HAUNTED HOSTELRIES

1. THE CARDINALS ERROR

Lodge Oak Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9

Bar & Restaurant

"With a lovely large garden, children’s playground and roaring log fire, it is ideal for families throughout the year."

**HISTORY**

The Cardinals Error Inn, a venerable building in Tonbridge, has a rich history spanning over 500 years. Originally a farmhouse known as ‘Oak Lodge’, it has witnessed the ebb and flow of centuries, making it a compelling destination for history enthusiasts.
Cardinal Worsley features on the inn’s sign. Wolsey suppressed Tonbridge Priory with his master Henry VIII's blessing. As reparation, the Cardinal promised to build a grammar school in the town, but he fell from favour before he could carry out his promise.
Legend has it that the Cardinal sought refuge in the farmhouse, fleeing the King's wrath. A tantalising theory suggests that, in a daring act of bravery, a local nun swapped her habit for the Cardinal’s clothing to help him escape. Possibly, she was murdered at the farmhouse by someone, thinking it was the Cardinal. However, the truth of this tale remains shrouded in mystery, adding to the intrigue.
It didn’t become a pub until August 1946, when the Council acquired the ‘White Hart’ Pub in Tonbridge for the road widening. The company Frederick Lenny & Sons Ltd (trading as Phoenix Brewery) at the White Hart were requested to find other premises,
Oak Lodge and its land were acquired, and the licence was transferred from the old White Hart beer house on Tonbridge High Street. A registration was put in for alterations there, the licence to be transferred, and the name given as the ‘Cardinals Error’ in keeping with Tonbridge history.
Phoenix Brewery was acquired by Whitbread & Co Ltd in 1927, and in 1961 the properties were sold to Fremlins Ltd.
Fremlins Ltd was then purchased by Whitbread & Co Ltd in 1967, returning the Cardinal’s Error to its original brewery. In 2002, Whitbread sold its pub estate, the Laurel Pub Company, to Enterprise Inns.
Another story is that a local farm girl fell pregnant by a local lad, who then jilted her at the altar. She was so distraught she drowned herself in the pond that lay behind this building (where a new housing estate was built in the 1970s). A coroner's inquest reported in the Kentish Gazette on 24th October 1848 supports some of this. - ‘‘An inquest was held at the “Rose and Crown tap”, before J. N. Dudlow, Esq., on the body of Phoebe Maria Skinner, who was found in the millpond near Tunbridge, on Friday morning, the 13th instant. No clue as to the cause of the fatal occurrence could be obtained. The jury, after a strict investigation, returned a verdict of "Found Drowned ", but how, or by what means, the deceased got into the water, there is no evidence to show. 
It doesn’t mention the wedding dress, pregnancy, or a jilted lover. Whether this has been added for dramatic effect over the years is still unclear.
Pendry’s Pubs Ltd now runs it, and Mel and Stuart manage it.
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**PARANORMAL ACTIVITY**

One story is that a lady called Val lived there when she was three. She asked her mother, who was the woman in a big hat. She would come and sit on her bed at night when she slept there, and another guest stated he would never sleep there again. After seeing a ghostly figure of a woman enter his room and sit at the bottom of his bed, he described her as a sad-looking middle-aged woman who wore a big hat.
Is the ghostly apparition seen at the pub, dressed in a tall hat, the Nun in Cardinal clothing?
Another story about the drowned girl is that, since she departed this earth, her ghostly apparition has been seen in her wedding dress, walking up to the Cardinal's Error from the direction of the old pond site. She is also said to have thrown open the pub doors, entered, shut them, and then walked across the bar room before disappearing through a door that leads to private stairs, and footsteps have been heard along the corridor. 
Recent publicans have not witnessed any of these events nor seen Phoebe’s apparition.
Another ghost said to haunt the inn is an old gentleman who is said to haunt the area around the fireplace. A spiritually linked lady witnessed him, and he was heard saying ‘Good morning’ rather loudly when no one was in the pub.
Someone reported that they were heading to the pub’s toilet and saw someone walk into the men’s toilet ahead of them. Not taking any notice, they walked in there three seconds later, but no one was in there! 
Neighbours on the estate built on the pond area have also reported strange goings-on. 
In 2009, Ghost Connections investigated the area but did not produce firm results, although they heard some unexplained noises during their visit. Their Clairvoyant team made connections, which they can discuss by email

2. YE OLDE CHEQUERS INN

122 High St, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9

Bar & Restaurant

"Offering home-cooked food, accommodation and entertainment."

