14 Spooky Sarum
Oliver is reputed to be a very handsome ghost, in his scarlet velvet suit and flamboyant, plumed Cavalier hat. He’s also a considerate ghost. When he’s not making one of his infrequent appearances, he likes to move things around, but, unlike more common poltergeists, does so very carefully.
That’s fortunate, for he lives in the House of John A’Port, in Queen Street, Salisbury. It’s a shop, nowadays, called Watson’s … where they sell china, porcelain and glassware!
In Oliver’s day, he could have looked out of the windows across the street to the Market Place. Beyond that, there used to be two inns standing side-by-side, the Saracen’s Head and the Blue Boar. The street they stood in is still called Blue Boar Row, although the inns are now gone. In their place stands Debenham’s department store, which may be able to claim to be the only department store to be haunted by a 14th Century Duke.
A plaque on the wall outside the store tells most of the story. In the Market Place, near that spot, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham was beheaded for treason; some say he was involved in the murder of the ‘Princes in the Tower’. It’s said that the Duke protested his innocence until the end, claiming that, if he could speak to the King, Richard III, who was in nearby Wilton at the time, his name would be cleared. But, his message was ignored … .. if it ever reached the King.
When the deed had been done, it was said that the Duke’s head and right arm were shown to the King as proof. And, when the Blue Boar was extensively renovated in 1839, a skeleton, minus its head and right arm was discovered, buried under the kitchen floor. On several occasions, since, a figure, believed to be that of the Duke, has been sighted within the building.
Another old inn, dating from 1320, is the Haunch of Venison in nearby Minster Street. The back of the inn overlooks the graveyard outside the church of St. Thomas A’Becket. Sometimes, in one of the back rooms a smell of newly-dug earth has been detected. Very occasionally, a lady has been seen to pace the room, looking sadly over the graveyard.
The Haunch of Venison also made a macabre discovery during renovations. Embedded in a wall was a severed hand, holding two playing cards. It would seem, therefore, that when playing cards at the Haunch of Venison, you should always deal from the top of the deck!
At the far end of Blue Boar Row, on the corner of Endless Street, there’s a ghost called Matilda. She’s a young, blonde-haired girl, said to be friendly, but has been known to throw the odd carton down the stairs. Although, according to report, she seems to have the run of the upper floors of Blue Boar Row as far along as Debenham’s, she’s most often seen in the attic above what used to be Mr. T’s Café.
Like the Duke of Buckingham, Matilda had the disconcerting habit of walking through dividing wall walls to the building next door. Coincidentally, Debenham’s store is next door to the Pizza Hut … and Mr. T’s Cafe was next door to Pizza Express.
So, maybe ghosts like pizza?
Note: If you’re visiting Salisbury, and would like to ‘meet’ the Duke, Oliver, Matilda and many of their friends, the Salisbury Tourist Information Centre run frequent ‘Ghost Tours’ around the city throughout the Summer ……. and also during Hallowe’en. Sightings are, of course, never guaranteed!
Tours start from the TIC in Fish Row; further details can be obtained from the TIC, tel. no. (01722) 334956.