Winifred (Ghost Girl)

In the shadowed corridors of the Royal Victoria & Bull Hotel, where centuries of travellers have sought respite, dwells one of Dartford’s most famous supernatural residents. Winifred, frozen in time as an eight-year-old child, has become the hotel’s most celebrated and temperamental ghost.

The Tragic Death

Winifred is believed to be the spirit of a young girl who perished of tuberculosis at the inn during the mid-1800s, a time when the disease claimed countless young lives across Victorian England. Local records from the period suggest that a child did indeed die at the inn during this era, providing a historical foundation for what has become one of Kent’s most well-documented child hauntings.

The exact circumstances of her death remain somewhat shrouded, though tuberculosis would have been a lingering, devastating illness for such a young child. During the Victorian era, the Bull Inn (as it was then known) would have served not only as a coaching inn but as temporary lodging for families travelling the London-Dover route. Whether Winifred was the daughter of the innkeeper, a young guest, or perhaps a servant’s child, her connection to the building appears to have transcended death itself.

A Portrait and a Peace Offering

Today, Winifred’s portrait hangs in what was once her reputed room, now part of the hotel’s restaurant area. This painting, believed by many to depict the young girl herself, was hung in the 1980s as what staff describe as a “symbolic peace offering” after her room had reportedly been closed off due to constant paranormal activity. The portrait shows a Victorian child with the typical ringlet curls of the era, and many believe it serves as an anchor point for her spirit.

The decision to display her portrait wasn’t taken lightly. According to hotel lore, Winifred’s presence had become increasingly disruptive during renovation work in previous decades, with staff reporting that she seemed particularly agitated by changes to her familiar surroundings.

The Petulant Spirit

Those who encounter Winifred describe her as having retained all the emotional intensity of childhood, magnified by her supernatural state. She’s been characterised as “petulant” and “peevish” - a child who, even in death, expects to have her way. When displeased, particularly by alterations to the hotel or when she feels ignored, Winifred is said to express her displeasure through poltergeist activity.

Her most notorious manifestation involves the systematic smashing of glasses, particularly those behind the bar. During a recent refurbishment, staff reported finding dozens of glasses inexplicably shattered throughout the premises, despite being securely stored the previous evening. CCTV footage from these incidents allegedly shows no human activity, only unexplained flickers of light before the glass breaks.

Playful Mischief

Despite her reputation for tantrums, Winifred also displays the playful nature one might expect from a child. Guests frequently report small personal items going missing - keys, slippers, jewellery - only to reappear later in odd locations, often neatly arranged as if by caring hands. One visitor reported their slippers being hidden overnight, only to find them folded at the foot of their bed the following morning.

Her presence is often heralded by childish giggles echoing from empty rooms, or the sound of small feet pattering along corridors when no living child is present. Witnesses describe hearing these sounds shift quickly from laughter to wails, reflecting the emotional volatility typical of young children.

Physical Encounters

Perhaps most remarkably, Winifred appears to seek physical contact with the living. Guests and staff report feeling gentle tugs on their clothing, particularly ladies’ skirts, as if a small child were seeking attention. Some have described the sensation of being hugged from behind in empty hallways, feeling small arms briefly encircle their waist before the presence fades.

One guest, initially sceptical of the ghost stories, became a firm believer after experiencing what they described as “unmistakably” a child’s embrace while standing alone in the hotel corridor late one evening.

Staff Relations

Rather than fearing their resident spirit, the hotel staff have developed what can only be described as a familial relationship with Winifred. Many address her directly, saying “Goodnight, Winny” at the end of their shifts, a practice that staff claim helps maintain peace in the hotel. Some leave small tokens near her portrait - sweets or small toys - particularly around what they believe might have been her birthday.

This acceptance of Winifred as part of the hotel family has become central to the establishment’s character. New staff members are typically briefed about her presence and taught to treat any unusual activity with patience rather than alarm.

Modern Recognition

The Royal Victoria & Bull has embraced Winifred’s presence, naming a cocktail “Winifred’s Revenge” in her honour. During Halloween season, staff sometimes decorate her corner with toys and sweets, and the hotel occasionally hosts charity ghost nights where her story takes centre stage.

Paranormal investigators have reported capturing EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) near her portrait that sound distinctly like a child saying “play,” whilst thermal cameras have detected small shadow figures in her vicinity.

The Eternal Child

Winifred’s haunting represents something both tragic and touching - a child whose connection to life was so strong that not even death could sever her ties to the world of the living. Unlike the fearsome apparitions that populate many ghost stories, Winifred remains, in death as she was in life, simply a child seeking attention, companionship, and perhaps most poignantly, a sense of home.

In the ancient halls of the Royal Victoria & Bull, where the weight of centuries presses close, Winifred continues her eternal childhood, reminding all who encounter her that some bonds - whether of love, belonging, or simply the deep human need for recognition - transcend even the grave itself.