Rooms 12 and 14 of this 16th century hotel are said to be haunted by the ghost of a Green Lady, who is romantically said to have been the mistress of Oliver Cromwell, although in reality it is most unlikely that he ever had a mistress. His likeness in portraits hardly shows him to be a typical "Ladies' Man" and he was a fanatic in his Puritanism. However, the Green Lady does exist at the Golden Lion, she has been seen there often enough, but it is more than likely that she comes from the 18th or 19th centuries. There is a great deal of poltergeist activity connected with her.
Cromwell had a strong connection with the Golden Lion. He farmed in the local area in the 1630's and during the Civil War used the hotel as an area headquarters in his fight against the King. It is from the Civil War period that the hotel's other ghost, a Cavalier, comes. This Royalist officer |