**HISTORY**

Ye Olde Chequers Inn, a Grade II-listed gabled building, holds a significant place in Tonbridge’s history. Once the town's sole inn and the Culpepper family's property, it stands as a testament to the town’s rich heritage. 
Often described as ‘one of the finest examples of a Kentish timber-framed building that can be found today’, the inn is a sight to behold. Its gabled structure and intricate timberwork make it the most photographed building in Tonbridge after the castle, a true architectural marvel. 
It stands on the High Street, near the castle, where an inn may have stood in 1264. The inn may have been burnt in the castle’s battles against Royalty. The present building dates to the late 15th century, but most of it is 16th-century, with only some of its earlier timbers remaining.
The name may be linked to the word “Exchequer,” referring to fee-gathering for the castle's lords. 
A room on the first floor, which was once a Justices’ room, served as a place for legal proceedings and decisions. In front of the inn was the traditional place for legal punishments, such as the stocks and whipping posts. 
In July 1555, Margery Polley was the first woman executed under Queen Mary’s Rule. She was burnt at the stake in the back of the castle, where the old fire station stands, for her “English Protestant” beliefs. There is a trough, erected in 1909 in her memory, in Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, opposite the “Camden Arms”,  which says she suffered martyrdom in Tonbridge. 
Another execution said to have happened in July 1575 is that of Katherine, the wife of Edmund Brystowe, who was burnt for poisoning her husband. 
The inn, with its rich history and unique ambience, served as a setting in many of the 20th-century novels of British writer Jeffrey Farnol, adding a touch of literary charm to its historical significance.
At times, a hangman’s noose dangled from a strong oak pole, protruding from the building, close to the inn sign, a dark reminder of justice that jutted out over the street, and one of the men hanged outside this pub was Wat Tyler’s brother after the failed Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.  
Stories say this pub hides secret tunnels. A small archway is blocked off, possibly the secret tunnel to the Castle or Parish church, used to escape if trouble arose or to get the taxes to the castle safely. 
A well filled with river water stood in the middle of the cellar, which was closed off about 15 years ago.
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**PARANORMAL ACTIVITY**

The courtyard of the inn is not just a physical space, but a place steeped in local legends. The ghosts of two men, dressed in the fashion of aristocrats from Tonbridge Castle, have been reportedly seen engaged in a duel with swords. These stories add mystery and intrigue to the inn’s history

3. THE GEORGE & DRAGON
2 The Street, Ightham TN15
Bar & Restaurant
"Proud to serve excellent food and drink in a genuinely historic setting - attracting returning visitors from far and wide"

