The Ancient Ram Inn in Gloucestershire, one of the most haunted buildings in the UK, offers chilling ghost stories that linger long after your visit, writes SCOTT MERRETT
How anyone could live in a haunted pub for 50 years is beyond me, but that was the reality for the then owner of the Ancient Ram Inn in Gloucestershire.
This haunted house is one of the most famous haunted buildings in England. To me, though, it was simply a local building, a place I grew up hearing about.
I was raised nearby in Wotton-under-Edge, and I remember hearing tales about the Ram and its ghosts from a young age. If a spooky story was told around Halloween, you could bet the Ram was mentioned somewhere.
With the rise in popularity of paranormal TV shows in the 21st century, I was amazed to see the Ram featured so often. It frequently appears in lists of the top 10 most haunted places in the UK—and sometimes even the world.
Where is the Ancient Ram Inn?
Wotton-under-Edge is a small market town in Gloucestershire, located halfway between Bristol and Gloucester, at the edge of the Cotswold Hills. The town can trace its roots back to the 10th century and is recorded in the Domesday Book.
Wotton has a colourful history, from being burned to the ground in the early 1300s to being sacked by Baron Berkeley after the Battle of Nibley Green in 1470. It even had a beacon to warn of the approaching Spanish Armada in 1588.
Just below the main high street in Wotton sits the Ancient Ram Inn. Built in the 12th century to house the workers constructing St Mary’s Church up the hill, it’s a squat, crooked building in the bottom of the valley. If you picture a haunted pub, the Ram would be pretty close.
The Ram has it all: full-body apparitions, poltergeist activity, pagan burial grounds, and even reports of an incubus and succubus.
Where do we begin with the hauntings?
The Bishop’s Room is a good place to start. Known as the most haunted room in the building, it’s home to the ghostly figure of a cavalier. Though little is known about his history or connection to the inn, he has been seen many times, pacing from side to side.
There’s also the story of two monks, believed to be connected to the nearby church. They have been seen standing in the corner of the room, glowing faintly like lights in the darkness.
But the most terrifying entity linked to the Bishop’s Room is the incubus or succubus. On his first night in the inn after purchasing it in the 1960s, the owner was jolted awake by an invisible force ripping the bedsheets off him.
Even more unsettling, he felt someone—or something—climb into bed beside him and make an inappropriate advance. How he stayed there for the next 50 years is beyond me; that would have been enough to drive me out!
Moving up to the attic, there’s a tale of murder from the 16th century.
According to local legend, the landlord’s daughter was murdered in the attic by an unknown assailant. Those brave enough to sleep in the Bishop’s Room have reportedly been awoken by the sound of something being dragged across the floor above.
Could it be the spirit of the unfortunate girl?
The Ancient Ram Inn is home to many more stories, but I’ll leave those for another time. I hope these few tales give you a taste of the place.
If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, the Ram Inn regularly hosts ghost hunts and paranormal nights. It could be an unforgettable experience!
SCOTT MERRETT is based in Torbay in Devon. A chef by trade, he has been fascinated with tales of ghosts and folklore since he was a child.
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