The Wellington Hotel’s family-friendly atmosphere hides the fact it has several active ghosts, says RICK HALE
The Wellington Hotel
Old Road, Boscastle PL35 0AQ
Situated in the hillside, peering out over the harbour in the village of Boscastle, Cornwall, is the Wellington Hotel.
A former coaching inn turned hotel, with a family friendly atmosphere. A hotel that hosts celebrities, royalty and several very active ghosts.
History Of The Wellington Hotel
Built in the 16th century, the Wellington Hotel is the oldest coaching Inn in the sleepy seaside village.
Up until 1852, the hotel was known as the Bos Castle Hotel, when it changed its name to Scott’s Wellington Hotel.
In 2004, the hotel suffered significant damage when several days of rain caused the harbour to flood with the hotel right in the path of the flooding.
You can still see a water marker on the bar indicating just how deep the waters rose.
Thankfully, in 2011, new owners went about the daunting task of renovating and updating the building.
Making it the charming hotel it is today. What they didn’t expect was the improvements seemed to give new life to some very old ghosts.
The Haunting Of The Wellington Hotel
The stories of the hauntings became so widespread, they attracted the attention of Yvette Fielding and her show, Most Haunted.
While investigating the hotel, Yvette and her crew of ghost hunters experienced the paranormal activity that is reported there.
A ghostly shape was caught on camera, two apparitions were sighted and a lamp moved on its own.
An interesting night of filming to say the least. But who are these spirits that haunt this centuries old hotel?
Thomas Hardy And His Wife
The apparitions reported by the crew were believed to be the ghosts of novelist and poet, Thomas Hardy and his wife.
Hardy had a great amount of affection for the hotel in life. And it would appear he carried that affection beyond the grave.
Hardy and his wife have been witnessed strolling arm in arm around the grounds and the halls of the hotel.
Room 9 of the Wellington Hotel
The apparition of an elderly woman has been seen in and around room 9.
According to one guest, she was awakened by the elderly woman late one night. She claims she was pinned to the bed by the apparition.
The terrified guest said the bizarre incident lasted only 30 seconds but felt like an eternity.
The Phantom Coachman
The apparition of a man in a black frock coat and a long ponytail has been seen in the hotel.
It’s commonly believed he was an 18th century coachman who lost control of the horses, and drowned in the harbour.
The spectral coachman likes to silently watch people from the shadows. When he’s seen he turns and walks away.
The Little Girl
Rooms 15, 16 and 17 appear to be the favourite haunt of the ghost of a little girl.
Her partially transparent form has been spotted innocently skipping down the corridor out those rooms.
She has also shocked a number of guests who watched as she smiled at them and walked through closed doors or walls.
No one knows who she, but they get the sense she’s trying to play a game of hide and go seek.
What The Wellington Hotel Offers
Surrounded by the picturesque Cornish coastline, the Wellington Hotel offers 14 tastefully decorated rooms with floor to ceiling windows.
The award winning Waterloo Restaurant uses only the best ingredients in their menu. And the restaurant was made famous by the Changing Rooms team in 2011.
The Wellington is well known for their special seasonal entertainment. And the friendly staff is there to see to your needs.
Out And About
If staying in is not your thing, you can explore the village of Boscastle – including its Museum of Witchcraft – and the Cornish coastal path
And if you’re willing to make the journey, you can visit Tintangel Castle, the inspiration for King Arthur’s fabled castle, Camelot.
Wellington Castle has much to offer travellers and ghost enthusiasts alike.
Have you been to the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle, Cornwall? Tell us about it in the comments section!
Boscastle with it witch museum and Tintagel are my two favourite places in Cornwall. I’m lucky in that I only live an hour’s drive away so I visit at least twice a year. They really are magical places.
Sian, yes it’s an awesome place – I was there over New Year’s – can’t wait to go back!
I haven’t stayed here but I did stay at the hotel the other side of the stream and ate in the Wellington. It’s wonderful
The first time I stayed at the Wellington in Boscastle was in November of 2011 and I heard (but didn’t see as it was dark in my room) what I’ve come to call “the phantom dog.” I can’t remember the room number but I recall it was one of two rooms that were sort of tucked away on the side and up a tiny set of stairs. It was a tiny single attic room if I’m remembering correctly. Anyway, in the middle of the night I awoke in the dark and instantly became aware of there being a very large animal pacing around my bed. Now, I didn’t actually see anything yet I could hear the type of breathing sounds that dogs make and I remember thinking, “OMG it’s massive!” How I knew it was a dog, and how I knew that it was an unusually large one I really couldn’t tell you, yet I was (and am) sure of it. Whoever was in the room next to mine had an actual living dog and that dog began to bark and I could hear its owner shushing it. I remember thinking, “that dog senses it, too.” I also remember that I’d been reading a newspaper and had put it down on the floor on the right side of the bed (when laying down on it) and each time the phantom dog paced back around I heard the crinkling of the paper.
I wasn’t frightened and I’ll explain why. I’ve been seeing and hearing spirits for most of my life. As a child I was terrified and didn’t know how to deal with it, yet as I got older I essentially got used to the things I see, hear, sense, etc. So, by the time I stayed at the Wellington and heard this creature around me, I literally was like, “oh, it’s a ghost again,” and promptly rolled right over and fell back asleep!
Unfortunately at that time, I don’t think I even told the staff about it. Probably because I wasn’t aware of the Wellington’s haunted history at all! When I came back to stay again in 2014 is when I learned of its ghostly past and then was when I shared about what I’d experienced. In 2014 I stayed in room 9 and was told about a ghost that would be seen in there but I didn’t see one.
Thanks for telling us your experience – Wellington Hotel is definitely an interesting place to stay!