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In brief
A 17th-century chamber maid, a playful little boy, and a hooded figure are just some of the ghostly guardians waiting to welcome guests at this beautifully preserved Tudor hostelry.
Category
About
The Red Lion hotel in the Roman town of Colchester is dripping with over 500 years of English history. Now one of the town’s best-preserved and oldest working buildings, the characterful hostelry provides historical charm at its best.
With a fascinating past and original features such as wooden beams, uneven floors, and latticed windows, this authentic building is the perfect location for serious paranormal explorers. Ghost sightings and eerie, unexplained happenings have been reported for over 200 years and continue to this day.
Just a short walk from Colchester station and with discounted parking, the Red Lion offers 24 comfortable en-suite rooms all packed with genuine Tudor features. Both hotel guests and non-residents can enjoy warm hospitality at the welcoming timber-framed bar and choose from a large range of home-cooked dishes served in the Parliament restaurant.
History
The captivating town of Colchester has an unrivalled historical pedigree and over 2,000 years of heritage. It was the centre of a Roman invasion in AD 43 and the site of a legionary fortress, which was populated for several years.
In 61 AD, Queen Boudicca led an army rebellion and seized Colchester, burning down all the susceptible wooden homes and killing its inhabitants. The Romans eventually rebuilt the settlement and constructed a wall around it.
Colchester was officially documented as a town in 77 AD and professes to be the oldest recorded town in England. Against this backdrop of exceptional historical prominence sits the fascinating Red Lion Hotel.
A history buff’s dream, the Red Lion hotel started life in around 1480 when it was built as a family home for Lord John Howard, later the Duke of Norfolk. The Howard’s distinctive emblem badge can be seen carved over the front of the gateway.
The house was converted into a drinking den in the 16th century and was initially known as the White Lion. The name was changed to the Red Lion in recognition of the new King James I’s Scottish red crest following his coronation in 1603.
A further fascinating historical fact is that the main reception and restaurant areas were used by Oliver Cromwell for parliamentary meetings during the siege of Colchester in 1648.
Ghostly activity
- The ghost of a young girl, thought to be chambermaid Alice Millar, has been seen throughout the building by both staff and guests on many occasions. Tragic Alice was brutally murdered at the Red Lion in 1638 by a local magistrate who had tired of her after a brief relationship. She has been seen on the stairs, in the kitchen, and in several guest rooms, including Rooms 5, 6, and 10. Her appearance was said to have been reported as far back as the 1800's.
- One unfortunate assistant manager sleeping on the premises woke in the night to see a figure fitting Alice's description sitting in a chair watching him quizzically. He claimed that she asked if he was alright, and when he confirmed that he was, she vanished!
- A former waiter who worked at the Red Lion in the 1950's described opening a door from the street back into the inn after collecting glasses outside, only to find himself face-to-face with a ghostly figure dressed as a maid.
- A member of staff sleeping at the building woke to see a rocking chair at the bottom of her bed rocking back-and-forth by itself and witnessed a white "floaty" figure standing nearby. Was this also young Alice?
- Glasses and cutlery move unaided in the restaurant and kitchen area, and guests have also complained of their possessions moving or going missing and mysteriously turning up in other parts of the room. A night security guard reported once returning to a previously checked restaurant only to find that all the cushions had been stacked one on top of the other.
- Children staying as guests are often found to be laughing or chatting in an empty space; when questioned, they say they're talking to a lady in a grey dress.
- The apparition of a hooded figure has been spotted in the reception area. He is thought to be the restless spirit of a young monk who died whilst rescuing people from a fire at the building. Does he still watch over the place?
- The door to the function room is known to slam without explanation, and many have experienced strange feelings of being watched or going cold when walking into the area.
- The ghost of a mischievous small boy has been seen running through the Parliament Room but is mostly witnessed by other children.
Location
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Colchester CO1 1DJ, UK
Access
Due to the age of the building and as rooms are situated on the first floor, access is regretfully limited for wheelchair users and guests with mobility difficulties.
Staff are happy to assist guests with disabilities wishing to access the bar and restaurant areas.
Please contact the hotel staff on 01206-577986 to discuss individual requirements.
Region
A full record of any articles, websites, webpages, books, or other materials that have assisted us in the research and presentation of this listing can be found below.
‘Brook Red Lion Hotel’ Available at Brook Red Lion Hotel, Colchester | Brook Hotels (brook-hotels.co.uk)
‘The Red Lion’ (2016) Nights in the Past. Available at: https://www.nightsinthepast.com/red-lion-colchester.html
‘The Red Lion Hotel’ (2017), Colchester Heritage Explorer. Available at: https://colchesterheritage.co.uk/blog/the-red-lion-hotel
Capel, G. (2023) ‘Colchester’s Red Lion Hotel and its creepiest ghost stories.’ 9th September, Daily Gazette. Available at https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/23766291.colchesters-red-lion-hotel-creepiest-ghost-stories/
‘Red Lion Hotel’, Historic England. Available at https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1123599?section=official-list-entry
‘Red Lion Hotel’, Essex Ghost Hunters. Available at https://www.essexghosthunters.co.uk/haunted-places/essex/red-lion-hotel
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