About the hotel

Mermaid ghost stories!

The Mermaid Inn has a reputation for being haunted, 600 years of history and there are so many stories!

Room 16 The Elizabethan Bedchamber

There have been on many occasions, as detailed on the attached sheet by Ms Kiki Kendrick, incidents of a duel being fought in the room and the loser then being thrown down the stairs of the secret passage.  The body would have landed in the part of the hotel that is now the Bar.

A night camera was set up by a guest, a short time ago, and movement of swords was picked up, and during the night, the shadow of a “figure” could be seen on the film in the corner of the room.  A week or so later the guest sent in some photographs he had taken of the room and the same shadow of a “figure” could be seen in the corner of the room.  We have tried from all angles to recapture this shadow on the camera but it has proved impossible.

One late winter’s afternoon 2 guests had booked into the Elizabethan Bedchamber and then gone for a walk around the town.  On their return through the car park they had looked up at the window of the Elizabethan Bedchamber to see silhouettes of people against the closed curtains.  Upon returning to the room no-one had been inside.

The barman a few years ago, was tending to the fire when all the bottles on the shelf at the other end of the room fell off.  He handed in his notice the next day.

Recently we were sent another story about The Elizabethan Bedchamber……..

“My wife and I are long time clients of the Mermaid, first staying in 1988 in the Elizabethan Bed Chamber). As the family grew, we always took the Nutcracker Suite, with the children sleeping in the main room and us in the double bedroom. One morning (Christmas Day 2002 I think), my youngest daughter Eleanor mentioned at breakfast that someone had come into the room in the night. We knew the door had been locked, and were surprised when she described the person as an old man who walking past the end of her bed in a striped night gown and cap carrying a candle. The way she described his clothes clearly showed she didn’t know what a night gown or cap were. Eleanor was a highly imaginative child, but nevertheless maintains to this day that she really saw this man, so you can make of it as you wish…”

Room 17 “Kingsmill”

On occasions, it has appeared to suddenly go terribly cold in the room and the rocking chair in there would start to rock for no apparent reason.  The chambermaids would only clean the room in pairs as they did not like to be in there by themselves.

We have also been sent photographs of “orbs” floating around the room with guests reporting that the room had appeared to divide into areas of “very hot” and “very cold”.

Room 5 “The Nutcracker Suite”

A “Lady –in-White” has been seen to walk through from the single room across the main room, and through the door, stooping at the foot of the bed for the moment on her way past.

Room 15 “Dr Syn’s Bedchamber”

Some time ago, a film crew was testing the strength of the light in this room prior to filming and suddenly their equipment started to pick up lighted orbs moving around the room.  These were not visible to the naked eye.

Last year a medium asked the owner if he could carry out a séance in this room and five members of staff agreed to take part.  Once they were seated the medium warned the group that, when and if he made contact with anyone, his face and voice would change.  Much to the shock of all there his face and voice did change and he told the group that a figure with a dog had entered the room and was standing in the corner.

No-one could see anything but when each one was offered to put their hand out, part of their hand or arm seemed to go into what appeared to be like a shadow, and each one confirmed they had “touched” something that felt like a dog.

Room 19 “Hawkhurst Suite”

An American lady sleeping in the single room of the suite, reported that a gentleman in old-fashioned clothes had sat on her bed during the night.  When he would not go away, she pulled her mattress into the double room, where her sons were sleeping, and stayed there until morning.

A few months ago, one of the owners was walking around the hotel with a clairvoyant.  When they went into Room 19 the clairvoyant said she could feel a strong personal connection between the owner and the room.  It transpired that Room 19 was the only room in the hotel that had some personal furniture that had once belonged to the owner’s family many years ago.

Room 3 “Moreton”

Recently a gentleman staying in this room, reported that whilst his wife was in the bathroom and he was left in bed on his own, he felt a strange sensation of being kicked in the back and then a sense of well-being washed over him.  Everything went back to normal on the return of his wife.

Room 1 “James”

We have had lots of reports of a “Lady in White (or Grey)”.  Who has been seen to sit in the chair by the fireplace.  Guests, many weeks apart, have recounted the same story of having left their clothes on this chair during the night and when they have woken in the morning, they have found their clothes all wet.  There are no windows or pipes near the chair!

A couple reported to Reception about two years ago, that whilst spending the night in this room, the husband had been amazed to see a family consisting of what appeared to be a mother, father and child walk through the wall to the other side of the room as he lay in bed.

Room 10 “Fleur De Lys”

Several years ago, a bank manager and his wife were awakened to find a man walking through their bathroom wall and across the centre of the room.  They were so frightened that they spent the rest of the night downstairs in one of the lounges and made the porter bring all their luggage downstairs, plus their clothes.

A brief history so far …

Famous personages of the day who have stayed at the Inn, include Lord Alfred Douglas (Oscar’s Bosey), F.E. Smith the great advocate, Henry Dodge the American motorcar magnate and Ford Maddox Ford the novelist.  Other visitors include Dame Ellen Terry the actress and the writers Hilaire Belloc, Henry James, Rupert Travers and Ben Travers.

During this time a fascinating ghost story came to light.  There had been rumours of a haunting in the Elizabethan Bedchamber on 29^th October and one year a lady, claiming to be a “Psychic” asked to sleep in the room on that night.  Mrs Aldington the then owner joined her.  The lady slept very well, but during the night, Mrs Aldington awoke to find a duel raging about her.  The combatants were dressed in doublets and hose, fighting with rapiers.  The victor disposed of the body of his opponent by throwing it down the oubliette or secret toilet situated in the corner of the room.

There are two more secret ways, apart from the present staircase between the bar and Dr Syn’s Bedchamber, a moving panel in Room 18 and an entrance to the Priest’s Hole through the back of the cupboard above the Bar Fireplace.

After the second world war the Mermaid was bought by a Canadian Soldier, who had been billeted there during the war.  Since then, the Inn has gone from strength to strength.