The Haunted George Inn in Derby, England

Recently renamed D Lafferty & Son, the George Inn in Derby, England has a reputation for being haunted by a handful of ghosts. In this article, you will learn a bit about the property, as well as a mystery that is connected to the inn.

In Derby, the George Inn earned a name for itself for being one of the most recognizable of coaching inns in the city. Constructed around 1693, the inn not only served as a coaching house, but also provided a location for gentlemen to stay if they did not own a townhouse in Derby. During this time, a trend was growing in the separation of inns and taverns.

The George Inn was an upscale site where gentlemen had a place to gather. This was the sort of place that you would bump into people like the Duke of Devonshire, who stayed at the inn on more than one occasion. The Inn also served as his headquarters when a Jacobite uprising took place in 1745.

When it comes to the ghost stories and mysteries surrounding the Inn, one of the first tales to come to mind is that of the ‘George Skull.’ Workers, who were digging a 4-foot pit underneath the floor of the cellar, discovered the human skull of a female that looked to have suffered damage to the cranium. Beside the skull, animal skulls and bones were also found, alongside old shoes and pieces of leather. The work on the cellar ceased and the skull was transported to Nottingham for forensic testing. When the tests came back, it confirmed that the skull was quite old.

No other human remains were located other than the skull. Theories regarding the female skull were that she was killed and then thrown into a pit dated back to the early days. The reasoning behind the animal bones was that creatures that were killed on the premises and used for food for travelers were often thrown into a pit. Others believe that the woman was simply murdered as a way to hide her murder.

Others believe that she was not murdered and the human skull is a complete mystery. While they cannot explain where it came from, they theorize that the workmen found a former workplace of a blacksmith or leather worker, which explains why pieces of leather and old shoes were found. As for the animal remains, their bones would have been discarded after their skins were stripped to make leather.

During the days of the 1600’s, it was customary for human skulls to be buried beneath the foundations of new buildings. A spade could have caused the damage to the skull, as it was placed underground. A pair of shoes and a dead cat was also used to ward off evil spirits and witches in regards to laying down a new building.

The Inn has been the site of many different odd happenings. Stainless steel buckets have moved on their own across a room. Beer barrels rolled unexplainably across the cellar floor with force. Odd groans have also been heard on the premises.