PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION

Paranormal Investigation at the Fox and Hounds, Wroughton 15/05/2017

Looking up The High Street

Many apologies for taking so long to get this blog out. With the launch of my book ‘Seven for a Secret Never to be Told’ and subsequent promotion I don’t seem to have had a spare minute but hopefully this will make up for it.

The investigation at The Fox and Hounds was prompted by a variety of disturbances at the premises. Doors found open when they’d been closed, items moved and the sound of children running and playing. There were also problems with lights turning on and off or blowing and pumps being switched off.

The investigation was led by VIP Paranormal Investigations and attended by Paranormal Wiltshire, myself and the pub manager. The ‘Foxes Den’ a tastefully decorated dining area, (which was once the outside smoking area) was the base room, where plans for the evening were discussed and a host of various ghost detecting devices were tested and batteries charged to maximum. These devices included night vision cameras, K2 meters which use broadband pass technology and light up when they detect electro-magnetic energy and live feed microphones. There were also laser grids and rem pods; rem pods detect energy disturbances and fluctuations and use coloured lights and audible tones to alert you to disturbances.

With all this in place we started the investigation by splitting into groups. I accompanied Kathy to the hotel rooms which occupy a separate building at the back of the pub. There are six rooms with reports that children can be heard running down the corridors giggling and playing. A locked off camera was set up at one end of the corridor and a control item, a teddy bear was positioned to record any 

movement. 

The Fox and Hounds, originally a cottage and a beer house called The Drum and Monkey

We sat there silently trying not to chat, although the ambient corridor lighting was quite off putting. Kathy had a device which enhanced sounds, but to be honest we only picked up some random flatulence from one of the rooms. At the end of the corridor we did think there may have been whispering. I have been told that over the years many guests have complained about children playing in the corridor when no children have been staying.

Outside I was using the sound magnification and distinctly heard running, although so close to the fields it could have been wildlife. To me it sounded more like footsteps and did make me more aware.

Once inside I noted a lot of the ghost hunting devices I previously mentioned were set up around the bar area. We sat around a table under one of the old beams and questions were thrown into the air by each person around the table. The K2 meters were very active, although when I produced my phone from my pocket to take pictures I was told that some of the activity may have been due to the android wi-fi. The inexplicable moments were when the light grid was activated, the vibration detectors kept going off and the batteries on some of the devices drained with hardly any usage.

K2 Meters

There was also some glass-work, an upturned glass was put on the round table, we touched the top lightly with the tips of our fingers and questions were asked. Although the team felt that there was energy other than ours moving the glass, the table surface wasn’t smooth and therefore presented a problem for any ghostly entity wanting to communicate.

The individual that provided insight as a ‘sensitive’ thought that there was a Reverent Tom or Rev Tom that had been active on the premises and had a perverted interest in children. There are a couple of vicars of Wroughton parish in the 18th and 19th Century called Thomas, but it was a common name and nothing can be proved by it.  Local stories suggest that children from the workhouse may have been working there, and there is evidence to suggest that the children were hired out as cheap labour generally at this time either to help fund the workhouse or to line the pockets of the work house employees. Again this proves nothing. He also picked up on a girl at the top of the stairs who he thought was called Emily. 

The team had come to the investigation with some historical facts, some hearsay, and some vague details based on what was happening. Sometimes it’s hard to untangle them.

They knew that the pub had originally been cottages, at least by 1798. This is true. I began researching the pub myself and looked into the ownership. It was indeed two cottages. One of which was occupied by Luke Curtis who lived there in 1851 as a ‘beer-house keeper’. At this time it was known as ‘The Drum and Monkey’. On the same premises lived his wife Martha, their 4 children, and his mother in law, Sarah Dunn – who is described as a ‘landed proprietor’ and 3 lodgers. Bit of a squash no doubt.

On April 26th 1860 the Wiltshire Independent Newspaper reports a conflagration at the Curtis’ beer house, describing the location exactly and saying that both cottages were consumed by fire, - although no one died as local legend suggests. This is where the ghostly Emily should come in as legend has it she was murdered and left in the barn and the fire started to hide the cause of her death.

Poor Luke wasn’t having much luck however as only 2 weeks later on May 7^th 1860 the Swindon Advertiser reports that having just moved into a house further up the hill with his 8 children another fire broke out which destroyed many houses and found them homeless once again.

Things must have been restored somewhat because by the 1861 census we find him back at the cottage with his wife, 8 children and 82 year old mother in law. No room for lodgers this time however. The two oldest children are now described as servants, probably working locally.

By July 1866 the cottages are up for auction. One cottage is described as a beer house and the land considered highly desirable according to the Swindon Advertiser. It seems that only one cottage is sold as he is still at the location in 1871 with his wife and their 4 youngest children. He is 53. He is now described as an agricultural labourer, no beer house is mentioned. 

The 1881 census shows him still there, described as a general labourer. He and Martha his wife now only have 2 children at home with them.

I couldn’t make the ‘Emily’ connection with Luke and his family. The children were called Matilda, Caroline, Martha, Frederick, Richard, Charles, George, Maria, Henry, Eliza, Joseph.

Looking down the High Street. It's a bit like the wild west with the covered wagon. 

So what happened to Luke Curtis? Well unbelievably the Swindon Advertiser can enlighten us yet again as on 22^nd January 1887 both cottages are up for auction again

Here is the piece from the paper…

‘Lot 1 – semi-detached free hold dwelling house containing sitting room, kitchen, wash-house, three bedrooms and usual offices, with the gardens adjoining such dwelling house. All which premises are known as No.1 Queensland Villas, Workhouse Road, Wroughton and are in the occupation of Mrs Lucy Jane Norton.

Lot 2. Semi-detached free hold dwelling house adjoining Lot 1 and containing sitting room, kitchen, three bedrooms and usual offices with the garden adjoining such dwelling house all which premises are known as No 2 Queensland Villas, Workhouse Road, Wroughton and are in the occupation of Mr Luke Curtis.’

Queensland Villas probably looked similar to these two Wroughton cottages in the High Street given their proportions in the auction description.

I would just add that Mr Curtis appears in the local press quite frequently, but it’s not as you might suspect for some nefarious beer house brawling. It’s for his prize onions!

The ghost hunt findings were inconclusive. Yes, there were inexplicable responses from the equipment and the light show was typical of children’s playful behavior – but I wasn’t convinced. That so many children grew up at the cottages and so many individuals spent time at the beer house would suggest some kind of energy still associated with the place but nothing specific came out of the investigation.  

The ghost I know to be associated with the pub is that of a little girl. The story of the chap catching a glimpse of a child behind him in the mirror and turning round to find no one there is one of my favourite Wroughton ghost stories. Maybe it’s the same little girl who also haunts one of the upstairs rooms which a previous land lady told me they used as a laundry room.

So, there is obviously very much more to the pub than the smidgen of information I have gleaned and it would take a lot more research to establish what was going on there before and after Mr Curtis’ habitation. Pop in yourself and see if you can pick up any of the vibes.

There are other tales associated with the pub, please book up for one of my ghost walks if you’re interested in hearing more. And if you haven't yet purchased my book 'Seven for a Secret Never to be Told', go to Amazon and pick yourself up a copy. Till next time :)