The Bugle Hotel Report

HAUNTED SOUTHAMPTON INVESTIGATES‌

The Bugle Hotel, Titchfield.

Saturday 28th January 2012 With Psychic Mediums John Taylor and Babs Smith, And kind permission of Owners Marcus and Cherry Butler.

Contents: Equipment Introduction Initial Assessment Main Event – Mediums walkround Experiments Other Observations Trigger Object Conclusion Brief History of Titchfield

Introduction The Bugle Hotel has stood at the heart of this picturesque village for over 400 years and in its time has seen a large portion of its history pass in front of its impressive entrance. Owners have come and gone, publicans have served and village life has been played out in front of its crackling hearth.

Visitors staying in its well appointed rooms give great reviews, but also seem to find that this particular hotel has a little added extra that is not on the menu or the website. Rumours of a little girl that may have passed away in one of the rooms in times gone by are rife amongst staff, and strange noises have been heard with no explanation.

With its old world atmosphere and listed status, the Hotel owners have many questions that they would like answered about the history held within its white washed walls.

On January 28th 2012, we attempted to find some answers.

Titchfield, approx 1915

Initial Assessment As a rule, the Haunted Southampton Team will visit the venue we are investigating about a week before the event, in order to assess any hazards and environmental factors, and to make sure we are familiar with the premises so we can anticipate any problems. Baseline assessments are essential in any paranormal investigation – to try and provide a template for the buildings ‘signature’ if you like. The understanding of the structure, wiring and environment the building provides will form a backdrop to the investigation itself, and we will be able to discount any identical readings on the night.

The Bugle Hotel is three stories high, with a large function room at the back, a garage in one of the out buildings and a barn that is used for storage at the rear of the premises. The front of the building has been changed as was the fashion in Victorian and Edwardian times, with the addition of bay windows and false windows on the third floor, hiding the original windows that are in line with the roof. There is cellar access from the pavement in front of the Hotel, to the right of the building, and front access is through a very impressive pillared porch that leads on to the street. There is a side entrance to the building that leads into the bar to the right of the main entrance, and also two doors into the Function Room that are used as fire exits. An additional fire exit from the first floor is also at the side of the building.

All windows are single pained, and though most are tightly sealed the attic storage window lets in a fairly stiff draught, as does the cellar access. The access to the cellar is behind the bar via a very steep ladder that is cover by a double trap door that seals quite tightly. The wooden floors in the bar are were quite creaky, though the rest of the building is carpeted and very quiet to walk on, which means that while noises from the bar area will easily be heard and transmitted, noises from upstairs should be minimal. Power points, junction boxes, safety signs, bar equipment and kitchen equipment all were checked for EMF bleed through, but the only equipment that gave high readings was in the cellar, to do with the pumping equipment for the bar above. The fire places in some rooms had iron fenders, which caused the compass to alter from magnetic north, but little else caused any problems.

There is a room with a boiler in and pipes for central heating up stairs next to Room 8, which was very stuffy and hot, so this was ruled out of the investigation.

The manager’s office was also ruled out, as were all of the out buildings, which

have been condemned until restored. Other than that, we were told that we had full use of the building.

Pictures were taken in all of the rooms and of the outside of the building, in order to establish where the furniture and furnishings were placed, and also to use as reference on the night in case it was felt that something had moved. We also produce a floor plan so guests and staff may orientate themselves easily, and identify any particular area that seemed active, and pictures help us to reproduce the rough plan of the building.

On the night itself the heating was on in some of the guest rooms and the fire in the main bar was lit, but temperatures outside were very low at around freezing point, so cold spots would be difficult to detect due to the fact that people were in and out of the building to smoke, letting in cool air which could move randomly through the premises. The kitchen was used for the buffet, and also as a viewing point for any activity that may occur in the room where the trigger object was to be placed. The Function room was where we decided to set up the ‘Hub’ for the night’s event, and a member of staff would be on duty there at all times.

With the planning and assessment done, we only had to wait a few more days before the event itself.

The Main fireplace in the Public Bar

The Investigation - Mediums walk round.

Before the guests arrive at each event, if possible, we do a tour of the building to enable the mediums to get a feel for the place, without the distractions of the guests. In this case the Bar was in use until closing time, so it was decided to do the more public areas at the end of the public walk round, otherwise we would hold up the start of the event. Together with John Taylor and Babs Smith, I started the tour of the premises at the top of the building, in the Attic store room.

Attic Room John immediately said he felt very emotional in this room – that he was picking up on the spirit of an elderly gentleman who was lying in his bed as he passed away. There was a lady hovering over him who was overcome with sadness and grief - Babs felt her name may have been Sarah but also was not sure if that name was in connection with someone here in the living. The gentleman was possibly in his seventies and John said that there was the phrase ”some say he was mad” going round in his head – as if the person concerned was feverish and delirious – he also felt that James was possibly his name.

Babs also picked up on the impression of a black dog - possibly a Labrador, who liked to run up and down the stairs – possibly from the 1960’s. Feeling nothing else of note in here, we moved downstairs to the guest room.

Room 8 John felt he had a job to breathe in here, and that the room had been much bigger in the past: he felt constricted. He also picked up on the name ‘Sarah’ again unsure as to how it was connected to the Bugle. Babs picked up on the words “I’m lonely”. Both were not keen on the space. We then moved across the hall to the next room.

Room 7 Babs immediately felt that this room may have been used as servant’s quarters in the past – not only for adults but child servants as well. It then came to her attention that there was the impression of a small blonde girl child who knelt or crouched at the fireplace of between the age of 5 and 8 – as if to keep warm. John also could sense her – and felt that she was in fact active all round the building.

Babs felt quite emotional – as if she was going to ‘well up’ – but unsure why. John

then said he felt her name may be ‘Elizabeth’. Babs saw her in an old fashioned linen type nightie that was floor length, and that she may date from the 1800’s, and John felt that people may even have heard her giggling.

