'Dorset's Most Haunted Hotel!'

Crown Hotel, Blandford is probably the oldest hotel in Dorset as a local historian found a reference to the ‘Crowne’ dated as far back as 1465. Yet there are some who reckon it is also the county’s most haunted hostelry.

A horse’s head severely shocked a seated gentleman. This occurred when this equine apparition burst through a wall in the unlikely location of the gentleman’s toilet in the Crown Hotel’s Sealy Suite. It had been built on the site of the hotel’s former coaching stables. In some terror, the unfortunate man fled the hotel.

Mrs Gordon was an eccentric old lady who was a Crown Hotel resident for a number of years and a member of the Gordon’s Gin family. Her familiar appearance was apparently witnessed by staff on several occasions after her death. Appropriately, bearing in mind her family pedigree, one of these appearances was at the hotel bar.

A lady in black wearing a long crinoline dress, said to inhabit the first floor, seems to be the apparition that has made the most appearances. This lady has appeared to both hotel staff and a guest who initially thought that she was all dressed up for a fancy dress party. No such an event was taking place. Sometimes, a distinctive rustling sound of a dress can be heard. While the lady apparently, has a habit of entering hotel bedrooms but will then disappear. At one time clairvoyants were called in who politely asked her to leave but their efforts proved to be unsuccessful.

A 19^th century local legend makes reference to two handicapped children being imprisoned in the hotel stables and then murdered. While also a young boy chimney sweep became trapped in a Crown Hotel chimney and then suffocated. There have since been reports of children’s voices being heard.

Appropriately, for the inn’s age a highwayman, complete with cloak and three-cornered hat, has been seen in a bar area. Back in the early 18^th century, a highwayman had been shot and killed there when attempting to rob the hotel. More recently, a lady resident had an unusual experience. Not having enjoyed a good night’s sleep, she awoke to find all her cosmetic and skin care products laid out in an orderly fashion after she had left them in an untidy fashion all around the room.

It seems that not all spirits at the Crown Hotel, Blandford are of the alcoholic sort.

(Source: Blandford Forum Ghosts by Sue Burleigh & Catherine Greenway.)

Comments

True Lovers Knot - a Tragic Tale

True Lovers Knot public house describes itself as a traditional inn set in a picturesque Dorset valley in Tarrant Keynston. Yet, this historical hostelry is said to have gained its name from a particularly tragic tale and still to be haunted by a distressed former publican. This publican’s son met and fell in love with the daughter of the local squire. Because the young lad was not from the gentry they decided to keep their relationship secret from her father. Unfortunately, a stable hand saw the two young lovers together and told her father. Set firmly against this friendship the squire made plans to send his daughter away from the district. Not able to face up to life without her boyfriend, the young girl decided to commit suicide and hanged herself from a tree in the village. So upset was the publican’s son of hearing of his girlfriend’s death he too hanged himself from the same tree. The Tarrant Keynston publican had, himself lost his wife at child birth and now losing his son b

Tarrant Rushton's Nuclear Secret

Tarrant Rushton was a large RAF base used for glider operations during World War II. It was then taken over by Flight Refuelling for the conversion of aircraft for the development of aircraft in-flight refuelling. However, between 1958 & 1965, the Tarrant Rushton airfield had a much more secretive and less publicised role. This was in support of the nation’s nuclear bomber deterrent, as Tarrant Rushton airfield became a QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) dispersal unit. During 1958, contractors Costain reinforced the main runway and carried out other work to ensure the giant bomber aircraft could be accommodated. At times just a few miles from Blandford, there would have been up to four RAF Vickers Valiant bombers at Tarrant Rushton ready to become airborne in minutes charged with nuclear weapons. The bombers were from 148 Squadron at RAF Marham in Norfolk. As there was no suitable accommodation at the airfield, an old US Air Force Hospital building at Martin was used. At the time, the

Holton Heath's Tragic Explosion

Ten were killed and 23 were injured according to newspaper reports at the time. This made it one of Dorset’s worst ever industrial accidents. Holton Heath employees were blown into unrecognisable fragments necessitating a roll call of the factory’s entire staff before the identities of those killed were identified. Eleven men were originally believed to have been killed but when a roll call was held one turned up. A crimson red plume of acid vapour had towered into the sky resembling the shuddering eruption of a volcano. It was caused by the bursting of a sulphuric acid tank. Close by low buildings vanished and the shock affected houses for 20 miles with roof slates dislodged, ornaments knocked down and windows broken. The sound of the explosion could be heard at Shillingstone some 18 miles away. Closer to the factory, a hoe was wrenched from the hands of a gardener who was flung against a tree. One fortunate employee, Charles Rogers owed his life to having to leave, just before the

The Blandford Express

Search This Blog