A haunted hospitality directory for the British Isles
Written: Dec 12 '06 (Updated Jul 11 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of good leads for haunted places to visit, well told stories
Cons: Concentrates more hauntings than hospitality
The Bottom Line: This is an ideal book for anyone looking for either haunted places to visit or true ghost stories with a theme.
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| adriennefoster's Full Review: Haunted Inns of Britain & Ireland |
Author Richard Jones is one of the United Kingdom's resident experts on ghost folklore. Before he wrote several books on the subject, he was conducting walking tours, showing visitors the nooks and crannies for mile-and-a-bit sections of London. Putting together a guide that explores haunted inns in the British Isles seems a natural undertaking for him. Haunted Inns of Britain & Ireland is ideal for anyone looking for themed ghost folklore or haunted places to visit.
This volume covers 128 pubs and lodgings, which are listed by name. They are then classified by 12 regions, including the southwest, south, southeast, London & home counties, East Anglia, heart of England, the Midlands, Welsh borders & Peak District, the north, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Each listing provides street address, phone number, and coding as to whether it supplies sleeping rooms as well as food and drink. Each listing gives a brief history of the structure and description of its haunting. The text is enhanced by several beautiful color photos, black & white illustrations, and maps. The main body is supported by an introduction, acknowledgments, further reading, and index.
Among the establishments listed is the Jamaica Inn, in Launceston, Cornwall, which inspired Daphne du Maurier's 1936 novel of the same name. The oldest portion of the complex dates back to the 18th century, when it was built as a rest stop for travelers from Bodmin. Spectral footsteps are heard in its corridors and horses' hooves clack in its outside courtyard in the early hours of the morning. One silent phantom sits by the wall in front of the inn, then disappears.
The Cross Keys Hotel in Saffron Walden, Essex, has a ghost that keeps to a regular schedule. Between 11 p.m. and midnight on Christmas Eve, people hear phantom footsteps in the upstairs corridor, which stop at its end. With the hotel's past strong association with the Parliamentarians, many believe the footsteps belong to a regretful Roundhead given the duty of guarding some Royalists.
Near Abergavenny, Gwent, in Wales, The Skirrid Mountain Inn received special attention when the crew of Most Haunted investigated its haunting. The earliest found reference to this inn is dated 1110, making it nearly as old as the Tower of London. Until the mid1800s, it served a dual purpose in the local community. In addition to being a pub, it was also a courthouse and execution site where 182 felons were hanged from a beam over its master stairwell. Many visitors have felt something drop around their necks and then tighten like a noose.
This 2004 book was certainly no small project in countries as old as the United Kingdom and Ireland. Jones probably had no problems finding haunted establishments, but deciding which inns to exclude must have been tough. He is a talented oral storyteller as a tour guide and does the job just as splendidly in narrative. Knowing that these haunted sites are very accessible to the public is also a big bonus.
As a travel guide, keep in mind this directory concentrates on the history and ghost folklore that envelops these inns. There is no information to much else a guest could expect. I used it to find accommodations during my UK trip last year and stayed at a couple of them. The quality of the properties varied. The Prince Rupert Hotel in Shrewsbury was beautiful, but no one on its staff could give me any further details on its phenomena. The Famous Schooner Hotel in Alnmouth, Northumberland, had a ream of first-hand paranormal anecdotes, yet the décor and maintenance of the facility was below average.
There is more emphasis on England. Of the 128 listings, only 33 belong to Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. One disappointment is that Jones included no entries for overnight accommodation in London. Considering how many hotels the capital city has, why isn't there more information on the haunted hotels there?
The publisher, Barnes & Noble, did an excellent job producing this trade paperback. Both the front and back covers have flaps, almost fooling people to think it’s a hardback. The content is printed on thick, glossy paper. The signatures were sewn together before being glued to the spine. It was also sturdy enough to survive a constantly moving, three-week+ trip to the UK.
If a reader is looking for a haunted vacation in the UK, this is a straightforward directory of where to find them. If he's looking for good ghostlore with a theme, Haunted Inns of Britain and Ireland will cater to that interest as well. This is the type of thing Richard Jones does well and is worth the effort.
More haunted hospitality guides:
Haunted Inns of New England, by Mark Jasper
Haunted Hotels, by Robin Mead
Weekend Haunts, by Robin Mead
Recommended:
Yes
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