Nestled in the tranquil market town of Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, lies a pub so haunted that even the most courageous ghost hunters confess to feeling unsettled within its walls. The Ancient Ram Inn – a Grade II listed building that no longer serves punters – has made TV appearances on shows such as Most Haunted and Ghost Adventures, with producers keen to capture its eerie atmosphere.
According to Haunted Britain and Ireland, a website founded by paranormal historian Richard Jones, the building “possesses a genuinely chilling aura” and a “reputation so menacing many local people won’t even walk past it at night”. In 1968, the former pub was turned into a bed-and-breakfast by newfound owner John Humphries. Most famously, the landlord claimed he was dragged from his bed and across the room by a demon spirit on his first night in his newly purchased abode.
Humphries passed away in 2017 at the age of 89, and the BnB has since become a tourist destination for lovers of the macabre.
History of The Ancient Ram Inn
The Ancient Ram Inn was reportedly built in 1145 and served the purpose of a “keeping house” for workers and slaves who were employed to construct the local St Mary’s Church. Once they departed, the building is claimed to have become the house of a priest and since then, it has had several owners and purposes.
In 1930, the building became privately owned by Maurice the Bathe, who then sold it off to Humphries.
The defunct pub reportedly sits atop what was once a pagan burial ground, and while the inn appears harmless enough from the outside — a twisted, ivy-clad building you might stroll past without giving it a second thought — once you cross its threshold, the atmosphere noticeably shifts.
The beams are low, the passageways tight, and every shadow seems to flicker when your gaze is elsewhere. Inside the building, one can expect to encounter peculiar artefacts strewn around: a mummified cat encased behind glass, a ram’s skull affixed to the wall, and a grate on the floor marking where, according to legend, the remains of a woman and her children were found — victims, some suggest, of ancient human sacrifice.
According to Haunted Britain and Ireland, a medium was reportedly once lifted off the ground and hurled across the corridor after opening the door to The Bishop’s Room, considered to be the “most haunted and terrifying room” in the inn. Sightings of a ghostly cavalier, two “shimmering” monks, and a phantom shepherd with his dog have also been previously reported.
Travel experts Ski Vertigo claim this defunct pub is one of the UK’s most haunted locations that Brits are eagerly visiting. Even the BBC has ranked the Ancient Ram Inn fourth on its list of Britain’s eeriest places, attributing it with centuries of unexplained supernatural occurrences and spine-tingling stories.
Guests speak of sudden temperature drops, icy gusts of air, and voices whispering from vacant rooms. Some even claim to have seen shadowy figures gliding across walls or the silhouettes of people dressed in centuries-old attire, frozen as if history is replaying itself before their eyes.
Visitors recount hearing chains dragging or the faint sound of children weeping in the distance. A few even allege to have felt a hand gently resting on their shoulder – only to spin around to find no one there.
The mummified creature was supposedly intended to shield the inn from malevolent spirits, but guests say it’s enveloped by a heavy, stifling energy. People report seeing flickers of movement in its glass case, or scratching sounds in the walls whenever they stand too close.
Venture deeper into the inn, and things only become more peculiar. The air densifies near the old “sacrifice site”, and the silence feels heavier than it should. Even the floorboards seem to creak under the weight of countless untold tales.
Some assert they’ve seen a dark figure standing silently in a doorway before disappearing into thin air. Others hear the giggle of a child reverberating down the corridor — followed by a sudden, piercing scream.
Lights flicker independently, as though something unseen is guiding visitors through the building. Those willing to step into the world of paranormal activity can visit the Ancient Ram Inn and indulge in one of their famed tours.