An overnight stay in the very historic Inn
Have you ever walked into a new location and felt an immediate sense of unease? That's exactly what happened to me when I entered the Jamaica Inn. My skin crawled, goosebumps rose on my arms, and a slight headache developed. Despite my high expectations, the Jamaica Inn was already living up to its reputation.
To be honest, aside from an old episode of a TV paranormal show, I didn't have any specific expectations. I only knew it was a very old coaching inn with a historic reputation for being actively haunted.
From what I can see, the property is mostly original with additional buildings attached. Being a popular destination, it's clear they're doing well. I hope it lives up to its reputation as a haunted location.
I've just walked into the pub/restaurant on the lower floor, with the rentable rooms above. A sudden cackle from a manikin by the window startles me!
The Famous Jamacia Inn
The pub maintains much of its original look and building features, which is nice to see. Exposed beams run across the ceiling. As I venture into the main inn, I'm aware of an unseen presence observing me closely.
Through the main bar, I head to the reception. 'I see you've asked for one of the haunted bedrooms,' the lovely lady at the office desk tells me. 'Have you seen anything?' I ask. 'Myself, no, but the cleaners have felt strange cold pockets moving around the room.'
'So what might I expect? Just so that I'm ready for whatever might be leaning over me in the middle of the night,' I ask in anticipation.
'There are a few spirits. Mostly the young girl likes to introduce herself to guests, but be wary of the highwayman. He's not so nice,' she tells me.
The Haunted Bedroom
Grabbing the keys, I head upstairs with my suitcase and partner Amanda, who really is starting to look a little pale over what's to come. Lots of creaking and groaning echo up the ancient wooden stairwell, leading to the long corridor that runs along the top of the house. Now I must point out that it's uneven, even dipping down in places, giving you a slightly off-balance feel—nothing too out of place yet for an old haunted property.
At first glance, it feels like we've stepped back in time. Old period furniture surrounds us, with a massive four-poster bed dominating the room. So far, nothing unusual. The room certainly felt welcoming. Our first shock of the night came when we opened the wardrobe. A small box of letters and an array of toys were at the very bottom.
We didn't stay in the room for too long, deciding that we'd enjoy what was left of the light and the surroundings before focusing on the room and what was contained in the wardrobe.
So it turns out the Jamaica Inn not only has its own museum but also a local farm and gift shop. Surprisingly, the shop stocked quite a few magic and spiritual items. You want a Ouija board for your youngsters? Knock yourself out. That quite surprised me. A place known for its ghosts was selling something off the shelf that you could use to try to communicate with them! Well, the moors of Bodmin surround us, so just hope there's no giant black dog waiting outside for me later.
It is said that even King Arthur visited the nearby lake, receiving the mighty Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. I am certainly in the realm of Myths, Ghosts, and Legends! (Copyright me!)
After a lovely meal and a few well-needed Cornish Ales, it was back to the room for us and the strange little box of letters in the wardrobe.
The Wardrobe Contents
Thanks for that!
And what was the first one to be read out? 'Don't look in the mirror in the dark!'—oh great, guess I won't be sleeping tonight. So it turns out that the letters are addressed to 'Hannah', the young spirit girl that is said to visit the rooms.
Mandy decided to read out a few, while I power on the K2. Sure enough, the lights started to dance, with it reacting to some of the comments read out. Although I'd done a base line sweep of the room beforehand, it really was quite a humbling experience. Whether you believe in spirits or not, those lights were certainly lighting up faster and faster with more vigor as the letters were read out one by one.
You could feel a breeze about the room, but with no noticeable reasoning. The few minutes it lasted really did make us feel like we were experiencing something that you just couldn't explain to anyone else.
And just as quickly as it came, the energy dissipated, leaving us with just a flat energy reading. As try as we might, that was our only incident to report. We did of course leave our own letter and gift for little Hannah in the wardrobe with the others.
And for the record... I did look into the mirror in the middle of the night, just glad I didn't see the highwayman, well, not this time!