The house keeper who was cleaning the room was quite amazed by this – after the mediums had finished she told me that the staff were convinced of the presence of a small girl who had passed in this room.

Picture showing the fireplace, next to which the mediums felt the spirit of a small girl was crouched in Room7.

The staff believed that a young girl may have passed away in here.

Room 6 John straight away became aware of the presence of a maid – in a black and white outfit, who gave her name as ‘Lily’. He also picked up on another name – someone called ‘Betty’. Babs on the other hand became focused on the corner between the bed and the wardrobe. She felt that she was also picking up on the phrase ‘our Jack’, and that this was in fact a reference to a person who was a relative of the Landlord at the time – either a brother or uncle. This was only going back to the forties or so.

John then picked up on the presence of a man who had owned two or three dogs, a man of military baring who carried a short stick under his arm and liked to walk the fields. He picked up the term ‘Major’ and got the impression of a man with quite a lot of grey wispy hair and was very wealthy.

As we were in the room, the house keeper present who was doing her duties again overheard our conversation. Before we left she approached and said she also was familiar with the names of the ladies mentioned, and that they belonged to her sister. Both mediums said that it was possible that there was a message for the house keeper but at this time they were not aware of what it might be.

We then went back into the corridor and moved down towards the far end and Room one.

Room 1 Babs felt very emotional again in this room – positive emotion though – being projected on to her by someone who was very proud of the hotel and wanted to show it off. John suddenly came up with a name – ‘James Brown’ – a fellow who we had met before in room 6 – who liked the hotel, bought it, loved it and owned it. As he said the name the light in the room distinctly flickered – possibly coincidentally but who can tell. John felt he was a well off, affluent gentleman who had possibly made his money in banking – who had visited here and liked it so much he bought it. He described him as an older, shortish gentleman of about 5’3”/5’4”, with wispy hair and bushy sideburns.

He also picked up on the fact that James, or the Major, (as he was sure that this was the same man as in Room 6), was a great horse lover and used to stable his horses at the back of the hotel in the out buildings/stables, and that he had let others do the same. Both John and Babs had by this time correctly assumed that this was a coaching inn at one point.

Babs also picked up on the presence of a lady who suffered from pains in her legs and felt as if she wanted to sit down on the edge of the bed. Both mediums felt that this was a good room for activity and so it was decided to place the trigger object here.

Room 2 As we were leaving Room 1 both John and Babs felt that a lady may have been seen in this corridor – people would have seen her standing in the doorway of Room 2 or walking down the hallway. Babs believed that she might be one of the

maids that we encountered in Room 6. The room itself felt energetic but there was nothing else specific that they could identify so we moved onto Room 3.

The room and doorway where the mediums felt that the spirit of a woman might be seen

Room 3 This room was also fairly bland in its energies – a fact that the mediums said did not mean that nothing would occur here, but that there was nothing specific that they felt may have been seen or sensed. Having said that, after a few minutes John did pick up on the unusual impression of a man who liked to dress up as Father Christmas. Baffling as this was, nothing else was forth coming and so we moved onto Room 4.

Room 4 Babs again picked up on the name Sarah being called – but still was not any closer to coming to understand what it was in connection with. Both mediums felt that one of the maids would perhaps have been seen or might well be seen in this room. Babs also felt that the girl child may have been seen in this room and then said that you might see the child playing with a ball – and felt that she might if invited to.

Room 5 Babs liked the feel of this room – she felt that this may have been used as the living quarters of a family who owned the place. John agreed and was also aware of a little boy’s energy – aged about 5 or 6, dressed in a blue and white striped suit with a blue hat and breeches. He did not feel that this little lad had been seen, but again felt no negativity and agreed that the room had a happy, calm feel to it.

Babs felt that this was another room that might have seen activity. Having covered all the guest rooms we then moved down stairs to the ground floor.

Room 5

Utility/Store Room Heading down stairs we entered the utility room. Both mediums immediately started to complain of pain down the left arm – quite severe in nature – and wondered if someone had had a heart attack in here. Babs then said that she felt the pain was not heart related and felt that this may have been occurring because someone had either been badly injured or indeed had lost their arm in this room through an accident. John felt that this area had always been used for food preparation since the building had been purchased and used as a hotel, and said he could see it almost as if it were a butchers – with big animals like pigs being brought here and gutted in preparation for use in a banquet or similar function.

With no further impressions from here we moved on.

We headed outside to the yard and outbuildings because until the pub had closed we would not be able to get an impression from the bar area as it was still in use by members of the general public. We had already decided not to investigate the kitchen area – mainly because this was (a) full of equipment that could not be turned off such as fridges, freezers etc, and (b) it would be the only area that we would keep the lights on in, and would also be used for refreshments, and there would most likely be people moving constantly in and out of here for most of the night. This would not make the area easy to investigate and it would make sense to leave this area be.

Yard and Outbuildings.

The Alley next to the Bugle – where once horses and coaches were stabled overnight.

John instantly said that there used to be a rail that horses could be tied to and had the impression of stage coach type transport trotting in and out. Babs added that she could see draymen and their carts entering the courtyard. They both received the impression of stables and horses, and John was concerned about a beam that ran through one of the buildings but he was unsure which. He also got the impression of fish being sold, and a connection with Germany.

This was as far as we could go until closing time so we went back to the Function Room to start the event, introduce ourselves and talk about Health and Safety before we got on with the walk round proper. After that, we retraced our steps with the guests in tow, until the pub was empty when we could go up to the second floor, bar and cellar to finish the mediums tour.

Second Floor.

Babs instantly got the impression of someone that had suffered with stomach problems. She also got the name ‘Mark’ being called, that no one could place.

