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In brief
Over four hundred years of tantalising English history and the favourite of the Bronte sisters’ wayward brother, Branwell, this cosy coaching inn has many spectral patrons who stubbornly refuse to hear that time’s been called.
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About
Located just a short walk from the Bronte Parsonage Museum and former home of the famous literary family of Bronte sisters, the Black Bull Inn in the pretty village of Haworth is a 16th-century coaching inn with a significant historical pedigree.
With four inviting and stylishly presented rooms, a hearty menu, and warm and friendly staff all sited in a beautiful and famously haunted location, the Black Bull draws paranormal enthusiasts from far and wide.
History
Serving a vital function in pre-industrial England, the Black Bull coaching inn provided travellers with refreshment and rest as they journeyed from Keighley through challenging terrain.
Branwell Bronte, brother to famous Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Bronte, spent many hours socialising and entertaining locals in the Black Bull, which is one of the oldest drinking dens in Yorkshire.
When aged only 19 years, Branwell Bronte became a freemason and, in his role as secretary, chaired meetings in 1837 at the Black Bull. A chair on display in the pub today is said to be the original masonic chair used by Branwell in the meetings.
Many nights Branwell had staggered from the Black Bull in an intoxicated state as he made his way across the cobbles back to the family parsonage (pictured below). Sadly, Branwell, himself a talented writer and painter, died of bronchitis in 1848. At just 31 years of age, his short life had been plagued with alcohol and drug abuse, which had inevitably weakened his system.
The four-hundred-year-old pub has a long history of paranormal activity, which is regularly experienced by staff, visitors, and unsuspecting guests in both the main bar and rooms. Infamously haunted Room 3 eerily overlooks the atmospheric graveyard and church where parson Patrick Bronte, father of the famous Brontes, delivered his sermons to the village every Sunday.
Ghostly activity
- Two men in old-fashioned clothes and one wearing a top hat have been spotted sitting at a table in the bar before disappearing. Some describe the two as deep in conversation, while others claim they are arguing.
- The ghost of a man in a top hat has also been sighted standing near the fireplace and is thought to be that of a former 19th-century landlord named Daniel Sugden.
- Staff report glasses and ashtrays mysteriously flying off the bar and smashing with no explanation. One former chef also said he heard the sound of someone distinctly stamping their foot behind him in the kitchen area.
- The apparition of a man standing at the end of the bar, strange, unexplained lights, and a ghostly dog have all been witnessed at the historic, old drinking den.
- Staff tell of an incident whereby a young child was observed chatting to someone and offering her sweets, but it was to an empty chair. Was Branwell Bronte returning to his old haunt and charming the living with his charisma as he once did?
- A number of pub managers over the years have told of being woken up in the night by the vigorous ringing of the bell, used to inform patrons when the pub is closing. They go to investigate but find that nobody is there and all is quiet. Branwell Bronte was known to jingle the bell to summon the innkeeper to serve him another drink. Is Branwell returning, demanding to be served, or is it somehow an eerie replay of sounds of the past?
- Guests staying in Room 3 are woken in the night to find the figure of a ghostly woman standing at the foot of the bed. It is only later that many discover that it is said to be the room in which a maid was murdered. Many flee, refusing to remain in the haunted room, which overlooks the atmospheric Gothic churchyard. The restless spirit of the tragic maid is also thought to be responsible for moving the possessions of the room's occupants.
- Clouds of smoke and the smell of cigars have been noted in the no-smoking bar when the pub is closed.
- The figure of a man wearing a beige jacket and sitting by the fireplace has been spotted by shocked staff, who further investigate only to find that he has vanished.
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Location
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Main Street, Haworth, Keighley BD22 8DB, UK
Access
Please note that due to the age of the building, there is no lift, and all rooms are accessed via a staircase.
There is a ramp to assist wheelchair users to access the bar areas, but there are no toilets that permit wheelchair access.
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