Standing on the side of the Jedburgh Road as you pass through the tiny village of Otterbum, Northumberland, is the old hotel known as the Percy Arms. On a visit there one night fellow ghost hunter Mark Winter and I called into the hotel and had a chat to the staff and asked if the hotel had any ghosts. The girls I was speaking to replied 'yes, we do'. They went on to explain that strange occurrences are quite often reported by guests. However, if we wanted more information we were advised to speak to the hotel's owner, Clive Emerson.
Meeting Clive a month or two later, the first ghostly tale he told me was a personal tale as opposed to a 'building related ghost'. The story dates back to 1988 when he and his family were celebrating Christmas. Sadly, during this particular festive season, his visiting father had taken ill with a stroke and had passed away on the following January 3. One year later - on the third of January - the family were again at the hotel when the conversation turned to his beloved dad and the sad anniversary of his death.
Ghoststory
Suddenly, the family were struck silent as a large plate mounted on the wall made a huge cracking noise and then split in half! Clive is one hundred percent certain that his dad was looking down upon them.
'It was perfect timing,' he said. 'Just as we were discussing dad that plate went! It was as though he was saying, "Hello son, I am here with you all, Merry Christmas!".'
thought was the most well-known ghost said to reside at the hotel. He said: 'You know, it's odd really because our most famous ghost is the one we know the least about.'
He told me the ghost of a woman had been seen on the roof of the hotel and had been 'doing the rounds' when he bought the hotel back in 1988 and her presence was 'common knowledge'. But that is all he knew about the spectral tile- walker, apart from the fact that she is known locally as the 'Grey Lady'.
I urged Clive to tell me more and he informed me about the spectral visitor in Room Two. A few years back a man and woman booked into the room for a couple of nights and during their last night they experienced something really nerve-racking. The couple were awoken by the distant sound of horse's hooves and a faint neighing. They got up and looked out of the bedroom window thinking they would see the offending horse outside on the road but saw nothing.
They were just about to return to their beds when suddenly they both saw the horse appear through a wall in their room. It entered their bedroom and galloped loudly to the other side of the room before disappearing into the solid wall. They also claimed die horse was mounted by a fierce looking soldier 'dressed in old-fashioned clothing', although they could not identify what period it was. The couple eventually managed to get back to sleep after their ordeal and relayed the story to Clive the following morning.
In Room 10, as recently as March 2010, another ghost, this time of another mystery woman was seen by a lady who had booked in with her family. She woke up in the night feeling freezing cold, even though the heating system was on full. She sat up in her bed and then noticed a woman dressed in a long gown bending over her children, who were sleeping on zed-beds, and tending to the bedclothes.
'It was as though she was tucking the children in and keeping them warm,' the witness told him. The figure then stood upright, turned her back on the woman in bed and walked through the wall. The room's temperature returned to normal soon after.
As you can see, this conversation gave me plenty to go on for an investigation.
It was a beautiful summer night in June 2010 when we made the journey to Otterbum and I was the first to arrive. I was subsequently shown around the building and was once again made aware of the hotel's resident ghosts. A new ghost story came to light but we will delve into that later.
By the time the rest of the team had arrived it was getting dark. Most of the staff had left for the night, leaving just a few punters in the bar with the hotel's bar manager. We carried out our usual baseline tests in the locations that we were to investigate and by the time we had done that, the bar had emptied and the place was ours. The baseline tests yielded no anomalous results but at least we now had basic EMF, temperature and humidity readings along with other baseline information such as knowing where the creaky floorboards were - in this case everywhere - and knowing where any potential natural draughts could come from.
After 45 minutes of an interesting psychic reading (which I have omitted from this report in order to keep it as scientific as possible), I decided it was time for a short break before we headed off into the night with our split-vigils.
At midnight Mark Winter and I made our way to the attic area while our medium and his co- investigator investigated the few guest rooms that were available to us, and Drew Bartley and Paul Dixon investigated the lower floor area. We settled down after carrying out some temperature and EMF tests and began to wait.
Mark began to call out to the atmosphere in the hope of enticing some paranormal activity but unfortunately his effort proved to no avail. At 12.13am, I ventured into one of the rooms on my own to see how things would pan out. After a minute or so I clearly heard someone walk past the door as though someone was heading down the corridor. I presumed this was Mark on the move and stuck my head out the door just to make sure. I was surprised to see that Mark had not moved at all and was still sitting in his original chair at the other end of the corridor. I was even more surprised to hear that Mark had quietly called out (which is recorded) and asked any spirits present to 'do something that would have an effect on Darren' just prior to me hearing the footfalls and movement outside the room; good timing or what?
