Ye Olde Black Bear (Tewkesbury, Glos)

This ancient coaching inn was built in 1308 and has been serving travellers ever since, making it the oldest working pub in Gloucestershire. Alot of the timber visible today is 16th century, even though the inn has seen a few makeovers in its years it still remains authentic to its history. Standing at the north entrance to the town on the River Avon on the junction of two highways it has seen its fair share of traffic, trade and guests throughout its 701 years. A few of its guests have refused to leave and are reputed to still haunt the place today. The Lunaorbis team went in to see if anything paranormal was still present in the essence of this outstanding building.

On arrival the outside looks very impressive with its traditional black and white beamed character. Its when you step inside that it truely amazes you, not just the physical aspect ( how its retained its 400 year old character) but also on a spiritual level. The energy just blows you away, your entire body tingles from the overwelming flow of not just one but several streams of energy.

The first part of the inn we walked into was what used to be the stables , now the dining room. There was an air of low resonance calm energy in here. The air felt thick and deep, not what you'd expect as this was where (in May 1471) many of the injured Lancastrian soldiers from the War Of The Roses were brought. Blood curdling yells have been heard coming from here in the past. Also horse shoes have been reported to jump across the room. We however picked up only the spirits of horses, maybe those that drowned whilst trying to cross the river in one of the many momentous floods.

Next we moved into the area where the present day bar area is and the area known as the snug. An old lady in black mis reputed to sit in here some say she is the spirit of a woman who died after being trampled under a carriage in the street outside. In here the temperature was slightly cooler than anywhere else in the pub and the atmosphere held an air of frustration and edgyness.

Just past the bar area was the most interesting room of them all. The front bar/saloon bar is on the corner of the building at the crossroads, this used to be the unofficial market house. Here farmers and merchants met to trade and bargain. This hustle and bustle can be felt in the fabric of the room. The energy was more upbeat, with a sense of anticipation and enquisitiveness.

The most profound thing in this room was that our EMF meter picked somethimg up. We quickly eliminated any physical reasons for this (ie electrical cables, appliances etc). The reading was only low but it kept moving around the centre of the room. It wasn't present in our initial baseline tests neither was it present near the walls or the doors. 15 to 20 minutes later it totally disappeared and didn't come back. Could it have been a spirit checking us out, who knows?

In summary Ye Olde Black Bear inn is an intregueing pub bathed in a rich tapestry of over 700 years of history. In that time it has weathered well, largely unchanged by wars, floods, transport and trade. Its not surprising that it may have picked up a few spirits along the way (and not just the ones you drink), aswell as a wealth of energy. So much in fact that we found it difficult to distinguish and focus upon any one particular type. The energy is constantly swirling around the whole pub, touching you as soon as you walk through the door to the moment you leave.

We would definately say this is a pub worth visiting firstly for its rustic beamed character, secondly for its rich history, thirdly for its paranormal buzz and fourthly for the warm hospitality. We would like to thank the landlord and landlady for letting us experience their amazing pub. We'll be back!