John felt that the little girl liked it up here and she may be seen, and got the name of ‘Jacob’ or ‘Jacobs’ as a surname. He also felt a connection with a Red Cross – but unsure if it was to do with the actual organisation. Babs complained of a heavy chest and felt the name ‘David’ may be significant. With nothing else becoming obvious at this point we then moved down stairs to the main bar area.

Main Bar. Heading down stairs to the Bar now it was empty, Babs was aware of a person who was at the end of the long bar, with the surname ‘Griffiths’. She also believed that there was a lot of energy in the area by the reception desk and wondered if there might be a cold spot there. John had the impression of a lot of people in hunting jackets, with cocked shotguns, stood around the fire, as if waiting for a Hunt to start. He also felt that there was a lot of hustle and bustle going on – with energy moving through the bar at a fast speed as if matching the comings and goings of the past. One of our guests also got the impression of a fight with someone waving a knife around – but was unsure if anyone was injured. This person felt that this might be the impression of an event that happened more recently in the Hotel’s past.

Finally we moved on to the cellar.

The Cellar.

Babs felt that the cellar was a very benign area with not a lot happening – though she did wonder if anyone had heard noises from down here. John, on the other hand had a very different impression, and wondered if the cellar had been used as a morgue at one point – with the impression of bodies under sheets waiting to go somewhere. He had no idea of date or identity, just that they were here for a short while and then was transported out. With the walk round and then the tour for the guests now over, it was time to break whilst further equipment was set up, and then the investigation proper commenced.

A Quick Note Regarding the Event.

The events that Haunted Southampton run are – as much as possible – done without informing the mediums and guests of any of the venue’s history or alleged paranormal activity that has taken place. If it were possible to hold the event without informing those attending of the venue then we would – but obviously this is not normally possible, although we have had a few exceptions. The reason for this is because we do not wish to colour the impressions of our guests with any kind of information regarding the building or its history.

We cannot however prevent those attending from looking up details on the venue in libraries, archives or online. The events are usually accompanied by staff or owners of the building, so we can try and account for any noises or idiosyncrasies the building may have as it cools, settles or is subject to – such as heating , noise from nearby roads or industrial facilities, etc.

The results of the investigation are, as far as we can be sure, genuinely gathered upon the night, and then at the end of the event we have a debriefing session in which we try and match what happened during the course of the event with our own researched findings and the experience and knowledge of those attending with us from the venue itself. We trust our guests and mediums to act responsibly and not to attempt to falsify any information gathered, either by using knowledge gained before the investigation or by interfering with experiments as they happen.

Without further preamble here are the results of our night at the Bugle Hotel.

Experiments Throughout the night the Team, the Mediums and the guests undertook a series of experiments to see if any evidence of paranormal activity could be found.

Below are the results of these tests/vigils. As a team we value the truth – we do not set up anything ( with the exception of the Trigger Object), do not tamper with any of the results and try and bring you a write up of each one in the guests own words if at all possible.

The guests fill out an Experiment record sheet designed to make it easier for them to complete it – it is not easy to record movements of a glass on a séance table in the dark! Occasionally there are details missing, or reports are sent to us online, or in conversation – and I usually include them in a section called other information, just in case something important is missed.

If I have missed anyone’s testimonial out then please let me know.

Function room, approx 1 am.

As the rest of the team and guests spread out to start their experiments I remained on duty at the Hub in the Function Room. The room was in total darkness and there was no one but myself in there, so I took one of the night vision cameras and filmed for the next 25 mins – until one of the guests entered.

During the time I filmed around the room I asked out for responses to my questions – for any spirits present to make themselves known, to make a noise or move something. There was on one occasion a tap from the side of the room near the exit, but as it was only slight and not when I asked for a noise to be made I have to assume it was coincidental.

The film footage shows nothing unusual – no movement, no noises or other anomalies were recorded. There were no EVP’s picked up or anything to suggest I was not alone.

Undaunted, as my time in the Hub was up I then moved onto another area to further investigate. Just because nothing happened then does not mean that nothing at all would happen for the rest of the night.

Room 8 – 00:55 A Group of guests used a séance table to try and communicate with any presences n the room. The Table gave the name ‘Juliet’, and the indication was that there was a small girl child present, of about nine years old.

However, nothing else was forthcoming, and the table was closed.

Room 7 – 01:00 Again using a séance table, this group of ten, including our medium Babs, feel they made contact with a girl called ‘Tracy’. They also kept an eye on the Hygrometer that was placed in the room. A Hygrometer is basically a thermometer and humidity detector in one, a small rectangular device that has a display on the front, showing the readings as they change. At the beginning of this séance the temperature was 20.2’ and the humidity was 44%.

Over the next 30 minutes or so no more information was really forth coming.

What was interesting however was the change in temperature that occurred.

Though the temperature outside was very cold, the room was full of people and the heating had been on, and in that respect the temperature was more likely to go up, as was the humidity. However the temperature in the room in fact dropped – quite considerably, to 17.8’ and the humidity also dropped to 43%.

Reports of paranormal activity are very often accompanied by ‘cold spots’, as a result, it is theorised, of these entities needing energy and harvesting it if you like by pulling heat out of the air and using it to manifest.

No entities however manifested at this time, and the séance was ended. The fact that the temperature dropped though is fairly significant – especially as it dropped by such a large increment.

Room 4 – 01:40 In Room 4 a group decided to use the Frank’s Box in order to try and get real time responses to questions asked of any spirits that might be present. A hygrometer was also monitored during the experiment.

The Frank’s box is basically a digital radio that has had part of the scanning mechanism removed, so that as it scans it does not stop at a frequency that is filled with a broadcast, rather it continues to scan and in essence skips through the radio stations that are broadcasting at the time. The idea behind it is that according to the belief of most mediums, spirits exist at a much faster or higher frequency than we do. This speed gives them the ability to be aware of the words or noise that is being generated in the broadcast from a radio station, and they are able to act upon these broadcasts quickly, so they can influence what the scanner picks out as an answer to a given question. This being the case, what issues from the speaker are snippets of noise that randomly generate what to all intents and purposes appear to be words or music that can be interpreted by the listener as communication.

