LONG CROSS HOTEL

From reports guests have been woken in the night by strange noises and an unknown woman's ghost has been seen. One particular room located at the front of the hotel seems to be most active. A door handle has been seen to turn, but when the witnesses opened the door they found no one there. The ghost that is believed to haunt the hotel is that of a maid who is likely to have worked in the hotel during the early 1800's. The very old Victorian Gardens are also haunted. There are many stories of ghostly happenings in the old gardens. At night the gardens do change from a very warming place to a place of unease. One of the ghosts believed to haunt the gardens may be of a skeleton that was unearthed when a new pond was being fitted in the gardens. The actual history of this is very unclear however some believe it was a child that was murdered many years ago

MOLESWORTH ARMS HOTEL

This appears to be a yearly haunting. At midnight on New Year's Eve to be exact, it is said that a coach driven by a headless coachman enters the courtyard of this Wadebridge hotel.

MANOR HOUSE INN

Heard coming from upstairs, these footsteps are always tracked down to the same empty bedroom.

OLD CHURCH HOUSE INN

Many years ago, a man sleeping in the bar one night (the inn being full up) woke in the early hours with a feeling of 'something odd', looked around the room and saw the seated figure of a monk. As he got up to take a closer look it seemed to dissolve into the wall behind it. The following is an extract from a letter received from a rather surprised customer when staying in the Inn one night "I woke up in a hot sweat about 4 'o'clock in the morning. I believed someone was standing beside the bed next to me.....I looked again to the side of the bed where my husband was sleeping and saw a bald man walk past the side of the bed and disappear....." The monk taking another walk perhaps? Another was seen here by a new local policeman who came in one evening (presumably wide awake) to get to know the locals. Indicating one of them, he asked the Landlord who the old man was, only to be told that there was nobody there.

PENGERSICK CASTLE

The most frequently seen ghost at the castle is that of Mr. Millington, who owned the castle during the reign of Henry VIII. He had, in his opinion, a 'troublesome' wife, and wanted to remove her from his life. It seems he was willing to try anything to achieve this aim, including murder. One night, as he sat down to eat the evening meal with his wife, he secretly added poison to her goblet of wine, and sat triumphantly waiting for the poison to work. Unbeknown to him, his wife was aware of his evil plans and had switched the goblets. Perhaps justice was served as he died that night, and his unhappy ghost has wandered the castle battlements ever since.

PENZANCE YOUTH HOSTEL

This was the former home of the Borlase family, including the famous antiquarian William Borlase and is primarily a Georgian building, dating back to 1720. The house is said to have been built on top of a Norman Keep, which itself was predated by a prehistoric settlement. The Methodist: John Wesley was imprisoned here at one stage, overnight, according to reports. It has also been claimed that Margaret Borlase, a figure in the kitchen, a child and others, haunt the building.

PORTHMEOR BEACH

There are many ghosts in and around the town of St Ives, some of them very well-known. The western end of Porthmeor Beach is frequented by a less well known group of ghosts.There have been numerous witnesses to this manifestation, none of whom have prior knowledge of the sightings.The manifestation always follows the same pattern. People see a small boat beach itself, and a group of bearded men wearing long cloaks disembark. The men are observed to be talking animatedly, though no sounds are heard. They walk to the cliffs at Carrick Du point, and begin clambering up the rocks. When they reach the top they stop, form a huddle, and look as if they are deep in prayer. At this point, without warning, they suddenly vanish completely.A typical sighting of these figures was reported by a couple on holiday in 1993. As they were walking across some rocks in the area of Porthmeor Beach, they were shocked to observe events exactly as just described. They watched for several minutes, as the group went through their ritual, and were extremely unnerved by their experience.

PRIDEAUX PLACE

The ghosts that have said to been seen are a scullery boy, a women sitting in a chair sewing and a grey lady on the main staircase. And many visitors do not like the Grenville room as it as an oppressive atmosphere.The ghosts that have said to been seen are a scullery boy, a women sitting in a chair sewing and a grey lady on the main staircase. And many visitors do not like the Grenville room as it as an oppressive atmosphere.

ROCHE CHAPEL

Because of its inaccessibility few locals visit this ruin. Occasionally a 'fleeting shadow' is reported in one corner of the room of this tiny building, and the 'feeling' of someone moving is experienced. Some say it is the ghost of a leper who used the chapel as his final retreat, others that the phantom is that of a smuggler, or a miner.

SHIP INN

The Ship Inn, located in Mousehole, near Penzance was once used as a prison and is reputed to be haunted.