**HISTORY**

Ightham (/ˈaɪtəm/ EYE-təm) is a parish and village located approximately four miles east of Sevenoaks and six miles north of Tonbridge. The parish includes the hamlet of Ivy Hatch.
Place-name evidence implies the name derives from the Saxon ‘Ehtaham’. ‘Ehta’ is a Jutish personal name, while ‘ham’ means settlement. Famous for growing Kentish cob nuts.
The George and Dragon Inn is a black-beamed, cream-painted inn on Ightham Street in the village centre, a living testament to centuries of history.
It once stood as a private house, then as a venerable travellers’ hospice.
The inn is known for its distinctive architecture and its reputation for serving the region's finest ales and spirits. 
The George and Dragon has a rich history dating back to 1515, once an esteemed ‘Mansion House’ of Ightham Street. Its enduring presence, largely unchanged over the centuries, serves as a tangible link to our past, with the striking Tudor facade, antique feature fireplaces, and sturdy wooden beams helping preserve a historic atmosphere and evoking nostalgia for a bygone era. 
During the 16th Century, the village saw many disputes, mainly drunken quarrels and fights, as shown in the Court Rolls of Ightham.
As reported in the Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser on 5th April 1946, Henry Peyrse of Milton in Gravesend died in 1546. By his will, he gave to people experiencing poverty of Ightham, a yearly sum of 6s.8d. and 2s. 'forever, to be distributed annually on Friday, before mid-Lent Sunday, payable out of his Mansion House in Ightham Street." The village's children were still enjoying the proceeds, and two Parish Council members, Mrs Apthorpe and Mr George King, made the distributions to the children after school hours.
Queen Elizabeth I, who was rumoured to have stayed here, during her reign
In 1575, the George and Dragon Inn became the venue for court proceedings until 1697, playing a significant role in the village’s history and adding to its intrigue and fascination.
Other notable guests believed to have stayed here:
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, was executed on May 12, 1641, at Tower Hill in London.
William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, was reported to have been accommodated here on his journey to his public execution at Tyburn in 1680.
Over a century ago, a woman's skeleton was found at a nearby Manor House. It was said to be that of Lady Dorothy Selby, a former lady-in-waiting for Elizabeth I.  According to legend, she sent a letter to her cousin, Lord Monteagle. She advised Monteagle, a Roman Catholic, not to attend the Houses of Parliament on November 5th, 1605, having heard about the Gunpowder Plot.  In part because of this, the plot was exposed. In retribution, a group had burst into Igtham Mote, overpowered Dorothy, and then walled her up in the tower whilst still alive and left her to die. 
Legend states that the inn is where Guy Fawkes hatched his infamous Gunpowder Plot, a failed assassination attempt on King James I and the members of the Parliament of England, and where he was captured later after fleeing London when it failed. This event, which took place in 1605, is a significant part of the George and Dragon Inn’s history. 
During the Blitz in 1940–41, Ightham was directly under a route of German bombers on their way to attack London. Ightham was hit by 450 high-explosive bombs and 20 flying bombs or rockets.
In May 1950, A verdict of suicide - whilst the balance of mind was disturbed- was recorded at an inquest at Borough Green on Charles Henry Dearlove Kimpton, the licensee of the “George and Dragon Hotel,” Ightham, who died from the effects of coal gas poisoning.  Mr Kimpton, who served in the First World War, rose to the rank of captain and was awarded the Military Cross, and suffered considerable pain from old war wounds. He founded the London firm of Bostock & Kimpton, a wine merchant at Haymarket. In 1921, Mr Kimpton went to live at Ashurst, later at Groombridge and Langton, and finally became the licensee in Ightham. He was the Company Commander of the Langton Green Home Guard in WWII. Both his sons, Peter and Donald, officers in the Royal Air Force, were killed in action.
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**PARANORMAL ACTIVITY**

Lord Stafford is said to haunt the inn as a phantom, wearing clothing for that era and seen on many occasions. Other reports of ghosts and apparitions have been seen at the George and Dragon but without history or documentation. 

4. THE BUTCHERS BLOCK
65-67 Church St, Burham ME1
Bar & Restaurant
"A laid back country style pub and restaurant which caters for all the family, including our four legged friends."

**HISTORY**

Burham, a place steeped in history, sits astride the old Pilgrims Way, a route that has been a part of human settlement since Saxon times.
The inn was originally built in 1812 and named the ‘‘Royal Exchange Inn". The pub then served the needs of the workers in the local cement industry since 1830. After the discovery of the manufacturing technique for Portland Cement, Burham became a “Cement Village” on the Medway. During this era, the pub was a bustling hub for workers, and its cellar also served as the village mortuary; because of the colder temperatures underground, people were buried within a few days of death, and some houses didn’t have room for a coffin.
In 1964, the inn began a new chapter when Mr Sidney Ward, a man of many talents, took it over. Before becoming a publican, he was a well-known Toastmaster of London, and he served as President of the Society of London Toastmasters in 1974. During his time there, the inn’s name became the intriguing ‘Toastmaster Inn’.  
In 2017, its name was changed to “The Butchers Block” in honour of Simon, the new owner and manager. He was a highly skilled butcher in nearby Bearsted for over thirty years before retiring and moving to Burham to open The Butchers Block.
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**PARANORMAL ACTIVITY**

