The Choughs

The Choughs is located in Somerset, England, and has been referred to as 'The Choughs Hotel'. Not at all much is publicly known about this location, but it is thought to date back to the early 1600s and possibly the 1500s. This location's claim to fame is it's said that Judge George Jeffreys stayed here while conducting the Bloody Assizes during 1685 following the Monmouth Rebellion. Despite the lack of known history, it is said this location is haunted. There is a tombstone within the fireplace, and there is a belief that the location was used as a regular meeting place for a coven of witches. A knight wearing armour has been encountered within this location, and the spirit of a man speculated to be Judge Jeffreys has been seen crouching by the fireplace. It has also been reported that a man can sometimes be seen hanging from the attic rafters, and a young woman called Elizabeth is said to haunt one of the bedrooms.

History

The Choughs can be found in the town of Chard which is within the county of Somerset, England. The sources 'Historic England' and 'Higgypop' have both cited the location as probably dating back to the early 17th century, also known as the early 1600s. However, the sources 'Haunted Britain and Ireland' and 'Somerset Live' have cited the location as dating back to the 16th century, also known as the 1500s. This means that either when saying 16th century, they meant 1600s; or it was built around the late 1500s/early 1600s time period. The fireplace in the building bears the date of 1644, so the building is definitely believed to date back to at least this year. It is commonly said that this stone building survived the great fire which Chard experienced during 1578, so perhaps it was built around this much earlier date. It has been said by 'Standard News' that this fire occured during 1958, but this seems incorrect. When Most Haunted investigated this location, the historian Richard Felix spoke a little about the building's history. He said the following:

"It's got a very, very interesting history, the main part is 1685 and the Battle of Sedgemoor. It was then that Judge Jeffreys came down here and conducted the Bloody Assizes and there was a definite report of twelve men from Chard who were tried at the old courthouse down the road and they were all hanged - some of them tortured, some of them hanged, drawn and quartered in great agony... Judge Jeffreys was said to have stayed here at the hotel during the time of the Assizes. This building was also a school for a time, and it was reputedly a brothel... who knows how many different atrocities have been carried out at the pub"

Judge George Jeffreys was the 1st Baron of Wem and Chief Lord Justice of Chester. It's said he sentenced 320 people to death while conducting the Bloody Assizes during 1685. It is said he stayed at The Choughs during that time, however it's also been said he may actually have stayed in an ancient timbered building called 'Judge Jeffreys' Lodgings', located in Dorchester, which is apparently across the street from where the Bloody Assizes were held. This Dorchester location is currently a restaurant called Al Molo.

The Choughs has been referred to as 'The Choughs Hotel', but the front of the building simply refers to the location as 'The Choughs'. It took this name from a type of crow, and during 1970 a small coffin containing the mummified remains of a Chough was found during renovations. Some have suspected that this bird could have been a witches familiar, and Caroline McKendrick, from The Association for the Scientific Study of Anomaly Phenomena, believes witchcraft was often practiced here and that the location was a regular meeting place for a local coven of witches. I assume the location was named after the mummified Chough which was found, otherwise that would be an odd coincidence.

The only landlords I've been able to find are a 'Mrs Peters', who was apparently the landlady during the 1970s, Jason Baker, who was the landlord during 2004, and Steve Morgan, who was the landlord during 2022. In an article dating back to the 26th of April 2022, published by 'Chard and Ilminster News', a planning application was submitted for work which included repairing the roof which 'leaks like a colander', completely redecorating the inside, and adding new signage and lighting. In an article dating back to the 10th of April 2024, again published by 'Chard and Ilminster News', The Choughs pub was on the market with an annual rent of £33,748. It's said that the location brings in £550,206 per year and it's owned by Star Pubs and Bars which is part of the Heineken group.

The Choughs is a grade II listed building, and it was first listed on the 24th of March 1950. It has been said that a £175,000 refurbishment is planned for the building. This seems like it could be different from the one discussed back during 2022, but this is unclear. This second refurbishment is planned to include the following:

. New tiles behind the bar

. New wood panels with carvings added to the front

. The existing overbar replaced

. The servery and backbar tops to be sanded and resealed

. The toilets deepcleaned and redecorated

. A refitted kitchen

. A new drinks shelf

. New lighting and seating

. 2 large tvs added

. A new laser-cut LED sign erected outside

. A new 'fabricated fascia sign' with 'vinyl displays

. 2 more signs including a double sided A-board sign with A4 menu frame and a 'fabricated amenity sign'

. A black Warwick lantern erected

. All existing LED floodlights replaced

The source 'Haunted Inns' features two interesting accounts about The Choughs. The first is from Nick Brazil of Oxfordshire and is where the detail about the Judge Jeffreys' Lodgings has come from, and the second was recieved from Colin Ashwood during the April of 2002. The second account discusses the mummified chough which was discovered plus the fireplace tombstone. These two accounts, which were written in to 'Haunted Inns', read as follows:

