The Old Woman
Intelligent Haunting • Unknown
An elderly female spirit who walks through walls between rooms and sits on guests' beds, creating intense supernatural experiences in the hotel's most haunted chambers.
The Story
The Old Woman
In the upper reaches of the Wellington Hotel, where the narrow corridors wind between centuries-old guest chambers, dwells perhaps the most intimately encountered of all the inn’s spirits. The old woman, as she has come to be known by both staff and guests, represents a presence so persistent and personal that her manifestations have become legendary among paranormal investigators and unfortunate overnight visitors alike.
The Guardian of Rooms 9 and 10
The old woman’s domain centres primarily on rooms 9 and 10, though her influence seems to permeate the entire upper floor of the hotel. These particular chambers have gained notoriety as the focal point of the Wellington’s most intense supernatural activity, with room 9 earning the dubious distinction of being described as the most haunted bedroom in the entire establishment.
The spirit demonstrates remarkable mobility, with witnesses reporting her ability to move seamlessly between the two rooms by walking directly through the dividing wall. This phenomenon has been observed by multiple guests over the years, creating a chilling spectacle of a figure in aged dress materialising from solid stone and timber as if they were merely air.
Intimate Encounters and Physical Manifestations
What sets the old woman apart from the hotel’s other spectral residents is the intimate nature of her interactions with the living. Rather than maintaining the respectful distance observed by the coachman or the playful behaviour attributed to the child spirit, she demonstrates a disturbing tendency to make her presence known in the most personal of circumstances.
Guests have reported waking in the dead of night to find her seated calmly on the edge of their beds. These encounters are described with remarkable consistency - a figure of advanced years, dressed in clothing that suggests a bygone era, regarding the terrified occupants with what appears to be benign curiosity. Her presence seems to generate an atmosphere of overwhelming dread that goes far beyond simple surprise at finding an intruder in one’s room.
The Room 9 Phenomenon
Room 9 has become synonymous with the old woman’s most dramatic manifestations. The hotel maintains a section in their information book specifically dedicated to documenting guests’ experiences in this chamber, a testament to the frequency and intensity of encounters reported here.
One of the most documented cases involved a female guest who described a terrifying episode of sleep paralysis that she attributed directly to the spirit’s presence. The witness reported feeling “what can only be described as someone walking up the bed behind me and then a rush of cold air and then total paralysis of my body.” This experience, lasting approximately thirty seconds, left the guest completely immobilised and unable to call for help, despite being fully conscious throughout the ordeal.
Theories and Historical Context
The old woman’s identity remains one of the Wellington Hotel’s greatest mysteries. Various theories have been proposed regarding who she might have been in life. Some paranormal investigators suggest she was a former maid or housekeeper, given her apparent familiarity with the guest rooms and her behaviour patterns that might echo duties performed in life.
The intimate knowledge she displays of the hotel’s layout, particularly the ability to move between specific rooms, suggests someone who spent considerable time within these walls. Her apparent age and the period-appropriate clothing described by witnesses indicate she likely lived and worked at the inn during the Victorian era or earlier, when the establishment was at the height of its popularity as a coaching inn.
During paranormal investigations, mediums have suggested that one of the female presences in the hotel met her end through violence, whilst another took her own life. Whether the old woman corresponds to either of these tragic figures remains unclear, though her persistent presence suggests unfinished business or a strong attachment to the location.
Staff and Guest Testimonials
Hotel staff have grown accustomed to reports of the old woman’s activities, though this familiarity does nothing to diminish the impact of encounters. Many employees refuse to enter room 9 alone, particularly during night hours when her manifestations seem most frequent.
Guests who have experienced her presence often describe a profound sense of being observed or evaluated, as if the spirit is determining their worthiness to occupy her domain. Unlike the more malevolent spirits reported at some haunted locations, the old woman seems to embody a protective rather than threatening presence, albeit one that modern sensibilities find deeply unsettling.
The Continuing Mystery
The old woman remains active to this day, continuing to surprise and terrify guests who find themselves assigned to rooms within her territory. Her persistence suggests a spirit bound to the location by something more powerful than mere habit - perhaps a sense of responsibility that extends beyond death, or trauma so profound that it transcends the boundary between life and the afterlife.
The Wellington Hotel’s old woman stands as a testament to the enduring nature of some hauntings, where the veil between worlds seems permanently thin, allowing the past to intrude upon the present with unsettling regularity.
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Historical Evidence
Multiple guest testimonials, hotel information book documentation, paranormal investigation records
Where to Encounter This Spirit
🔥 Most Active Areas
- Room 9
- Room 10
- Wall between rooms 9 and 10
- Guest beds
👁️ Common Sightings
- Elderly woman walking through walls
- Figure sitting on bed edges
- Presence during sleep
- Door manifestations
Paranormal Investigations
Featured on Most Haunted, documented guest experiences, ongoing investigation reports
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The Wellington Hotel
Boscastle, Cornwall
Experience The Old Woman's haunting firsthand by staying at this historic 16th-17th Century (built circa 1600s) hotel.
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