I did two awesome things this weekend in Stratford – the first was a visit to Warwick Castle and the second was a visit to the Falstaff Museum. It’s on Sheep Street which is one of the old streets of the town centre – easily found because of the big sign hanging outside and the unmistakably historic cobbled street leading up to it (apparently the only remaining cobbled street from Shakespeare’s time)

This area of Stratford is very atmospheric and the Falstaff Museum building embodies all the history of the town. The house next door is actually inhabited – both properties make up Shrieve’s House which used to be a tavern in Shakespeare’s time. There is also a cat which I took to be a good sign:

The Museum costs just under a fiver to get in and although it’s not that big, there’s enough history in the 8 or so rooms to make it worthwhile. I really wanted to go on the ghost tour however and luckily we were able to book a spot for Saturday night….

Derek Acorah Got Possessed Here

We went back to the museum at 9pm and met the tour guide – he was an undertaker in real life and said he dealt with dead bodies on a daily basis so wasn’t easily spooked, but he believed the ghost stories around Shrieve’s House and had seen a few weird things himself. I was sort of hoping to see a ghost until we got into the house, with all the lights off, and the tour guide started telling us about the bodies buried beneath the floorboards….then I was a bit freaked out….

Being in an old, creepy house in the pitch dark, being told about horrible tortures and deaths that had happened in that very room….it was fantastically scary.

Apparently Most Haunted visited the museum a few years ago and Derek Acorah was possessed by an evil spirit in one part of the house – this man murdered lots of women back in the day and Derek said it was the worst thing that had ever happened to him as a medium. Derek is a complete legend so it was good to follow in his footsteps.

I didn’t experience any paranormal craziness in Shrieve’s House, but I did have really weird dreams that night. Was it the stories? Maybe….all I know is, I want to go on another ghost walk, or do an overnight vigil! Are there any paranormal groups in Harrogate?

Tagged: ghosts