At various times during the vigil readings from the hygrometer were as follows:     

01:40 01:50 01:55 02:00 02:10

Temp 14.2’, Temp 14.8’, Temp 14.5’, Temp 14.1’, Temp 13.8’,

Humidity 46% Humidity 44% Humidity 43% Humidity 43% Humidity 43%

Again, with a room full of people, the temperature gently dropped a little, and the humidity followed suit, though the drop was not as significant as before. However, the Frank’s Box did not at this time generate anything that could be interpreted as communication.

The Frank’s Box – a simple digital radio with the scanner deactivated so it does not stop on a channel. Meant to deliver real time EVP’s – electronic voice phenomena – the recording of disembodied voices that are supposedly from those who have passed on.

The Cellar – 02:10 Using a Digital camera, a compass and an EMF (electro magnetic frequency) meter I went down into the cellar, alone, to undertake a vigil. The cellar is, as a space, not huge, but very low ceilinged and a little noisy as the pumps for the bar are constantly in operation.

The Cellar – showing the hatch to the street.

A compass is used as a very simple means of detecting changes in the electromagnetic energy around the cellar, and an EMF meter is a much more sensitive means of detecting the same thing. The theory is that spirits or ‘Ghosts’ have to use energy to manifest or influence their surroundings, and that the most common form of energy in our environment is electricity. That being so, if any use of electricity is made during paranormal activity, any fluctuations caused by this will be picked up by the EMF Meter, which emits a series of lights ranging from green to low to red for high.

For about 25 minutes I asked out – an expression used to mean that I asked for a response of any spirits that may be in the cellar with me, whilst taking photos of the cellar, and taking time to observe both the compass and the EMF meter.

About ten minutes after I started, the compass wavered a little, but not by more than five degrees – an amount that seems to be agreed upon by those that practice parapsychology that would be within the range of natural influences that might

cause a compass to move. As time passed I was also becoming aware of a noise – very high pitched, metallic and intermittent. The best was I could describe it was as if I could hear the sound of coins tinkling as they were being counted. Again I must stress that it was very quiet. I did rattle the chains that were hanging from the hatch to the street where the barrels are rolled in, but the noise was different – lower, and besides the chains were not moving as I approached them, and were quite heavy and not prone to rattling as traffic passed – something I observed as a car drove by on the street above.

After a total of about 25 minutes I decided to call it quits and approached the ladder to climb back up to the bar. It was then I thought I heard a whispered voice – saying just one word, though again very quietly so I was unsure as to what was said. I do have to stress that by this time when I emerged there was a séance being undertaken in the bar, and I could well have heard someone saying something there. The trap door to the bar was by no means sound proof, and the floors were creaky so it was difficult to at that time pick up anything definitive.

Function Room - 3 am – The ‘Psychic Trumpet’ Experiment At 03:00 we recalled the guests to try a new experiment to us, one involving the entire group.

Medium John Taylor had brought along a ‘Psychic Trumpet’. A Psychic trumpet is to all intents and purposes a cone, usually made of aluminium or another light metal, sometimes with phosphorescent paint around both ends, so if it moves it can be seen. On at least one occasion in the past the cone has appeared to give off heat or energy as a manifestation of the effect spirits can have upon it.

As a group John asked us all to concentrate upon the cone, and try and ask any spirits in the room to interact with it, causing the energy they employ to be reflected off it and making it ‘hotter’ so that this increased heat could be measured with our thermal camera.

For about 25 minutes we sat as a group focusing our attention on the cone, trying to increase its thermal signature. The effects were very interesting – with the image of the cone’s reflected heat signature when viewed through the thermal camera showing increased heat at the end of the experiment as compared to the beginning, though the actual significance regarding the proof of spiritual interaction is questionable. There is also the problem of transferred heat: if

surrounded by a warm atmosphere – in this case the radiant bodies of the guests and the team, being a metal then it will after a time absorb this heat which will then show up on the Imager. However the experiment was enjoyed by all that took part, and provided a different perspective upon the night.

Please see below the images of the cone as supplied by the Thermal Imager. Blue /green indicates a cooler temperature where as red/orange/yellow indicates an increase.

The cone in this shot at the beginning shows it central to the frame, with the lighter coloured strip up the middle showing a temp. of 72.6’ Fahrenheit.

The user can choose within which system of measurement they wish to work.

This shot at the end of the experiment shows that the entire length of the cone has changed to orange, so in fact the general temperature has risen very slightly with the indicator showing a temperature of 74.2. Using centigrade, the rise is even smaller.

Village Walk – 03:30 At approx 03:30, myself and a small group of guests decided to spend some time braving the cold out in the Village Square – as the Hotel is not the only place in the Village where paranormal activity might take place. The road across from the Square is significant in the history of the Village, the reasons for which will become apparent, and we wanted to check this area as much as we did the rest of the Hotel.

Taking pictures all the while, we walked across to the Memorial Plaque, and spent a little time asking out. Outside locations are always more challenging to investigate – the environment is unstable as temperature changes, wind direction changes etc are unpredictable. We also took with us an EMF meter and a digital voice recorder.

Having spent about half an hour in that area asking for a response or sign that any spirits were present, we then took a gentle walk round the Church yard, but no observable phenomena presented itself, so we returned to the Hotel. Upon checking the voice recorder, unfortunately nothing unusual was present.

Picture of a grave in the church yard. Though atmospheric, I personally find churchyards to be places that are on the whole, peaceful and calm, and they tend to yield very little activity upon investigations.

Room 3 – 04:00 Two guests did a vigil in Room 3, asking out, using the K2 meter as in the dark it is easy to assess whether there is a response.

