Haunted Pubs - The George - Norton St Philip
The Inn was built in the 13th or 14th century and was originally a wool store for Hinton Priory at Hinton Charterhouse, the next village and also accommodated travellers and merchants coming to the annual wool fairs that were held in the village from the late 13th century until 1902 Someone I know used to work at the pub in the 90's and thought there was a tunnel between the pub and the Priory.. but this could just be rumour.. The pub later became part of the stage coach route between London and South West England. On 12 June 1668 Samuel Pepys, with his wife and servants, passed through Norton St Philip on their way to Bath from Salisbury. The Inn was earlier used as the headquarters of Monmouth's army, during the Monmouth Rebellion (Pitchfork Rebellion) of June and July of 1685, after his retreat from Bath. The Duke, who was the illegitimate son of Charles II, led a ragtag army of 8,000 locals armed with muskets, scythes and pitchforks against a professional army of his uncle James II. Legend says that the Duke was in his room shaving and was narrowly missed by a bullet shot from outside, which he managed to dodge, and it lodged in the wall, its unknown whether there is actual physical evidence left of this. A bloody battle took place in a field just a stones throw away from the pub at Bloody Lane (Chevers Lane) so called as the hill or lane at the time ran with blood after the battle. In the aftermath of the failed rebellion Judge Jefferies used the George Inn as a courtroom and conducted 12 executions on the village common, as part of the Bloody Assizes. Judge Jefferies and the Duke are possibly reputed to haunt the pub, Dogs have been reported to react aggressively towards something unseen in the bar areas, and the atmosphere is said to change at times. Considering this is one of the oldest pubs in England and is relatively unchanged over its lifetime, its must have its fair share of spirits, maybe more residual than intelligent.. Words © P Wallace/ Somerset Paranormal