The Skirrid Mountain Inn

Nestled beneath the brooding slopes of the Skirrid Mountain — whose Welsh name, Ysgyryd Fawr, means “The Shattered Mountain” — stands The Skirrid Mountain Inn, a building soaked in more than nine centuries of history and folklore. Claimed to be the oldest public house in Wales, parts of the inn date back to the 12th century, and its dark past has earned it a place among Britain’s most haunted locations. The Skirrid’s history intertwines with law, punishment, and rebellion. It is said to have once served as a courthouse during the Norman and later Tudor periods, with felons tried in the upper room and executed by hanging from a beam above the staircase. More than 180 men are rumoured to have met their fate here, their final moments witnessed by the very timbers that still stand today. Visitors can still see the groove marks in the oak beam where the rope is said to have worn into the wood — a grim reminder of the inn’s violent history. Throughout the centuries, The Skirrid has also served as a meeting place for rebels. According to legend, it provided refuge to supporters of Owain Glyndŵr during his 15th-century uprising against English rule. The sense of unrest, both political and spiritual, seems to linger still. The most commonly encountered spirit is that of Judge Jeffreys, the infamous “Hanging Judge” of the 17th century, who presided over the Bloody Assizes following the Monmouth Rebellion. Although no historical record confirms his direct connection to the Skirrid, many visitors have reported a male presence in judicial attire pacing the upper room, his voice murmuring as if pronouncing judgment. Some guests claim to feel an overwhelming sense of fear and guilt in his presence — as if they, too, are on trial. Equally chilling are reports from the staircase, where people have felt tugging on their clothing, pressure around the neck, or even the sensation of being pushed. Paranormal investigators have recorded cold spots, EVP of gasps and cries, and motion sensors triggering when no one is near. The execution beam remains a focal point for ghost hunters, many of whom claim to have photographed misty forms or captured unexplained temperature anomalies there. Other spirits said to inhabit the inn include that of a woman named Fanny Price, a former landlady in the 18th century, often sensed in the bar area by the scent of lavender and fleeting touches on the arm. Guests in Room 3 frequently report being woken by a figure standing at the foot of the bed or hearing faint sobbing during the night. The Skirrid Mountain Inn has embraced its haunted reputation, welcoming countless paranormal investigations, including visits by TV programmes such as Most Haunted. Despite restoration and modern comforts, the atmosphere remains thick with the echoes of its past. To drink or sleep here is to share space with centuries of condemned souls — a place where laughter and fear coexist, and the line between the living and the dead seems permanently blurred.