sightings.
Derek picks up on a young woman’s presence and its connection with the fireplace within the room. He states that she was killed due to love for a smuggler. He names this spirit as Annie Burtells, however, no record of this name can be found.
He also picks up on a man by the name of Chater, and there is record of a Daniel Chater who was murdered in 1747 for naming some of the smugglers on the orders of Thomas Kingsmill, the name of which Derek also accurately provides.
Next, to Bedroom 16, where the two duelling men have been seen. Again, Derek accurately picks up on this and the fact that one threw the body of the other down a secret shaft. Derek was then keen to take the group to Bedroom 17 and is immediately drawn to the infamous rocking chair. He senses an elderly lady and a child; the former is the energy who sits on the rocking chair.
The Investigation
With the lights turned out, the investigation begins. Jason sets up a motion detector within Bedroom Five where a lady in white has been seen. Will this ghostly woman set off the alarm? Sadly not, and it remains quiet through the entire investigation.
Derek picks up on a man that was killed by a “group of people”, and again names Chater, which he previously picked up on. He elaborates and says Chater may have taken the life of someone else, and in turn had his life taken for his actions. Soon after, the door swings open seemingly of its own accord. A member of the crew suggests it might have been the wind to blame, but Derek is confident that there is the spirit of a man standing in the doorway.
On replay, Yvette states that she could hear the latch on the door being opened, and this does appear to be the case. Derek clarifies that the spirit responsible is that of Chater.
Yvette retires to bed in haunted Bedroom five of the Mermaid Inn.
Meanwhile, Karl and Jason hold a vigil in the room with the rocking chair. Not before long they begin to hear noises, and both become convinced there is someone or something in the corridor just outside their room. Terrified, Karl opens the door to find nothing there. They soon capture what appears to be an orb, which seems to change shape on camera.
While Yvette was asleep in her room with a locked-off camera, it captures some interesting footage; tiny flickering lights move for a total of 18 seconds before disappearing.
Again another interesting episode of Most Haunted!
Tell us what you thought of the Mermaid Inn Most Haunted episode in the comments section below.
