Spooky season is here so we thought we would look into creepy local stories and history surrounding some of our branches!
So where do we start? Devon, Cornwall and Somerset are rich with history and with history comes stories of folklore and ghosts. Everything from the Exmoor beast to pirates of Cornwall.
So let’s start with Penzance shall we?
Granite walls, a cosy atmosphere and also two or three ghosts. Here, we are talking about The Dolphin Tavern. Only a 5 minute drive from RGB Penzance lies this historic tavern that has been around for 500 years.
One of the resident ghosts, an old sea captain who has come to be known as George, can be heard walking the stairways and guest rooms and seen wearing a sea fairing uniform.
Another ghost, a fair-haired man with an identity unknown, has also been seen standing at the end of the bed at night.
And the last, a woman in Victorian dress has made herself known in the bar area.
These ghostly character sightings are not the only happenings within the Dolphin Tavern. Imprints on beds and the sound of heavy items being dragged are just some of the occurrences!
How about Bodmin?
Bodmin has many local stories, but we cannot write about ghosts without mentioning Bodmin Jail which is only a 6 minute drive to RGB Bodmin!
The jail has so many interesting stories from its history, this would be a very long blog if we discussed about them all. Visitors and staff often report of the feeling of being watched or having stones thrown in their direction. Footsteps, voices and the rattling of keys have also been heard within the jail.
One story of the jail is that of Anne Jefferies, who is supposedly known to roam around the location. Anne was left to starve to death after not admitting to be a witch. It was a lengthy 3 months before she passed. This only led to many still believing she was a witch.
Speaking of Witches, let’s look at Bideford and Exeter.
In 1682, three Devon women were accused of witchery and became the last known women in England to be hanged for witchcraft.
Temperance Lloyd, Susanna Edwards and Mary Trembles all lived in this area of Bideford however they pleaded not guilty in Exeter and later died in Heavitree, just outside the city.
There are so many stories in the South West that we could talk about, such as Chambercombe manor in Ilfracombe or Powderham Castle near Exeter. Why not visit your local haunt this Halloween?
Find our branches using the following link. Don’t worry, there are not any scary goings on at RGB. - https://bit.ly/3tNN3gc