The Swan Hotel in Lavenham, Suffolk, is a stunning example of medieval architecture dating back to the early 1400s. Parts of the building date specifically to 1425, making it an archetypal medieval inn with its timbered exterior, beamed ceilings, and ancient walls. The Swan played a crucial role in Lavenham's prosperous wool trade during the 15th century.
Historical Background
Lavenham itself was one of the wealthiest towns in medieval England. In Tudor times, Lavenham was the fourteenth wealthiest town in England despite its small size, built on the success of its famous "Lavenham Blew" cloth trade, which was exported as far as Russia. The town's prosperity is evident in its fine timber-framed buildings and beautiful church, constructed with wool trade wealth. During the 19th century, The Swan thrived as a coaching inn and boasted stabling for over 50 horses. The hotel received a Four-Star AA rating, making it one of only four to achieve this distinction in the Suffolk/Essex/Norfolk area.
World War II History
During World War II, The Swan's Garden Bar became a favourite haunt of American airmen stationed at nearby RAF Lavenham (US Station 137). The Army Air Forces Station 137 was home to the 487th Bombardment Group of the 8th US Air Force, which flew 185 missions and over 6,000 sorties from the base. Many airmen's signatures are still scrawled across the walls of what is now known as the Airmen's Bar. Brigadier General Frederick Castle took off from RAF Lavenham on Christmas Eve 1944 to lead the largest Eighth Air Force mission of the war. His aircraft was shot down, and he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour, becoming the highest-ranking officer in the Eighth to receive the medal. A portrait of General Castle hangs in The Swan Hotel to this day. Glen Miller, the famous bandleader, is even said to have stopped in for a drink before setting out on his last fateful flight, though this legend is disputed.
The Housekeeper of Room 15 - Primary Spirit
The hotel's most famous ghost is that of a housekeeper who lived at The Swan when it was a thriving coaching inn in the 19th century. She fell pregnant out of wedlock, and although the baby's father agreed to marry her, he had a last-minute change of heart and left her standing at the altar. After being abandoned, she became inconsolable and deeply depressed. What is now Room 15 in The Swan Hotel was once the housekeeping quarters, and it is said that the poor woman was found hanging in this room by one of the inn's workers. An alternative version claims she became depressed when overlooked for a promotion, but both versions end with her tragic suicide. Her ghost remains behind to chill the spines of those who cross her path. In 1991, a security guard working alone at night came into contact with her during his final checks, which scared him out of his wits and sent him speeding in the other direction. Several guests have reported seeing her standing in Room 15 in the middle of the night. In one memorable incident, a nun staying in Room 15 awoke with a start when she felt the ghost tickling her feet.
The Grey Lady
A mysterious grey lady has been seen at a window overlooking the car park, waving a ghostly farewell to departing customers. She has also been spotted in Room 4, where guests often experience paranormal activity in the dead of night.
Victorian Children
Two children dressed in Victorian outfits have appeared before startled guests at various points around the inn.
The Old Man in the Tri-Cornered Hat
An old man wearing a tri-cornered hat is frequently seen sitting in a favoured corner of the main bar.
The Genial Missionary
Several visiting mediums have detected the presence of a "genial missionary" in Room 4.
The Drowned Lady
The hotel stands over a river that once drove a mighty wheel, which can still be seen encased behind glass in the restaurant. When the building functioned as a mill, a lady is said to have drowned beneath the wheel, and her ghost still haunts the older sections of the hotel.
Other Paranormal Activity
Guests in Room 4 often report things going bump in the night. The touch of ice-cold fingers has been known to stroke the necks of sleeping guests. The hotel's 45 individual bedrooms, each named after local Suffolk villages, provide ample opportunity for paranormal encounters throughout this deeply haunted medieval inn. The Swan Hotel offers visitors a unique opportunity to stay in a building where over 600 years of history, tragedy, and wartime memories have left an indelible supernatural imprint on every corridor, room, and ancient beam of this remarkable medieval coaching inn.