BRITAIN`S `MOST HAUNTED` BUILDING - OR BRITAIN`S MOST HYPED BED AND BREAKFAST?

The Ancient Ram Inn, in the village of Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, is believed to be riddled with up to 20 spectres who torment the paying punters of the 12th century home. Above, owner Caroline Humphries

Welcome to Britain’s most haunted B&B  (Bed and Breakfast) - where terrified guests have been left so scared they have even jumped out of the windows.

The Ancient Ram Inn, in the village of Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, is believed to be riddled with up to 20 spectres who torment the paying punters of the 12th century home.

Built on an ancient pagan burial ground - and also believed to be the scene of child sacrifices and devil worship - the Cotswolds cottage is haunted by the likes of a murdered young girl called Rosie, a high priestess, and even a male sex demon, known as an incubus.

The strange goings on include a blood-curdling child’s scream, ‘electrified’ wooden beams, and even the touch of an invisible force.

Caroline Humphries, whose family has lived in the Ram Inn for nearly 50 years, said: 'My father won’t go anywhere without his Bible.'

But despite its ghoulish reputation, Ms Humphries is inundated with visitors who are desperate to spend a night in Britain’s spookiest lodgings, which were built in 1145 and costs between £25 and £30 per night.

Past guests have fled from the house in the middle of the night after claiming to have seen furniture flying around the bedrooms, visions of a little girl wandering the hallways, and have even been pushed down onto a bed by a randy incubus.

Is that a ghost on the staircase? The Ram Inn, built in 1145, has long been home to a variety of spooks

Some have leapt from first-floor windows at the back of the property onto a grass slope from a height of a few feet - but no one has been injured as a result.
Now, it is packed out with ghost hunters and horror writers - who are queueing up to spend a night with the demons.

One ghost investigator who visited the house was spooked when a presence pushed up against his back - and felt the wooden beams of the medieval house vibrate and tremble when he grabbed onto them in fear.

A mysterious child’s scream was even captured on video - seconds after a man’s voice is heard to shout: 'Get out!'

Ms Humphries, 51, said: 'When I was a child, I was so scared of the house I used to sleep in a caravan outside.

'It was normal for us to see people running out of the house, screaming in terror.
'Once, I woke up and found a chest of drawers hovering over my bed - before it crashed down the staircase.

'People have told us they’ve seen a high priestess sitting in one of the bedrooms, objects move and spin, and we used to hear the ghosts of murdered children screaming and crying in one of the bedrooms.

'We put some children’s toys in the room for them to play with and they don’t cry as much any more.
'The whole house is absolutely terrifying.'

Ms Humphries father, John, 85, was pulled from his bed by a spirit on the first night the family moved into the home - and after researching the history of the house, he was horrified to discover an ancient burial ground lay beneath.
                                   Video from the Ancient Ram Inn


And years later, while renovating the home, he discovered small bones and daggers under the earth - and believes that children had been sacrificed there to pagan gods years ago.
Ms Humphries added: 'Once we had disturbed one grave, we didn’t want to go digging any further, and we’ve left the house exactly as it stands.

'Paranormal experts love staying here, but we couldn’t carry on running the house as a normal bed and breakfast - it’s just too haunted.

'I don’t think we’ll ever be able to sell the house - no one in their right mind would buy it.
'But after nearly 50 years here, I’ve accepted that we have to live with some unwanted house guests.'

Story: TheDailyMail

My view:

Firstly, I have never met the owners of the `Ancient Ram Inn`, nor have I ever visited it. And in all probability, I never will. Here is why.

The building is certainly very ancient, and the history of the building as an Inn is fascinating.
But is it really as `bad` as they claim?

`A randy male sex demon, known as an incubus`, an unverified alleged `ancient burial ground` that no archaeologist or historian can confirm. Human sacrifice, and a witch being burnt to death. The building `shaking when touched by an investigator`,  quite a feat in a stone and timber framed building which should have created some structural damage. Many, many stories and not much else from the owners. And lastly, the many props that have been put into the house to enhance it`s ghostly reputation.

I cannot and will not deny that this place is haunted, but being over 900 years old you would expect some activity, and some fantastic captures on camera, which surprisingly are hard to find.

But regarding the unverifiable claims, and the stories generated by the owner, it is clear to me that this is nothing more than a `Halloween Haunted House` type business, determined to sell beds to get the punters in.

For anyone to claim that all of the legends are true, is simply ridiculous. If you are a serious investigator of the paranormal then you should take all of the claims with a pinch of salt. This place is more for the `thrill seeker`, and in that regard they will certainly get their monies worth, and possibly a few interesting photographs too.

But as Britain`s most haunted house, it is not. Unless you believe everything you read or are being told.

Chris Halton