If you’re looking to embrace spooky season, the idyllic village of Pluckley in Kent should be on your list of haunted locations to visit. Officially named the most haunted village in Britain in the Guinness Book of Records, there have been reports of at least a dozen ghosts in Pluckley. Some of the sightings include a highwayman who hides in a tree, a phantom coach and horses, the ghost of a gypsy woman who drowned in a stream, the hanging body of a schoolmaster, and the Lady of Rose Court, who is said to have drowned herself due to a love triangle.
Another haunted location in the village is The Black Horse pub, which was also featured in the British comedy drama series The Darling Buds of May. The pub’s interior and exterior were featured in a TV series starring David Jason and a young Catherine Zeta-Jones.
While the pub was renamed ‘The Hare and Hounds’ for the series, fans of the show can still visit to get a glimpse of where the hit 90s show was filmed.
One visitor to Pluckley, who gave the pub a five-star rating on Trip Advisor in 2021 said: “For something different to do we decided to take the Darling Buds of May trail around Pluckley and visit all the filming locations for the original series so of course we couldn’t pass up the opportunity of visiting Pa Larkins ‘local’ The Hare & Hounds.”
The reviewer described the pub as a “lovely English Public House with great beer and food that is of fine dining standard”.
However, there have also been reports of apparitions in the pub, with some describing it as the “most haunted in the UK.”
The pub used to be a farmhouse that was surrounded by a moat and belonged to a bailiff. Over the years, visitors to the pub have reported items disappearing from right in front of them that then reappear days later, according to KentLive.
The pub has a solid 4.5 out of five rating on TripAdvisor. The latest reviews describe it as “extremely welcoming” with “reasonably priced” food and good portion sizes.
Chris posted earlier this year: “Whether popping in for a refreshing drink or sitting down for a delicious meal, we highly recommend this pub as the place to go. We will most certainly be visiting again at our earliest opportunity.”
As well as visiting The Black Horse, visitors to Pluckley can take a stroll around the village to see if they can spot some of its ghostly inhabitants.
The best route starts at St Nicholas’ Church, where the “Red Lady” is said to roam, before heading to “Fright Corner,” where the highwayman is said to lie in wait.
If you’re feeling brave, you could head to Pinnock Bridge, where you might come across the ghost of a gypsy woman who made her living selling watercress she collected from under the bridge. She can often be seen sitting on the bridge smoking a pipe.
There are also ghost tours available if you don’t want to explore the haunted village on your own.
How to get to Pluckley
London Bridge has direct trains to Pluckley that take just over an hour.
It’s also possible to reach Pluckley in 50 minutes if you take a train from St Pancras to Ashford and then a direct train from Ashford to Pluckley.
The station is about 40 minutes from the village on foot, so it’s best to take a taxi once you arrive.
Alternatively, visitors can take a train from St Pancras to Ashford and then take a bus directly to the village, or take a train from London Bridge to Charing and take a 15-minute bus to the village of Pluckley.
It takes just under two hours to drive to Pluckley from London.