Holman Clavel Inn

The Black Downs are also the home of the Holman Clavel Inn, which resides near Blagdon. The Inn was said to house a spirit known as ‘Chimbley Charlie’, a kind of protective hearth spirit once thought to reside in many homes.

In one tale the spirit spoils a dinner for a farmer that he does not like by cleaning the table of all cutlery just before the farmer arrives. The family took it as an omen that the farmer was not welcome, and the meal was abandoned. There are similar tales from all over the country, describing the mischievous pranks of home spirits most commonly known as Boggarts or Brownies.