Local legends say this pub has been haunted for many years.
When Sidney Ward occupied the building, it was not unusual to hear crates being dragged around the cellar at night, even though everyone was asleep in bed. The door leading down to the basement would often open while the noise was happening, only for it to stop immediately and the cellar to fall into total darkness. It happened so frequently that eventually everybody regarded it as a nuisance, so nobody bothered to go downstairs to investigate. Odd things occasionally happened upstairs. A dark, almost intimidating presence would sometimes come and go; Sydney placed a cup of tea on a table only to find moments later that a teaspoon had been inserted in the cup handle.
At one time, the snug bar was part of a house next door owned by Mabel. She spent much time in the Toastmasters Inn, assisting the proprietor. After she died, the pub acquired her cottage and converted it into the snug bar and second kitchen.  A plaque was placed on the wall above the bar in the corner where Mabel was said to sit, naming it “Mabel’s Corner”. It is reported that since she died, there have been numerous unknown sounds, glasses moving of their own accord, and sightings of a ghostly figure. In a photograph taken by local Keith Thompson at a New Year party in 2001, Mabel's ghost appears reflected in the glass of a picture. She appears to be a kind-looking woman, with her grey hair brushed back and a beaming smile.
These occurrences and the unexplained noises made many believe the pub was haunted.

5. THE ANGEL INN
Addington Green, West Malling, ME19
Bar & Restaurant
 "Serving a wide range of freshly prepared dishes in a relaxed, traditional and inviting restaurant environment. We pride ourselves on the high level of hospitality we provide"

 **HISTORY**

Addington is a village close to the M20 motorway, between Wrotham Heath and West Malling villages.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, Addington is called Eddintune. The village name means “Æddi’s (or Eadda’s) estate”. The village is notable for its long barrows and Neolithic chamber tombs. Its parish covers under 700 acres (2.8 km2) and contains 291 houses. Addington Brook runs through the parish.
Addington Green is centred around the popular ‘The Angel Inn’ public house. This white-painted, originally 14th-century pub is a Grade II listed building that forms an excellent focal point for the local community. Originally a farmhouse and said to have been a hostelry as long as 1350, it sits near the Pilgrim’s Way to Canterbury, no doubt taking in some weary travellers.
Rumours of a tunnel from the basement to the church, 750 meters (820 yds) away, seem to be a common theme around Kent.
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**PARANORMAL ACTIVITY**

Its ghostly manifestations are said to be of a German pilot from World War II. He was shot down during an air battle close by and was carried back by locals to the Angel Inn to await the police. He was severely injured and was taken to the hospital, but he died—those who have seen him say that he is holding a leather wallet when he manifests. The pub is also said to be haunted by a small child. During one paranormal investigation, one team reported seeing a blue light touching his hand and saw the outline of a child’s hand imprinted there. 

6. FRANKS RESTAURANT & MUSSEL BAR

53-57 High Street West Malling ME19

Bar & Restaurant

 "A great selection of food and drinks on offer, though our forte is mussels cooked 21 ways."

**HISTORY**

West Malling is a market town that contains several historic buildings, including St Leonard’s Tower, a Norman keep built by Bishop Gundulf (bishop between 1077 and 1108) 
In 1090, Gundulf founded St. Mary’s Abbey in West Malling for Benedictine nuns. This historic site now contains significant Norman, medieval, Tudor, and Georgian buildings. 
The abbey also has a Grade II-listed church, used by the Anglican Benedictine nuns, who have called Malling Abbey home since 1916.
Other buildings of interest in West Malling include the Prior’s House, once a residence for those with leprosy; Ford House, over 600 years old; a mainly Georgian High Street; and Went House, built c.1720 and noted for its elegant brickwork. Manor Park Country Park is just south of the town, close to St Leonard’s Tower and Douce’s Manor, whose grounds the park once comprised.
Frank’s Mussel Bar is where a hall was built in the sixteenth century, and the building was once an old bakery.