‘NOT EVERYONE IS LEFT A COLLECTION OF SPIRITS’
Five years ago, Caroline Humphries, 61, inherited The Ancient Ram Inn, in Wotton-under-edge, Gloucestershire, from her father, John.
You could say that my feelings about The Ram are mixed. I feel honoured to play a part in its long history, but on the other hand I’m scared stiff of the place – it’s known as the most haunted place in Europe, after all!
I was seven when I moved into the inn with my parents. It was dingy and there were cobwebs dangling everywhere, and I remember wondering why on earth Dad had brought us there. But he’d always had a passion for history, and when this Grade II listed building dating back to the 1100s had come up for sale, he’d bought it to run as a B&B.
I now know Dad had a strange experience on our first night there. An unseen force had dragged his hands behind his head. It sounds terrifying, but he never spoke of paranormal experiences, and I don’t recall ever feeling scared at The Ram.
When I was 13, my parents split up and I moved up the road with my mum, but I visited Dad at The Ram all the time. I grew up, went to college, became a secretary and got married.
Over time, Dad started talking openly about strange happenings: objects moving, ghostly presences and feelings of weight on the bed. He was the last person you’d expect to hear ghost stories from, but The Ram had long held a reputation for strange goings-on. It’s believed to be built on a pagan worship site, and ancient remains have been found on the premises.
Word spread about Dad’s experiences, and soon ghost hunters started turning up on the doorstep. It became so well known as a haunted inn that he gave up the B&B and started charging for the paranormal community to investigate the property instead. I remained sceptical until I had my own terrifying experience there. At 32, my marriage had ended, and I had moved back in with Dad temporarily. One night, I heard an almighty crash upstairs. Dad was downstairs, so I went to investigate, and found the bedside table had been hurled across the room and all its contents strewn about. It was so petrifying that I moved out as soon as I could.
Dad never considered leaving, though – The Ram was his life. Sadly, he developed dementia and died in December 2017, leaving the inn to me. There was no way I wanted to live there, but I didn’t want to let it go – it has played such a huge role in my life. And besides, I still feel Dad’s presence the moment I walk through the door.
I’ve started running a ghost-hunting business and I’m now back at The Ram most days. It’s a venue for paranormal events, and we’ve featured in TV programmes such as Most Haunted.
It’s in huge demand.
Not everyone gets to inherit a collection of spirits – and not everyone would want to. But I love The Ram and intend to keep it forever… as long as I never have to sleep there!
‘The bedside table had been hurled across the room’
Dr Shelley Gilbert, MBE, is in her 60s and lives in London. After her father died, she was horrified to discover he’d left her an oil painting that she’d always loathed.
I’ve been trying to escape The Georgian Lady ever since I can remember. She’s here now – hidden in the loft, haunting me still. The painting first came into my life when I was four. Dad loved a bargain, and often came home from work with something he claimed could be worth a fortune. One day, he arrived proudly brandishing
The Lady, and hung her in my bedroom.
I hated her from the moment I saw her. Like the paintings in Harry Potter, the eyes followed me around the room. I’d lie there wishing night would fall, so I couldn’t see her. It gave me nightmares.
What I didn’t understand then was that my mum was dying of breast cancer in the bedroom next to mine. With hindsight, the reason for the nightmares is obvious, but in those days people avoided talking about death, especially with children. I sensed something was wrong, and associated those feelings of fear and confusion with the painting.
Mum died, and Dad rose to the challenge of single parenthood. But then, suddenly, when I was nine, he died of a heart problem. I was devastated.
I went to live with my aunt, who provided a wonderful, loving family for her orphaned niece. One of the few positives of moving home was knowing that I’d never have to see The Lady again.
For years, I didn’t think about the painting. But when I was moving into my own place in my 20s, my aunt announced she had a surprise for me – and The Lady was produced, with great fanfare. Dad had wanted me to have it, still believing the art might be worth a fortune. I couldn’t hide my dismay. It brought back everything, right down to the turquoise walls of my childhood bedroom… and all the terrifying feelings associated with that time.
But I kept her out of respect for my father’s wishes. My own experiences had inspired me to train as a grief therapist – I’m also the founder of Grief Encounter, a charity supporting bereaved young people – so I know how important it is for bereaved children to keep objects associated with the person who has died. Usually, they bring positive thoughts, but there’s also a place for objects that access darker feelings. Even today, talking about The Lady helps me bring these feelings into the light.
The years passed, and The Lady remained in storage, buried – like my memories. Then, two years ago, my husband and I downsized and I decided it was time to finally rid myself of this awful woman. I invited our grown-up children and other family members to each choose a piece of art from our collection. No one chose The Lady.
So off to the auction house she went. At first, the experts were excited, believing the painting was an Old Master, but it turned out to be a mere imitation, worth a fraction of their initial valuation. So she’s still here, under her blanket, in storage. One day, I’ll be rid of her…
‘I kept the picture in storage, under a blanket’