Over about 20 minutes they asked a series of questions, but apart from a small response (i.e. flickering of the lights on the K2) to the first two questions asked, there were no further incidents. Unfortunately a large part of paranormal investigation is spent in the dark talking to yourself – but we live in hope.

Main Bar – 04.00 Over the course of one and a half hours five guests and our medium Babs conducted several séances in the Main Bar using the glass divination table. The temperature was not measured as there was a roaring fire, which would have influenced any readings taken.

The Main Bar – a wholly different when the lights are off and the crowds have gone home.

The first séance proved to be entirely personal in nature. This is something that frequently happens during the investigations we undertake – the Medium’s believe that our loved ones follow us and watch over us constantly when they pass over, and will take any opportunity to communicate if it presents itself. We do try to encourage these friendly gate crashers to move aside and let us communicate with the spirits of the building, but sometimes they can be insistent! In this instance, the information provided was accurate to the person concerned, but we do not as a rule recount anything in these reports about what happens on these occasions – it is personal and private to the individual involved and we respect that.

The second attempt at communication also involved another of the guest but the third séance was more forthcoming. The group believed they made contact with an individual called ‘Maxwell Young’ – a 45 year old man who stayed in the Bugle Hotel in 1836. He acted as a chef, cook and baker, and was married to a lady called Grace for 35 years. They had a son – William, who worked in the village. I have spent quite a while hunting through the censuses and databases but have not yet found these names in conjunction with Titchfield – however this does not mean that they did not live there.

The fourth and final attempt to communicate was again met with personal information, which was incidentally correct and accurate for the person involved, and the experiment was concluded at about 5 am.

Other Observations During the course of an investigation it is very easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment – and in doing so also very easy to forget to record everything that took place. However the guests that accompanied us for the event went to an awful lot of trouble to record the details of their efforts, and in this section I will include everything else that they wrote down or told me about, as I personally believe that the more evidence that we accumulate the better.

These observations include:  An experiment that took place in the cellar, using the Séance Table.

During this experiment the message that came through from the glass indicated a man called Keith James who had a French father and an English mother, who remembers being on a ship aged 3, and lived in the Cellar, aged 27. Another try contacted a Doctor called Frances who liked women and makes noises in the cellar. He was aged 48 and apparently was not a good man or very forthcoming with information, but was meant to be very active here.  Another experiment, (presumably also a séance), with no information about where or when it took place, took a more sinister tone – the first information written down being ‘killed 5’. More details stated: “first one in 1875, William, 1787 died”. Then followed the words “slut, tramp” with the notes that this individual hung here and did not feel sorry for doing it. It also mentions ‘Pascal’, and that the presence knew Michael, Eric and Linda. There is no mention if these people were guests, friends of guests or individuals that have passed.  A further experiment – no mention again of time, took place in Room 8, using the Séance Table, a night vision camera and a radio. The temperature at the start was 25.1’C. This experiment on the face of it

seemed to be uneventful – with the notes “Didn’t feel like anyone present – felt like everyone else entertaining people in other part of hotel. Empty.”

The name ‘Juliette’ was then written – whether as a name that came into someone’s head or was indicated by the glass again was not mentioned.

However what was significant was the recorded temperature at the end of the séance – that of 19.4’C. It does not mention how many people were in the room – or what time it was – and though it was a very cold night the rooms and the Hotel itself was not chilly, and yet within the space of half an hour or so the temperature in a warm room had dropped over five degrees. Drops in temperature like this have been thought to be caused in the past on investigations by the possible use of energy in the room by a spiritual presence trying to manifest, or using the energy for its own purpose. Whatever the cause of this was will never be known, but the fact it occurred at all is interesting to say the least.

 The next report is one that six guests wrote about an experiment in the attic. Again using the séance table the group appeared to contact a young girl of 5 or 6 – they said that she couldn’t spell her name. The lights flickered on and off at this point. Pete, hoping that the young girl would interact with the group, threw two marbles across the room in the hope that they would be returned, but they remained untouched. The girl seemed to have a preference to just two of the group members using the glass and became more animated when Pete left the group alone half way through.

The girl said that she had a dog with her – interesting in that a dog was mentioned by the Mediums earlier on but this could possibly be suggestion that caused the glass to communicate this. They also contacted a man of the age of 55 who liked his drink. One of the group sensed cold legs, and had a funny tummy. It then says that ‘Aaron had tummy pains and felt wobbly at knees’. I am presuming that at that point the group stopped as no more was written. However when the group left they went to find the marbles that had been thrown, but only one was retrieved. The other was presumed under furniture, and left there.

 The last notes are from a group of people who undertook six vigils during the night – again times not noted.

Their first vigil was undertaken in Room 6 – where one of the guests stated that they felt comfortable. The temperature was recorded at 13.7’.Then someone said that they heard a lady shout ‘Oh God. At the right hand corner of the bed one person said that they could feel some kind of energy, and another said that they were freezing on their left side but nowhere else.

Despite this the temperature at the end of the vigil had risen gently to 14.1’ – which is what could be predicted when you get a reasonable number of people in a room.

The second vigil that the group did was in Room 4. They felt that at one time that the Hotel had been put to use as an orphanage and a clinic – the disease TB was mentioned – someone felt that there was a problem with lings and felt ‘chesty’. The impression was also gained that the building might have been witness to a siege, and mention was made of someone being hunted by armed men from the village. The name ‘Nigel’ was mentioned, and then ‘2 brothers’, and there was written down that something – an event or such like was a whitewash.

Room 2 and the group said that food smells were very strong in this room – they also mention a girl’s boarding school and talked about nuns.

In Room 5 There was speculation that someone somewhere near here hung themselves. Guests suffered stomach tension and felt extremely cold.

Shakespeare connections were sensed – for Richard III and Othello, and there was also the sense that someone’s child went missing from here.

