The Choughs Public House Map Ref ST 321085

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Is the Choughs Public House, the most haunted building in Chard?

Four centuries old, The Choughs in Chard has more than earned its name as a tavern for psychic phenomena and other peculiar episodes.

The Choughs, a gabled building, is a hotel of charm and comfort. However, there is what some might call ‘a darker or supernatural side’ to the place, which in turn has unearthed some notable mysteries.

Over the centuries, customers and guests have described the image of an unpleasant looking old man frequenting the fireplace. Voices and whisperings have been heard in a central upstairs room, as one particular guest told the owners, but they denied any knowledge of what it might be or mean. On returning some years later, the woman related the event to the new landlord, who confirmed that she was not the only guest to have experienced ghosts doing whatever they are destined to do in the night – in fact, even in the day.

The landlord said that during renovations, what appeared to be a thick wall running along the ‘disturbed room’ concealed a smaller room, believed to have been a ladies’ retiring chamber. Other structural work has brought to light an age-weathered tombstone, with the barely detectable carved word ‘WINIFRED’ sunk upside down into the fireplace. Guesswork is still rife as to its origin. There are reports of glasses being swiftly moved off the counter and shadowy figures being seen.