SKIDDEN HOUSE HOTEL

Seen by many guests before dinner, appearing to be leading them into the restaurant at Skidden House Hotel, St Ives, is a "Lady in Blue". She walks past the kitchen, through the dining room and into the reception area. This Lady in Blue is always seen by new apprentice chefs and kitchen staff during their first few days at the Hotel, before they have even been told of her. There is another ghost, a grey-bearded older gentleman who wears a long frock coat. The ghostly gentleman is nearly always seen on the first floor of the hotel, but seems unaware of the fact that the hotel has been divided into two, as he passes freely through the new wall between the hotel and the adjoining cottage. Maybe the ghost simply prefers to ignore any changes to the Hotel, and delay such changes if possible... Whenever workmen are making alterations to the hotel, tools disappear, only to re-appear in rooms where there is no work being carried out or even contemplated. In general, however, the ghosts of Skidden House are benign characters, and very welcome, bringing with them only feelings of peace and tranquillity.

SMUGGLERS COTTAGE

A smuggler haunts this aptly named guest house, which was built in the 16th century. The ghost is that of a small man in his twenties, dressed in 18th century clothing, who emerges out of the wood panelling on the first floor corridor, and walks in a surreptitious manner towards the staircase, where he disappears. The spot where he appears through the panelling is the entrance to a tunnel which leads down to the beach. This entrance was sealed up in the 20th century for security reasons. In the 1950’s, alterations being made at the guest house exposed a secret room, in which was found a small table with a skeleton seated at it. Remnants of a black cloak were still found round the seated frame. In the corner of the room was found an antique sea chest and a rusting sword. There is no evidence to show why the man was incarcerated there, although he was probably imprisoned for some disagreement with the local smuggling fraternity

ST HILARYS CHURCH

Haunted by a woman known as Elizabeth who hung herself after being rejected by her lover. She is said to return to the church on the day her ex-partner was due to marry somebody else.

ST LEVAN CHURCH

In St Levan's Churchyard is the grave of Captain Wetherel, who drowned when his ship went down near Runnelstone many years ago. It was just approaching midnight when the Captain, realising that his ship was sinking, made his crew take to the boat. He, however, remained on board. Rowing away from the sinking ship, his crew heard the Captain strike the ship's bell eight times to mark the midnight hour. Some time later, several youngsters were wandering around the churchyard one Sunday morning. One girl stood on the Captain's grave to read the inscription, and was startled to hear the sound of a bell coming from beneath the ground she stood on. She stepped back in fright and, seeing her expression, the rest of the group listened and also heard the ringing of the bell. Terrified, they all fled for safety into the church. Soon after this, a young sailor came home to St Levan after many years at sea. In the Elder Tree public house he met some old friends, and in the course of the morning their talk got around to the story of the Captain's bell. The young sailor didn't believe the tale, but agreed to go to St Levan's Church graveyard with his friends if only to satisfy his curiosity. The sailor went to stand at the Captain's grave, and his friends watched the sundial by the church porch. As midday arrived, the sailor ran back to his friends. All the blood had drained from his face, and in hushed tones he reported, "True as I'm alive, I heard eight bells struck in the grave and wouldn't go near the spot again for the world." The young sailor died on his very next voyage. It is therefore believed that whoever deliberately goes to hear the Captain's bell will bring bad luck onto themselves. Nonetheless it is said that the Captain's ghostly bell continues to mark the hours and half-hours as it did aboard his ship, and can be heard most clearly at midnight (the hour of his death).

ST MICHAELS MOUNT CASTLE

Since the early 18th century, no child has managed a decent nights sleep in one of the grandest bedrooms in the castle all because of the ghost who reportedly haunts the large four-poster bed that occupies the centre of its floor. It is not known who the ghost is, or why they choose to haunt this bed, nor is it understood why they only make themselves known to young children.

ST NEOTS CHURCH

The reasons for William Penfound's murder in December 1356 are not clear, but the Bishop of Exeter made a full account of what actually happened: "Certain satellites of Satan, names unknown, on the Feast of St John the Apostle - which makes the crime worse - broke into the Parish Church of Poundstock within our Diocese with a host of armed men, during Mass, and before Mass was scarcely completed they furiously entered the Chancel and with swords and staves cut down William Penfound, clerk. Vestments and other Church Ornaments were desecrated with human blood in contempt of the Creator, in contempt of the Church, to the subversion of ecclesiastical liberty and the disturbance of the peace of the realm. Where will we be safe from crime if the Holy Church, our Mother, the House of God and the Gateway to Heaven is thus deprived of its sanctity…"No-one was ever brought to justice for William's murder, and his ghost has been seen from that day, going into and out of St Neot's Church, moving around the graveyard, and standing by the church altar; possibly repeating his workday routine as he did in life. He has also been seen going home to Penfound Manor, where the Penfound family continued to live for another 400 years.

