8 more of Suffolk’s most haunted locations

From castle and hotels, to racecourses, Suffolk has its fair share of reported hauntings. Here are just a few more of them.

The Mill Hotel, Sudbury

This former watermill is a now a hotel in the heart of Sudbury, and features a range of rooms, a restaurant, a lounge bar – and possible ghosts. “Many inns and pubs claim to be haunted with the ghosts of animals long dead, manifesting themselves as live. And at The Mill Hotel, the ghost is a mummified cat, found many years before the building became a hotel and then sold to a nearby shop,” explained general manager Nicholas Wildman, speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times in 2020.

Centuries ago, cats were buried alive within new buildings, as superstition thought that it would protect the building from harm.

And it seems that moving this cat from the hotel to the shop next door in 1971 led to a series of strange events within the latter – with the shop coming to a fiery demise as it burned down just a few years later. The cat was soon returned to its rightful place within the hotel.

“Somehow the mummified cat survived. Thereafter, the cat was held responsible for the mayhem and returned to The Mill Hotel, when everything happily returned to normal,” explains Nick.

Now located in the hotel’s main reception area, visitors can catch a glimpse of the feline, which is now safely encased in glass and brick.

Elsewhere within the hotel, former cleaning staff claimed they have spotted the ghost of a woman, with many believing it is the spirit of a woman who is thought to have drowned beneath the big wheel at the former mill.

Ipswich town centre

Have you ever felt like you were being watched – but no one was actually there? Reader Jonathan (who didn’t wish to reveal his surname) has felt exactly that, as he says: “Back in the early 1990s, I had to start work at 5am on occasions. I had to walk in from Bolton Lane to Wolsey Street, before it was all redeveloped. I walked into Soane Street and past St Margaret’s church, when suddenly I saw a dark shadowy figure dash across in front of me from the left-hand side buildings and disappear into Christchurch Park via the locked gates. There was no sign or sound of anyone. I checked, and there was no way they could have just vanished.”

The Four Horseshoes, Thornham Magna

The second spooky hotel on this list, The Four Horseshoes near Eye, is home to a number of ghostly spectres, according to both staff and visitors. And considering the pub has origins dating all the way back to the 12th century, it’s no surprise things can get a bit ghostly in the later hours (the pub is home to a mummified cat in the loft, and even an old working well).

Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times in 2020, pub landlord Tom Pankhurst said: “We have always struggled to find out much history about the pub, and it appears many records may have been lost when the pub was still owned by the Henniker family of Thornham Estate. Thornham Hall was devastated by fire, and the records were probably lost then.”

What is certain, however, is some of the strange phenomena that happens within, including the presence of a ghostly woman, and a gentleman ghost.

The lady ghost has been spotted both in the main restaurant and in one of the bedrooms, and is thought to be wandering the halls looking for her children, while the male ghost is smartly dressed, and is only ever spotted in one room. “We’ve had staff follow him through the doorway to see if he needs assistance, only for him to have completely vanished. We don’t know much about him, but he seems a friendly enough chap, and he doesn’t help himself behind the bar.”

Seckford Hall, Woodbridge

One of Suffolk’s most beautiful Tudor homes, this historic manor is reportedly home to the ghost of former owner, Sir Thomas Seckford. An official at Queen Elizabeth I’s court, Seckford was also public benefactor of the town of Woodbridge – and a very generous man.

He passed away in 1587, and the story has it that he’s rather angry in the afterlife as the money he left for the poor after his passing was actually embezzled by the greedy rich. He’s believed to still be wandering around his former home, with witnesses reporting sightings of a male figure making his way down the hall at night, wearing white attire and steeple-crowned hat.

Bungay Castle

With some castles dating as far back as the 11th century, it comes as no surprise that many of them are home to pretty ghostly goings on. Bungay Castle has a long and fascinating history, and was originally built as a Norman castle in the 1100s by Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk.

Over the years, the family added to the castle – including the two towers that remain today – and today it is thought that Roger roams what remains of the castle ruins at night. Others have also reportedly caught sight of the legendary ‘Black Shuck’ - a ghostly black dog commonly spotted in Suffolk and Norfolk.

Newmarket Heath Racecourse

Renowned the world over, Newmarket is one of the horse racing capitals of the world. The sport can be traced all the way back to the 17th century, thanks to James I. A big fan of the sport, the former king would spend days at a time visiting Newmarket, and in the centuries since, the town has not lost its racing heritage.

Fast forward to the late 1800s, and Newmarket was the home to Fred ‘The Tin Man’ Archer, a 13-time Champion Jockey title winner and recorder setter. However, tragedy struck and following the death of his wife and first son, coupled with a bout of illness, he ended his own life in 1886.

In the subsequent years following his suicide, those at Newmarket Heath have reportedly seen the spirit of Fred riding his horse, Scotch Pearl, across the heath, as well at the James Fanshawe’s Pegasus Stables (which he built).

The Woolpack, Ipswich

It’s not just the punters who enjoy this popular watering hole – as it’s reportedly home to a couple of ghosts.

One spectre in resident is Admiral Vernon, also known as Grog. According to local legend, the admiral was fairly unpopular with his fellow sailormates as he watered down the rum on his ships. But visitors are warned not to shrug his presence off as a hoax, as he once reportedly ripped a sign off the wall – leaving guests shocked (and less sceptical).

Other spooky spirits who reportedly hang out at the drinking spot include the grey figure of a monk who has been seen scaling the walls; George, a sailor who is rumoured to have helped said monk escape persecution; and the spirit of a drowned sailor who used to frequent the pub before his demise.

The Red Barn, Polstead

The Red Barn murder is one of Suffolk’s most infamous cases, and even though it happened nearly 200 years ago, it’s still the subject of frequent discussion. In 1827, William Corder killed Maria Marten, the mother of his child, and was hung for his crime on August 11, 1828.

Her body was discovered when her stepmother claimed she had recurring dreams, revealing the whereabouts as to where Maria was buried – and after some digging, her skeleton was retrieved.

While the barn itself no longer stands, many have reportedly seen ghostly re-enactments at the sight where the grizzly murder took place, and supposedly Corder’s ghost can be seen at West Suffolk Hospital (where his body was dissected and his skeleton put on display following his death sentenced).

Have you experienced any spooky moments at any of the above locations, or have I missed anywhere else that is haunted in Suffolk? Get in touch at danielle.lett@archant.co.uk to share your stories.