"Dear Steve,

I was very interested to read about The Choughs Inn at Chard in Somerset. I went to Chard School in 1959 -1960 and remember that ancient hotel very well. In fact my mother and eldest brother stayed there once when they came to fetch me at the end of term. I do not have any recollection of the place being haunted but I was quite young at the time. I suspect the legend about Judge Jefferys staying there is wholly apocryphal. I think you will find that he stayed in an ancient timbered building now called Judge Jefferys' Lodgings in Dorchester. Situated immediately across the street from where the "BloodyAssizes" were held, it was obviously more convenient than an Inn at Chard situated some distance away. Whilst I was researching my book "A Journey With Ghosts" I interviewed the former owners and staff of the Lodgings. They had a number of quite disturbing paranormal experiences during their tenure.

I enjoy visiting your attractive and interesting website.

Kind regards,

Nick Brazil"

"Steve,

Hell's teeth this is spooky! I have just been speaking to my son about The Chough in Chard. My ex-wife has a jigsaw of haunted pubs in Britain and The Chough is one of them! She got it some years ago and when I saw the finished item I told her about my experience in this inn and that is what she was telling my son about.

I can tell you now that I have got Goosebumps just thinking about it.

I am now 51 years old. This all happened about when I was 22 years old. I had been on a camping holiday in Par in Cornwall with 5 friends, myself Colin, John, John, Tony and Angie. we were travelling home at night by car (I don't remember if it was the A30 or A303). It was lashing down with rain and visibility was bad. We therefore took a detour for shelter and ended up at the Chough.

We went into the small bar at the front and waited for someone to come and serve us. We waited for some time and no-one came out to us. Please forgive me if my memory is somewhat dull! I can remember Angie saying that she felt uncomfortable and did not want to stay. We chided her and and went on a walk-about and found a nice warm bar further back. We got drinks in and sat at the bar. We got chatting to the landlord who told us that that some of the old boys sitting round the fire were almost millionaires having sold out their farmland to an American oil company. These old boys had tatty clothes and had pewter mugs out of which they were drinking. I think the landlord had only recently taken over the Inn and was in the process of some modernisation. He told us that when it was measured between this bar and the rooms beyond it was obvious that between the fireplace and the room next along there was an anomaly. The length of the hallway did not equate to the room sizes. On excavation a "Priest's Hole" was discovered between the rooms and on examination, in a recess, a small coffin was found which contained the petrified remains of a Chough preserved in limestone. Presumably a witches familiar! He told us about the witch-hunter and also showed us the inverted gravestone although I cannot remember the name of Winifred. He also told of us of a researcher who had tried to take photographs of the fireplace with no success. Three of us took photographs of the fireplace and because of the light we all used automatic flashes.

When we got home and eventually got our films developed none of us had got pictures of the fireplace although the pictures before and after came out OK.

This event had such a profound effect on us that we wanted to seek out more. I cannot remember who it was, I think it was Angie's father, but we found a book in the library (This was either in Hornsey, London or Chatham in Kent) by this researcher which contained a narrative on this event and also some cloudy pictures of the result of his endeavours.

I am by nature a sceptic, but this event had an effect on me and remains with me"

Hauntings

It has been said by one source that there is a tunnel under the building which was used by people for satanic rituals, however I doubt this due to the lack of sources claiming it. There is, however, a tombstone within the building. This is located in the wall of the fireplace and looks to be inverted. This stone also looks like it has the name 'Winifred' on it, although some have spelled it as 'Winnefrid'. During the 1970s, Marc Alexander, the author of 'Haunted Inns', visited this location. He heard about the connection between the tombstone and one of the pub's ghosts, and so he attempted to take a photo of it but failed. Mrs Peters, the landlady at the time, told him 'no one has been able to take a flash photograph of thst tombstone. The ghost does not like it'. People have found that any flash photos taken of the tombstone are either very foggy or don't show the tombstone at all.

A man has been seen crouching by the fireplace by a regular at the inn, and no one but this witness saw the man. It's been said that this man looked sinister and that this is the spirit of Judge Jeffreys. It's been reported that, during 1965, a guest was woken by two menacing voices. They got out of bed, looked in the corridor, but they saw that no one was there. When they got back in bed, the voices started again. It's said this guest then fled the room and went downstairs to where their friend was staying and stayed with them for the night.

