Haunted HotelsUK

Haunted pub in York

Ye Olde Starre Inne

York's oldest licensed inn, whose cellar is said to have served as a hospital and mortuary for soldiers in the Civil War. Customers and staff report cries from below and lights switching on by themselves.

ReportedRepeated accounts, but without names or detail

The ghosts

  • Cries of wounded Civil War soldiers, said to come from the cellar
  • Two black cats said to run from room to room
  • A First World War soldier and his sweetheart, said to search the bar for each other
  • Lights switching on and chairs moving by themselves

History

The timber-framed building dates from the 16th century and was trading as an inn called the Starre by 1644, which is why it claims to be York's oldest licensed pub. It is reached down a passage off Stonegate, under a sign that hangs right across the street.

Visiting

Address
40 Stonegate, YO1 8AS
Food
Pub food served daily
Children
Family-friendly
Dogs
Dog friendly

Details last checked 24 October 2026. Check opening times on the pub’s website.

Ghost tours nearby

Tours starting within a short walk of the pub.

Haunted hotels nearby

More haunted pubs in York

Often called York's most haunted pub, with a whole cast of resident ghosts and named staff who have described their own experiences. It also lets rooms upstairs.

  • 16 Pavement
  • Food
  • Rooms
The ghost story

A timber-framed former merchant's house with a long list of ghosts, from a man in a bowler hat at the bar to a jilted bride by the fire. The landlady has described her own experiences to the York Press.

  • 23 Peasholme Green
  • Food
  • Rooms
The ghost story

A former coaching inn just outside Micklegate Bar, said to be haunted by a girl killed by a cart in the 19th century. A chef has reported seeing a dark figure of a girl several times.

  • 14-16 Blossom Street
  • Food
The ghost story

Sources