Much to my delight, the sounds of someone walking past my EVP machine (which was placed on a window-sill opposite the door in the corridor) was recorded. Now Mark admits to hearing the creaking of the floorboards and of the footsteps from down the dark corridor but he presumed that it was me moving around inside the old bedroom. I was actually standing still at this point. So we both thought the noises were down to each other moving about, but of course, neither of us was.
We carried on with our investigations and almost four minutes later were rewarded with an EVP that sends chills down the spine. Not only was it recorded on both mine and Mark's EVP machines, we actually heard it, too. It occurred when I ventured down the far corridor and round the comer. I was looking into the old bathroom and asking 'the alleged spirits' to speak to us. At 12.47 am on my EVP machine you can hear me cough. I then say, 'For the benefit of the tape, that was me coughing.' Seconds later I heard a loud horrible guttural breath right in my ear!
I jerked to the side and looked around in the dark but no one was near me. An 'f-word' or two came from my mouth before asking Mark, 'Did you hear that?' Of course, he did. It was quite a scary moment, to say the least. The designated vigil time came to an end soon after this, so we ventured downstairs for a break and a well-earned cigarette.
Drew and Paul experienced very little during their investigation of the downstairs lounge and snug area. However, they said that when they called out for the spirits to maybe 'move some of the cups and plates' that were stacked up on the table in there, they did hear a 'clinking' noise that could have been the crockery moving.
Our team medium and his companion told me they had heard a few knocks and taps in the bedrooms. I was also informed that he had recorded the sound of a breath, which is most interesting, followed by the sound of someone walking along the corridor outside the room they were investigating: almost identical to what Mark and I experienced the next level up. So, it was not a bad start to the night's investigations.
We then continued the investigation by heading off to our next locations. Mark and I went to the bedrooms, Drew and Paul staked out the attic area, while our medium and his companion stayed on the lower level. Now, on our way to our respective locations at 1.50am, Mark, Paul, Drew and I had to go up the flight of stairs that led from the lounge area to the upper floors. As we reached the foot of the stairwell both Mark and I clearly heard the sound of two men talking at the very top of the stairs. The chattering we heard was crystal clear, although I can't actually remember what was being said! I also know it was none of the investigators on the stairwell.
When we got to the top of the stairs and on to the first floor no one was around. It only took a second or two to reach the area where the voices came from and the place was deserted. Furthermore, no one was staying in the hotel in this particular area of the building, so this rules out hotel guests - and we would have seen them, if they were there.
During our discussions in the lobby area of the first floor, and at the foot of the stairs that led to the attic, the four of us all then heard movement coming from up the stairwell. This was followed by yet again, a guttural breath. We all looked at each other and froze.
'Did you hear that?' I called out. 'Yes,' was everybody's reply. The thought occurred that there may be some guests pulling fast ones on the team and had maybe scampered up the stairs into the attic area. I asked Drew to go and have a look - there was no one there. This was another unexplained occurrence.
At 2.00am we began the second vigil. Mark and I ventured into the available bedrooms and began our vigil. Drew and Paul investigated the attic space area, and the medium and his companion investigated the ground floor lounge. Room 6 proved to be of no use whatsoever. No EVPs were made nor were any 'odd related phenomena' felt, sensed or experienced. At 2.45am we moved into Room 10 and pretty much the same was attained in this vigil - nothing. At 3.30am the vigil came to and end.
Although nothing at all happened during this vigil, it still proved to be worth carrying out. Again, Drew and Paul experienced nothing during their vigils but our medium and his companion had this to say: 'We were sitting at opposite ends of the room facing one another and nothing was happening at all, well, not until about 20 minutes into the vigil. At this point, I heard a loud cracking noise followed by this absolutely horrible breath! I jumped a little and then stood up to see what it was and all was quiet. It happened so fast. Even my colleague on the other side of the room heard this... and I recorded it on tape. Brilliant!'
Our final vigil began at 4-00 am. Our medium and his friend experienced lots of taps and bangs that, according to them, had no rational explanation. They also said they heard voices in that area too, which is interesting as it was at the foot of the stairs to the attic area (where they were investigating at this time) where we all heard the anomalous voices. Drew and Paul had nothing to report and neither did Mark and me.
At the end of the investigation we packed up our equipment and headed off home. It had been quite an interesting night. Granted Drew and Paul experienced very little indeed but can verify they heard the anomalous breath at the foot of the stairs to the attic. The rest of us are confident that we experienced a little more paranormal phenomena than we expected, with some of our results actually being recorded on tape.
There is no doubt in my mind that the anomalous breath that reverberated around my ears during my stint in the attic was real. I know it was not Mark or I and furthermore, I have it stored safely away on my files at home. For me, there is no debate. Another night at this fabulous hotel is planned and a lot more investigative work is due to be carried out there.
I wonder what this ancient and romantic old coaching inn will have in store for us next time? I can't wait to find out.
The Ghost Hotel
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