In Room 8 There was the sense of an American Soldier, who possibly was at Vietnam and the word ‘Napalm’ was written down. They also talked about his mother, who apparently was quite religious, loved planting flowers in the garden and wore her hair in a bun. Macbeth, is mentioned, continuing the Shakespeare theme.

The last room visited was the Attic room used for storage – where they sensed a man called George, shortish build, hair thinning on the top. He apparently was a nice man but they also sensed heart pains. He had a possible two daughters, with one possibly named Emily. At this point the writer described her companion’s shadow changing, becoming a different shape and height, and the guest concerned felt as if the gentleman went

‘through’ her, which must have been an unnerving experience to say the least.

Filming Throughout the night our guests used the night vision cameras to film their experiments, séances and vigils. Whilst interesting to watch the results were a little disappointing – nothing unusual was caught on camera, and though it seems all enjoyed the experience, no spiritual entities apparently wanted to take part.

There was one incident however that gave me food for thought – in a séance in Room 7. The guests apparently established that they were communicating with a male, and when asked to spell out his name the letters O and S were given, before the glass seemed to be distracted.

One of the previous landlords from 1893 was called Osmund Wheeler. This being a fairly uncommon name – was this an attempt from Mr Wheeler to communicate from the grave? We will most likely never know.

EVP recordings.

EVP – or electronic voice phenomena – is a method of experiment used by many paranormal groups around the country and may be submitted to the EVP Research Association UK. This consists of any extraneous ‘voices’ that appear to have been captured on voice recorders – we use the more modern digital versions.

There are several different types or classes of recording – from the very clear to noise that is most likely random but may be interpreted as possible words when filtered and cleaned up using computer software.

Unfortunately the ghosts in this case seemed as reluctant to talk to us as they were to be seen on camera. In fact throughout the night there were no voices or indeed any other abnormal noises on the recorders - just the team and our guests talking to themselves again.

Trigger Object In the walk round the Mediums felt that there might well be a lot of activity noted in Room 1, so it was decided to place the Trigger object experiment there. The purpose of the trigger object is to encourage any spirits that may be present to interact with the objects placed on view. The objects are usually common everyday things that have a resonance or importance that would be shared throughout the ages – in our case we use a large crucifix and some coins that would have been commonly used in the past – we also occasionally use things from the building that have been moved or have significance for any past residents.

The Trigger objects laid out on the paper after being drawn around. Other ways of recording their position can be using talc or flour, together with the positioning of a bell or motion detector.

The objects are placed on a large piece of paper and then a line is drawn around them to ensure that if the objects are moved, the direction and distance that they are moved can be noted. We also use a night vision camera to film the objects, not only to see them move – if they move – but to monitor the surrounding environment, so that we can be sure that there was no tampering or accidental interference. There is also the added bonus that if anything else occurs in the room where the objects were placed we may also catch that on camera.

Unfortunately in this instance there was no movement of the crucifix or the coins, but there was one occasion – at about 0250, when a sound that was suspiciously like breathing was captured. We understand that some of the activities of guests and members of the team are audible in other rooms close by, but this is the only phenomena that cannot be perhaps explained as noise from another room. All the team members have listened and we are all of the same opinion – that this is an unexplainable sound that should not occur in an empty room. Please refer to

our YouTube channel to hear this for yourself. Apart from this nothing else unusual was seen or heard.

Conclusion.

Our night at the Bugle, though calm, was filled with interesting results. The name James Brown is associated with the initial purchase and conversion of the Bugle into a Hotel, and a Captain James Murray was in charge of the estate in 1893 through marriage. Could the rank and status of these two individuals been picked up by the mediums? It is also possible that the love of horses and dogs could be attributed to Murray – being of rank and associated as he was with the military and horses, thought the mediums did pick up on a Major rather than a Captain.

Both mediums picked up on the fact that this used to be a Coaching Inn, and also John said that in the main bar there was a lot of hustle and bustle and the impression of people stood around with cocked shotguns – possibly an indication that the Local Hunt used to run from here. On researching the history of the village it became apparent that the Bugle used to be used not only for meetings but for social events and that the local gentry frequented the Hotel regularly. John also picked up on butchery in the utility room – and in our research we discovered that there was butchery taking place in the area where the Bugle is now - before it was used as a market place - and was used by local merchants such as carpenters, salters, bakers, tailors and other market traders.

The feeling that they had regarding bodies waiting in the cellar before be moved or buried – in relation to this there was a death by drowning in the canal – a believed suicide, in 1702. It is entirely possible that, the Bugle being a centre of social events and meetings, that the body was stored there before it was buried – apparently in the corner of the Churchyard.

Then there are the letters that cane up in a séance – O and S. By themselves not very significant, but when taken as the first letters of a Christian name then possibly there is a connection with Osmund Wilkins who was a landlord back in the late nineteenth century.

The temperature drops that occurred in rooms that were full of people were extremely interesting. A small room with about six people in would be expected to warm up, not cool down. Also the humidity would logically increase – six

people breathing out moist air from their lungs would be predicted to cause a small rise – not a drop. In my reading and research upon the reporting of paranormal phenomena the most significant actual recorded evidence has been that of temperature drops. This is because a lot of other evidence can be considered to be subject to interpretation, where as a recorded temperature change is not open to discussion or conjecture – it happened and that is that. We can only however speculate upon the reason why.

As for my own personal experience in the cellar, as far as I can tell there was no one counting change when I heard the sound of tinkling coins down there. This sound however has also been corroborated by some of the guests online, who apparently heard this sound during their own vigil in the cellar, though they felt that it might have been the clinking of the chains that hung from the hatch to the street. Interestingly, they also checked for movement from the chains, and there was none.

