Avon Gazetteer

In 1846 the Bristol Times published the following story entitled ‘A Ghost at Bristol’ which concentrated on the vicarage of the Grade II listed All Saints Church, parts of which date back to the 12th Century. Read More »

Built as a home in 1760 by local merchant William Reeve, the seventy three bed-roomed Arnos Manor Hotel has a reputation of being haunted. The Arnos Manor has its own Chapel in which Nuns would ran a girls school. One of the reported ghost stories involves a nun who is suspected to have fallen pregnant. She reputedly committed suicide and was bricked up in a wall. Read More »

The hot springs and the Roman bath house are a Celtic/Roman sacred place, dedicated to the Sullis and the goddess Minerva. In myth the sacred spring was discovered by King Bladud, who was cured of leprosy by the healing waters and mud. Read More »

Bladud was the legendary founder of Bath and the sacred temple of Aqua Sullis. He is mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain and The Life of Merlin, written in the twelfth century. The source of the original legend is obscure. Read More »

The origins of Bristol Cathedral date back to 1140, when Robert Fitzharding(e) founded St Augustine’s Abbey on the Deanery Road site and it is a phantom monk that is said to remain and haunt the building. This abbey was designed in the Norman style though very little of this remains today, though the gatehouse and chapterhouse are 12th century. Read More »

Work commenced on the construction of The Theatre Royal, Bristol (home of ‘The Bristol Old Vic’ theatre company) in 1764 and the first performance was held there on 30th May 1766.  According to a 2002 Bristol Evening News article; ‘the old Bristol theatre is reportedly haunted by the ghost of actress Sarah Siddons and her repeat performances at the theatre are the stuff Read More »

Spanning the Avon Gorge between Leigh Woods in Somerset and Clifton in Bristol (a distance of 214 meters), the Grade I listed Clifton Suspension Bridge has been an iconic landmark for nearly 150 years and although it was originally designed for horse drawn vehicles, today it carries 4 million cars each year. Read More »

The Yew trees in the church yard are said to be the relatives of an ancient tree which sprouted from a staff planted in the ground by St Congar. Yew trees grow very slowly and are often found in ancient churchyards. In many cases they are the descendants of ancient trees planted when the church was first built. The story may be a folk memory related to the original planting. Read More »

Seriously Strange is THE paranormal event of the year. Live experiments and research to take part in or watch, 20 of the most respected paranormal researchers of our age presenting cutting edge thinking and findings, a few suprises and all in this beautiful and historic city setting of Bath. Read More »

The SS Great Britain ranks amongst the most famous ships every built. Over 160 years old she now rests in same the dry dock that was specially created for her construction in Bristol harbour. The dock itself is now airtight and environmentally controlled to preserve the mighty vessel and prevent her wrought iron hull from being eaten by corrosion. Read More »

The Neolithic ritual site of Stanton Drew consists of three stone circles and a group of stones referred to as 'The Cove'. The largest of the circles known as the Great Circle consists of 27 stones, most of which are recumbent (lying down) having fallen in the past. Read More »

This early Neolithic Long Barrow was constructed around 3700BC. The forecourt is flanked by two projecting horns, which frame the entrance to the passageway. The actual passageway extends under the mound for 48 feet and has 3 chambers on either side of the passage and 1 end chamber. These were found to contain a mixed group of bones some of them burned, from a number of different burials. Read More »

The Crystal Palace on Abbey Green in Bath is so called in commemoration of The Grand Exhibition which took place in Hyde Park, London between 1 May 1851 and 15 October 1851. Prior to this name change, the Inn was known as The Three Tuns. Read More »

Demolished in 1905, The Lamb Inn became a centre of attention during the 18th century with an investigated and well reported poltergeist like haunting that lasted over a year. The Lamb Inn dated from 1651 and stood between Gloucester Land and Lawford Street. There is I believe nothing remaining of the old building now. Read More »

The Llandoger Trow is a fantastic looking building which dates from 1664 and can be found on King Street, across from the Theatre Royal in Bristol. The pub has a long tradition of serving those connected with the arts and the men who worked the sea. It also has a reputation of being haunted. Read More »

The Theatre is haunted by a Grey Lady, she has been seen many times over the years by actors and actresses.  Legend suggests that she is the ghost of an actress who committed suicide in the Garrick Head Hotel, after a duel between her lover and her husband left her lover dead. Read More »