Joanna Cowell from Cotgrave, has recently published her book titled Travels with the Reluctant Ghost Hunter, featuring a collection of her own experiences travelling around Nottingham and the UK visiting various mysterious or haunted locations. Here she talks about the hauntings of Wellow, Nottinghamshire:
The ancient spring festival of May Day is celebrated this month, the earliest known festivities being held in honour of the Roman goddess of flowers known as Flora. Present day traditions include crowning the Queen of May and dancing around the maypole.
Nottinghamshire’s only maypole village is in Wellow, which is also known for its haunted pubs.
First of all is the atmospheric Olde Red Lion which has been an inn since 1600.
A group of people ordering a meal here abruptly left after one of their party said they saw a ghost who looked like a chimney sweep or a miner. It was believed to have been a regular customer called Bill who was a stonemason. He would regularly sit in the pub smoking his pipe and unknowingly dirty his face as he did so.
If one haunted pub isn’t enough then look no further than The Maypole. Glasses have come off the shelves without breaking, taps turning on causing floods and even an exploding ashtray!
The six-year-old daughter of a former landlord chatted to someone she called “the little girl in the corner”, and the landlord’s wife saw a ghostly child on the landing.
White shapes have been seen shooting down the stairs and then vanishing, and ghostly conversation and laughter can be heard.
Several customers say they have been tripped down a flight of stairs here. They claim it is by an unseen presence, but my money is on spirits of a different kind…