This is the first time I have experienced this phenomena – a sound that traditionally has always been associated with hauntings – especially in popular culture. As far as I know the Bugle was not used as a jail or holding area for suspects or criminals, though of course it was a coaching inn, so maybe the sound could be associated with the harnesses or bridles used by the horses and their riders and drivers. There was also the fact that the village stocks were situated outside the Bugle in the village square in times gone by, though why the sound of restraints might be heard in the cellar is something I will never know, though it is remotely possible that the miscreants were held in the cellar initially or afterwards.

Other than that at the moment there are as yet few connections between the names we have discovered and the names that came up during the night – but we will continue to research and hopefully come up with more evidence.

The Village walk was to see if any activity could be found around the corner of West Street. Local legend has it that in 1891 a lady who dwelled there called Alice Hinton killed her three children (in other versions it was two that died and one wounded), and was arrested as she attempted to commit suicide. She was supposedly sent to Knowle Hospital after being diagnosed as criminally insane.

There have been reports of ghostly activity on this corner and in the houses there in – but none was detected at this time. And, it has to be added that though I spent some time in the archives and looking online I can find no actual record of

an Alice Hinton at this point – though I concede that I am not a professional researcher and may quite easily have missed something.

One of the groups mentioned nuns, and also Shakespearian connections were noted. It does appear that there was a convent in Titchfield, though I am unsure at the moment where it was situated, though it appears to have disappeared with the dissolution of the Abbey. Shakespeare was notably a friend to the Wriothesleys: I even found mention of a possible family link to him, through one of the Lady’s of the manor, who was apparently related to Shakespeare’s mother.

It is altogether possible he stayed within the Village, perhaps at the building that came to be the Hotel. It is also possible he wrote several of his plays here, though Macbeth was not one of them.

One other point to make – during the course of the night a group of guests had used marbles in the top flat to try and encourage the young girl that the mediums said was present to play or interact with them. They met with no success at the time, but had only managed to find one marble before they left. Two days after the event the owner made an unusual discovery. In Room 7, on the first floor, the room that the mediums first became aware of the spirit of a young girl, she found a marble on the floor next to the bed – where no one had actually used them. In fact Pete had kept the small box of marbles in his pocket for the rest of the night so no one else had used them in an experiment. So how had, presuming that this was the missing marble, it made its way down a flight of stairs, along a corridor that had two 90’ turns and through two automatically closing doors to be on the floor of a bedroom that had been checked before we left with the light on to make sure nothing had been left behind? Paranormal activity? Maybe.

On the night itself after the debriefing we asked our guests if they believed that the Bugle Hotel was haunted – to which they answered with a resounding ‘Yes!’But the deciding vote will always go to those who live and work in this amazing historical hotel – and of course those guests who take their chances by spending the night. The little girl that apparently likes to play ball may well decide to make an appearance, and in the cellar, when you hear the sound of coins being counted or chains being rattled – check that someone is actually doing it, as it appears that sometimes this is not always the case.

The Bugle is a building filled to the brim with history, and it seems that perhaps not all of it is quite ready to consign itself to the peace of the churchyard behind the wall.

The Bugle – a Brief history.

As we tend to undertake research of a venue before we hire it for an event, we try and put some information about the building and its place in history together for the owners of the buildings so they can have a bit more knowledge into the background of the building and its history.

Sometimes those experiencing events that appear to be paranormal in origin can be very alarmed and feel quite unsettled in their home or place of work. However it has been my experience that these apparently ghostly happenings are never malicious in nature – far from it - it seems that once we have done an event these strange and unusual occurrences seem to calm down - almost as if the aim of the activity was to draw attention to whatever was causing it and now that the events have been acknowledged there is no more need to continue the disturbances.

We try and make sure that if requested we do not ‘move’ any of the spirits on – if they do indeed exist they have as much right to be in a place of their own choosing as we do – and of course any information uncovered is given to those concerned as a matter of course.

In the case of the Bugle, the Village has a long and quite complicated history, and I must apologise for any gaps or possible errors as we are not trained historians.

However it is an extremely interesting part of what we do, and if we can help shed any light on any strange activities or events then we are glad to help.

The Town of Titchfield The village of Titchfield has been in existence as far as we can tell from around the 6th century, with the land being settled by the Jutes, a tribe of people originating from Denmark. Local belief is a man by the name of Ticca owned fields nearby, and through the passage of time the area became known as Ticca’s Fields, and this became Titchfield. The church of St Peter’s was founded in 680, and is one of the oldest of its type in England, though there have been additions and alterations down through the ages.

In the Doomsday Book it is mentioned as being called ‘Ticefelle’, and had a mill, market and farms with a population of about 160 – a thriving community at the time though very small by today’s standards. Held by the King it continued to be a busy market town, and as it was close to the sea it was a natural progression for the area to be used as a port. In 1232 it is believed that the area between the church yard and where the Bugle is now was part of the marketplace, with butchers, bakers, salters and brewers plying their trade, and the square area being filled with carpenters workshops, coopers, thatchers, rope makers and tailors.

St Peter’s Church, behind the Hotel.

Through the nest two centuries Titchfield became a small hub of activity, with a thriving trade from the port supporting the small market town its importance to

the area grew. In 1537 the dissolution of the monasteries caused lands that included the abbey to be given to Thomas Wriothesley, who three years later became the Earl of Southampton. His descendant, the Third Earl of Southampton, Henry, was involved in plots against Queen Elizabeth 1, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London for several years. Upon his release he seemed to have reformed, and spent several years improving the town, building an ironworks at Funtley, the Stony Bridge across the river near the Abbey, and the market hall in the town. This is still in existence, having been moved from Titchfield in 1970 in a very dilapidated state to be restored and made part of the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Singleton. He was also responsible for a full scale map of the area which was drawn up in 1610.

The Third Earl was also a patron of William Shakespeare, who visited the town, possibly staying in the reformed Abbey which was now known as Place House, a derivative of Palace House. Rumour has it he used the wedding of Margaret of Anjou and Henry VI which was celebrated at Titchfield Abbey as inspiration for his famous ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and that it was partly written there, as well as several sonnets, which were thought may have been directed at the Third Earl.

