reading time: 5 minutes
The Star Inn in Godalming is a paranormal hotspot, says JOHN S TANTALON, author of The Haunted Realm of Surrey and Hampshire.
While researching my third book, I visited a market town with many ghost stories. Godalming is located in the Surrey Hills and crosses the River Wey. With connections to Russian Tsars, haunted choirs and even Bonnie Prince Charlie, Godalming is an exciting and scenic place to visit.
I first visited to write an article about the thoroughly haunted Kings Arms Hotel and its previous resident Peter the Great. With construction currently underway, the day couldn’t have been more peaceful. On the way back to the train station I came across another inn with an incredible, haunted history.
A visit to Godalming’s haunted Star Inn
Located at 132 Church Street is a Godalming pub with an incredible backdrop. The Star Inn dates back to 1832. The current building dates from the 18th century and remains largely unchanged, giving it a charm all its own. I visited The Star Inn that sunny spring afternoon and met the landlord, Andy. He recalled a selection of the pub’s wines, ales and restless spirits.
Upon entering the Star you are confronted with a lonely oak bench. A figure has been sighted here adjacent to the front door. The ghost may be an older gentleman in his late seventies or eighties. A visiting medium informed the landlord that there is a portal near the building where the bank is located. The staff believes he was somehow watching the front door. The spirit protects staff and customers from harmful spirits.
On the other side is an area of the pub known as the snug. Throughout history, the section has always been referred to as the local section of the bar. Historical photos adorn the walls, and a large full-length mirror stands in the center. Often a ghostly customer has been seen directly under the mirror.
An employee witnessed the figure sitting in the snug on one occasion. In a panic, the startled man ran to get another staff member. The pub was closed and completely empty when he had visited the area a minute earlier. When both men arrived at the snug, they were greeted with a chilling sight. A recently formed mark on the mirror. Exactly in the same place where the mysterious man’s head rested moments before.
Another ghost exists in the confines of the women’s room. It is believed that her manifestation is attributed to her violent attack in the first 50 years of the pub’s existence. The same visiting psychic recognized that the woman was manifesting in the left part of the bathroom, and she was terrified to leave the room. She can’t go until someone sets her free.
Walking up a wide staircase you enter the upper part of The Star Inn. Formerly staff housing and now used as storage. Employees and customers have witnessed the terrifying spectacle of two children running from one side of the building to the other. Andy recalled an incident from his time as a landlord.
“I was upstairs taking inventory, going to the staff room and the pantry. I had an old acoustic guitar that had been left undisturbed against the window at the front of the building. I was completely alone when, to my horror, the instrument moved slowly. It rocked back and forth against the windowsill, growing larger with every second. Suddenly, without warning, the guitar broke from his neck to his body. The instrument was broken and beyond repair within seconds of this horrifying and inexplicable incident.”
Witnesses reveal Star Inn’s paranormal activity
Stu has been working at the Star for two years. He remembers hearing the footsteps of children on the top floor of the snug. It was 3:30 am and the end of a memorable staff lock-in. There was no sight or sound when the startled staff member entered the upstairs room. More than once, glasses have been mysteriously launched from behind the bar. They have never harmed a staff member, but almost warn him and make sure he pays attention. It is a rite of passage for the staff to experience this alarming incident.
Another staff member named Freya remembers seeing a round-faced woman standing in the doorway behind the bar. The woman believed to be a former landlord has been sighted before. The woman stared at her, almost disapproving of her attempts to enter the staff room. On another occasion, Freya experienced paranormal activity while cleaning the women’s toilet.
“It has happened several times. I witnessed an attempt to open the door while I was inside. When I checked to see if it was a member of staff I was greeted by no one near the pub. We’re going to clean up for the night and I’ll inform the other staff members that I’ll be in the women’s restroom. On other occasions, something in the toilet stopped me from opening the door and leaving. After a while, the restriction will end and the door will open freely.”
Jenny, a resident, has attended The Star for the past thirty-plus years. Her husband worked at the pub in the early 1990s and witnessed several unexplained events. One morning, as he was setting up the pub, the sight of a gentleman in Georgian dress (possibly earlier) appeared before his startled eyes.
The figure walked through a nearby wall and then through the then-location of the bar billiards table. Her husband has experienced this incident several times. Sometimes the figure stood still and at other times it traveled along the stated route. Each time, the only factor was that the figure in the period clothing was always quick when spotted by the Star Inn staff.
While researching the new book, I visited at least six pubs called ‘The Star’. Guildford, Bentley, Romsey, Farnham and Godalming all feature in each of their supernatural stories. The most terrifying event, however, remained north of the border, in my native Edinburgh. The Star Bar in Edinburgh New Town houses an ancient skeletal relic in its basement. The infamous cursed skull is undoubtedly in a class of its own. And another story for another day.
The Haunted Realms of Surrey and Hampshire by John S Tantalon is available now from Amazon.