TINNERS ARMS

In The Tinner's Arms at Zennor a poltergeist becomes active before thunderstorms

TRERICE MANOR

Trerice Manor was built in 1571 by Sir John Arundell, on a site of an even older building. It is no surprise that this beautiful house, with its wealth of history, is home to a number of ghosts.The house is reputedly haunted by a 'Gray Lady' who is usually seen around the gallery and on a stone staircase which once formed the main entrance to the house. She has also been seen in the north wing of the house.Many visitors to the house have remarked upon the strong smell of lilacs in the library and how the whole room has an eerie feeling about it. On one occasion, a visitor was so scared of the atmosphere in the room that she would not enter it and promptly left the house.Inexplicable bumps and noises have been heard throughout the house, but it seems that the gallery is the most affected. Many people have felt a strange atmosphere there and heard the sound of swishing garments, as if someone or something is walking along the gallery.

WARLEGGAN RECTORY

The Reverend Frederick Densham was the incumbent at Warleggan from 1931 until his death in 1953, and the story of his life is one of a man who, at the very least, was certainly eccentric. As soon as he arrived the parishioners found him very strange and treated him with a great deal of mistrust. He very quickly established himself as an "odd un" when he painted the rectory and the church in glaring colours, and it is recorded that the Bishop of Truro made him remove all the paint at the cost of £25, which Rev Densham had to pay. Fewer and fewer people turned up for his services, so to fill the empty spaces in his church he cut out cardboard figures and propped them in the pews so that he could still preach to a full congregation. In 1933, the Bishop of Truro was forced to order an inquiry into complaints made by the parishioners, who were getting more and more concerned at the decreasing number of people attending the church, and felt that the only way to stop the church becoming completely empty was to remove the vicar. The parishioners complained bitterly that the vicar had closed the Sunday School and that he had refused to hold services at times convenient to themselves. He had put up a barbed-wire fence around the rectory gardens, had threatened to sell the organ, which was a memorial to the Fallen of the First World War, and that he had misappropriated church property for his own use. The Bishop listened to the Rev Densham's explanations and found that he had no reason to remove him from his post. With that, the Church Council resigned in a body and the whole congregation refused to enter the church again. This did not deter the Rev Densham, who merely cut out more cardboard figures and placed them in the remaining empty pews; the local congregation switching their allegiance to the Methodist Chapel. In 1953, many years after he had preached to his last "live" congregation, Rev Densham's body was found in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs at the rectory. There was a dreadful expression of horror on his dead face. Despite his wish to be buried in the "Garden of Remembrance" he had created within the rectory grounds, his body was cremated and his ashes scattered in the public garden of remembrance in Plymouth.Could the thwarting of his wish to be buried here be the reason why the ghost of the Rev Frederick Densham, the last incumbent at Warleggan, has been seen walking through the grounds of The Old Rectory, along the main pathway from the house to the church, and in the house itself?

WELLINGTON HOTEL

Boscastle's famous old coaching inn has more than it's fair share of ghostly inhabitants. Some years ago the Hotel's owner, Victor Tobutt, was working at the reception desk when the figure of a man drifted silently past him. Looking up, he was surprised to see that the man wore leather gaiters and boots, a frock coat and a frilled shirt, such as might have been worn by an 18th century coachman, and his hair tied back in the old fashioned style. "There was nothing insubstantial about him," Victor said, "he looked remarkably solid." To his shock, the apparition disappeared through the wall, but when he began to describe what he had seen to one of his employees, the man completed the description for him. Apparently he too had seen the ghostly visitor on more than one occasion.Another employee at "The Welly", retired policeman Bill Searle has twice witnessed a misty shape wearing what appears to be a cloak drift across the landing and disappear through the wall of a guest room. It is thought to be the spirit of a young girl who, crossed in love, flung herself in despair from the ramparts of the hotel's tower. Victor also believes that another part of the building is haunted by a murdered man, and there is also an "animal friendly" spirit, which was eagerly pursued by a small dog belonging to a writer of ghost stories who was staying in the hotel. Ironically, the writer himself didn't see it, but his wife witnessed a shape moving across the room, followed by the dog excitedly wagging his tail! Several of the staff and customers have also witnessed a dark shape float down the stairs and disappear into the cellar late at night.