Old map of Titchfield showing the village as it was then with Church taking centre place. and the Abbey in the top right quarter.

In 1611 a lock, or damn was built across the entrance to the inlet by Henry, and the area immediately behind it became silted up, which meant the creation of a dyke, or canal became necessary, the remains of which can still be seen behind the church yard directly at the back of the hotel. This waterway is possibly the second oldest canal in England. Though this enabled the surrounding area to be irrigated and become fertile, it in turn caused the port trade to drop off and turn to the nearer bigger ports of Portsmouth and Gosport. It was probably at around this point in its history that the village stocks were placed in front of the Inn. The Third Earl is possibly the inspiration for the historical figure that the famous ‘Bonfire Boys’ burn in the local carnival – his scheme to make the local marshes fit for cultivation having cut off the sea trade, and so robbing the village of revenue. He did try and introduce the Wool Trade and tanneries were also built in the area, but none of this helped revive the now flagging commerce that the village had once seen. In the church however is a grand memorial to his name, as his public works had otherwise improved the village for all.

Carnival featuring the ‘Bonfire Boys’ in the 1920’s

Henry Wriothesley, Third Earl of Southampton

1667 saw the death of Thomas Wriothesley, the fourth Earl of Southampton, upon which the ownership of Titchfield Abbey and most of the surrounding land and hearths went to his daughters, and ownership of the manorial estate becomes blurred. Elizabeth, Marquis of Titchfield, his daughter, married the 1st Duke of

Portland, making her the Duchess of Portland that so much correspondence at the time was sent to. Her sister Rachael married the Duke of Beauforte and the two families lived in Place House and shared duties of management until 1741, when it was sold to Peter Delme, Member of Parliament for Southampton and son of a wealthy merchant.

After his death by suicide (due to his financial situation) in 1770 another Peter Delme – who acquired his wealth by marriage into another noble family, took up the management of the estate. This Peter preferred to stay in London and his wife, who did not care much for Place House had the place dismantled after his death in 1780. The Furnishings were sold and the building itself dismantled and scavenged for its building materials – all in the space of ten years. It was probably about this time that the stone that sits above the main fire place in the bar of the Bugle was acquired, as local legend would have us believe.

Possession of the manor of Titchfield was then retained by the Delme family, right through to 1894, when the descendants of the Delmes failed to produce a male heir, and possession of the estate fell to co heiresses Elizabeth Radcliffe and Julia Murray, who was married to a Captain James Murray.

The ruins of Titchfield Abbey, or Place House today.

The Bugle Hotel The Bugle Hotel has been at the heart of life in the village of Titchfield for nigh on 400 years. As far as we can tell it was an initially private house – rather grand, in the square, possibly owned by one of the landed gentry or the Church elders that so often owned and controlled much of rural England in times past.

In the mid 1700’s it appears to have been converted to a hotel or coaching Inn, the first Innkeeper possibly being a James Brown, with stables and hay lofts at the rear, on the route to Portsmouth, Gosport and in the other direction, to London.

It seems that though the Hotel was run as a business the ownership remained with the manorial seat, and in the next few years there were many letters between the hotel managers/publicans and lawyers for the Nobility who owned the Bugle and the land surrounding it regarding the payment of bills, wood that had been cut from copses surrounding the village, and also some dispute regarding payment, for which the land lady – a Mrs Jane Jackson – in October of 1736 stated that she would be able to pay after Christmas and the New Year, if the Duchess of Portland would be so kind as to be patient.

In the last century the upper floor had a false frontage added, together with false windows, a practice common in Edwardian and Victorian times in order to increase the status of a building. After the Delmes took charge of the Estate and its affairs, the Bugle then became a centre for meetings, social events and parties.

There is also a panel now in the church behind the Hotel that originally came from there, with the Wriothesley coat of arms on, a legacy of the importance the building held in times gone by.

The Square at the turn of the century – note that the false frontage at the top had already been added. Also note the pointed roofed building next door has been altered, or replaced.

The next mention of a landlord we could find was then in 1741 – possibly a Thomas Souter References are made in the village history of horse racing, cock fighting and other illegal activities, which took place under the nose of St Peter’s church in the town – perhaps in the Hotel itself. Rumours of smuggling in the nineteenth century were also rife, with not many houses or shops in the village being without a cellar, but any specific stories have not yet been forthcoming. The costal cottages close by are where smugglers have been caught in the past with tobacco and alcoholic goods.

The Bugle was sold off in the year 1900, though I am unsure of the buyer at this time. In 1907 a bid was made to the authorities for improvements, which were accepted, which probably led to the form of the Hotel which is present today.

Through many renovations and refurbishments it has remained true to the purpose to which it was first purchased, and today is a centre of the community and an integral part of a village that has retained its character, despite the changes time has brought to the surrounding countryside.

The Coastal cottages – rumoured site of smuggling and contraband.

List of Publicans and Land Owners.

Though incomplete, here is a list of both landowners and publicans that served at the Bugle Hotel that we have discovered so far, with hopefully more to follow.

Year

Licensee

Owner

1873

Charles Hunt

Henry Peter Delme Fareham

1878

Osmund Wilkins

as above

1883 (May 2) Mathew Benjamin Edward Dent Seymor Robert Delme 1886 (July 19) George Sewell

as above

1887 (Dec 5) George Mitchell

as above

1888

as above

George Peters and Son, Southsea

1893

Osmond Wilkins

as above

1896

cannot find licensee at the moment

1903

Listed as just a Hotel now – George Powell as owner up to 1920

1923

new owner Douglas Charles Dowse (may have taken over earlier but can find no other reference)

!927

Veblampiel????

1931

Douglas Charles Dowse again until 1939

Further research upon the owners/licensees of the Bugle Hotel is still being undertaken, and this list will be updated as soon as possible.