Old Queen's Head

There is a ghost in the ladies toilets on the ground floor; one unfortunate woman saw someone try to open her cubicle and heard the toilet roll dispenser next door being used, but no one was there upon investigation; there is also an account of something rattling the doors of the cubicles. Phantoms at these premises include a Parliamentarian soldier seen holding large flagons of ale in front of the fireplace in the large hall; an old man observed in the snug (it has been suggested that he is of modern origin and sits near the bar holding a pint before fading away); a large "hunting hound" that "sits on people's feet and lays across their laps if he likes them"; a medieval child named Pierre that pulls on ladies hair (particuarly blondes); a lady in a white 1920s dress and who was a regular and watches proceedings from upstairs while holding a half pint of bitter; a barmaid dressed in "old fashioned clothes"; and it is also reputed that Mary, Queen of Scots, who was held prisoner in the city, is also a resident phantom. There are many other unexplained phenomena too, such as the time an ex-landlady used to find her uniform missing but when it was returned, it was freshly cleaned; and a pet dog that reacted aggressively to something no-one could see, and was later thrown (or tried to escape) through the French doors leaving her bloodied.

Update 18/2/20: When I enquired as to any recent sightings at this pub, I was mysteriously told by a representative, "I am not asking, and no one is saying anything"!

In December 2022, Supervisor Laura Barlow provided some details to the press: "There's been a few things. Hand dryers going off on their own. Doors swing open, chairs move around. I've never personally seen anything physical in front of me but definitely weird noises and [things brushing] past you when no one is there. A lot of customers say they've seen people and then they've disappeared or they can feel presences."

In September 2025 landlord Stuart Crocker told the press, "One of the best [ghosts] that we've got is an old landlord before myself used to clean down every single night, used to do what I do, basically we'd put the glasses away, make sure that everything was put into place and every morning there'd be a half a beer on the bar and they’d do that every single morning and so one day got inquisitive about what this beer was, had a taste and it wasn't one they even sold in the pub. So what they did was pull one from the bar, put it on the side, the next morning it was gone. It's never happened since. We also have a ghost of a dog that's reputedly here that if it likes you it will sit on your feet on your lap. We've had apparitions that have been seen. One's a Civil War soldier that stands right by the side of the fireplace. We've had a young boy and an older gentleman holding hands by the fireplace. We've had a woman in an old maid's outfit being seen here."

19/10/25: Stuart informed me of the following recent incidents; "While nothing major 3 staff members have seen a black shadow in the exact same location which seems to come through from the Tudor part of the building into the Victorian part ... I myself have seen the shadow and it has baffled me to this day although there is a road at the side that cars drive down so this may just create the light that makes the shadow."

Link: Yorkshire Post

Link: The Star

Link: Planet Radio

Link: The Star

Link: Yorkshire Live

Link: The Star