Another story says a former landlady was walking the upstairs corridor at night when she encountered the figure of a knight in armour. The knight blocked the passageway and the landlady thought they were had something to do with the carnival which was in town that day. It's said that when she asked the knight to move aside, he vanished. It's been said that during the early 20th Century, so early 1900s but the terminology could have been mistakingly used to mean early 2000s, a guest was woken at night by the sound of a woman's voice alternating between whispering and laughing. This was accompanied by a more forceful and menacing voice of a man who appeared to be remonstrating with her. As the sound ended, the guest fell asleep but woke the next morning to find a deep red weald across his face as though a whip had struck him. Some say it looked like he had been slapped, not whipped. Regardless, it's said the guest quickly paid their bill and left.

Apparently the bar area is the most active part of the building. It's been said that glasses have flown from the bar and the sound of coughing has been heard. It's also been said that an old couple appear at the bar together. Other activity includes doors slamming at night, objects moving on their own, and shadow figures being seen. Reports have said the spirit of a man who was stabbed to death appears in the bedroom he was murdered in. A man who is said to have hanged himself here has been seen hanging from the attic rafters, and it's said a young woman haunts the building. This woman may be the spirit of Elizabeth, a young woman who is said to have killed herself by drinking poison during 1845. It's said she did this to avoid entering into a life of prostitution like her mum and sister. The spirit of an old woman has also been reported to haunt the building.

The landlord during 2004, Jason Baker, has said: "When we first moved in, our eldest daughter used to play in her bedroom, and we couldn't work out why she was playing hide and seek by herself... she used to tell us she was playing with a friend, but there was nobody there. She'd often go off and be talking to somebody, but there was nobody else there". The landlord during 2022, Steve Morgan, has said he has seen shadows which look like a floating grey image. He's also said that he isn't frightened of it, believed in it, and says goodnight to it each evening.

Summary Of Hauntings

1. Elizabeth, young woman, drunk poison in 1845 - a bedroom

2. A man, hanged himself - the attic

3. A man, stabbed to death - a bedroom

4. A knight - upstairs corridor, at night

5. A man crouching by fireplace, Judge George Jeffreys (?)

6. An old woman

7. An old couple - the bar

8. Shadow figures

9. Doors slam

10. Glasses thrown - the bar

11. Objects move on their own

12. Cameras malfunction - fireplace

13. A woman's voice, whispering and laughing - a bedroom

14. A man's voice - a bedroom

15. Two menacing voices - a bedroom/corridor

My Thoughts

I was surprised to find so little on this location's history. I'm always wary to believe what is said about a location with a great deal more being discussed about it's hauntings than it's history, and this location is no different. Already, it's been questioned if Judge Jeffreys did stay here or if he actually stayed in a different location. This doesn't invalidate the experience of person who saw the man by the fireplace; it just simply puts into question who the spirit may have been instead of the infamous judge. Personally, I believe this answer could be as simple as a previous owner of the building, and the spirit could have been crouched performing a routine action such as stoking the fire. Also, regarding the tombstone, perhaps it was simply thought of at the time as being a good stone to use for building. This is why it could have been placed 'inverted', and it may not have been known to be a tombstone.

From what I have found in the sources, there is no credible evidence to believe the location had connection to witchcraft. It's a tradition dating back to ancient Egypt, perhaps further, to mummify animals. It's also believed that having a mummified creature, such as a cat, in a wall will protect the house from witchcraft, ward of evil spirits, and bring good luck. This indicates a variety of reasons why a mummified Chough may have been discoved in the walls of this location. It seems to me less so like witchcraft and more so like the potential implementation of a now outdated belief and practice.

I do think that the location would be a good one to investigate, especially the bedrooms. It seems that, even though the bar has been reported to be the most active space, the bedrooms are where many of the more extreme experiences are coming from. This could be down to vivid dreams or hallucinations caused by falling in or out of a state of sleep, but it would still be interesting to investigate regardless. Personally, I would be more interested in finding out more regarding the true history of the building though. Richard Felix said it was a school and a brothel, yet I found no sources citing dates in which the building was used for these purposes. There is no string of ownership since construction, there are few landlords mentioned, and there are no reputable events to have occured outside of more modern renovations.

Thank You!

Thank you for reading this article! It always surprises me when I find so little about a location, especially one which has been investigated on TV. It makes me question it's validity and if it was only investigated for promotion as opposed to it's legitimacy. However, you could argue that it maybe bolsters the validity of hauntings if the location is less well known. As a comparison for how short this article was, typically a location article will consist of at least eight A4 pages of history and at least two A4 pages of hauntings. The notes for this article consisted of two A4 pages for history and two A4 pages for hauntings. The next article will be published on Friday the 14th of February at 8pm UK time, and it will document someone's paranormal experience. The following article will be published on Monday the 17th of February, and it will document a haunted location in Cheshire, England.

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Proof of 'Haunted Inns' Source Quotes: