The Caped Coachman
A caped coachman is rumoured to haunt the bar at The White Hart, with sightings of a man in top hat and cape appearing briefly in the front bar area.
Ampthill, Bedfordshire
The White Hart Hotel in Ampthill is documented as having paranormal activity involving a caped coachman who is rumoured to haunt the bar area. Witnesses report seeing a man in a top hat and cape appearing briefly in the front bar before vanishing. Additional supernatural phenomena include glasses moving around the bar during night hours and unexplained activity in Room 13, where doors and windows are reported to open without human intervention. The hotel staff maintain the practice of keeping a corridor door near Room 13 open after an incident where someone who closed it was struck on the head when the door swung shut by itself.
The Caped Coachman, Room 13 Entity
The caped coachman is described as appearing very briefly in the front bar area, wearing distinctive period clothing including a top hat and cape. The sighting follows patterns common to coaching inn hauntings where former staff or patrons are reported to return to locations of significance. Room 13 experiences ongoing poltergeist-type activity with doors and windows opening independently, and staff have implemented the practical measure of keeping a nearby corridor door open to avoid supernatural interference after a guest was reportedly struck when attempting to close it.
A caped coachman is rumoured to haunt the bar at The White Hart, with sightings of a man in top hat and cape appearing briefly in the front bar area.
Room 13 at The White Hart is associated with unexplained door and window activity, with the corridor door kept open to appease unseen forces.
Historic coaching inn (exact date unknown, likely 17th-18th century)
Coaching inn and public house
The White Hart has served as a coaching inn in the historic market town of Ampthill for centuries, providing accommodation and refreshment for travelers on the ancient routes through Bedfordshire. Ampthill itself has royal connections, with Henry VIII having built Ampthill Castle nearby, and the town serving as a residence for Catherine of Aragon during her divorce proceedings. The inn would have witnessed the comings and goings of merchants, nobility, and common folk traveling the roads between London and the northern counties. The building retains much of its historic character, with period features that speak to its long service as a hospitality establishment. Its position on Dunstable Street places it at the heart of Ampthill's commercial district, where it has been a focal point of local life for generations. The inn's architecture reflects the traditional English coaching inn style, built to accommodate both horses and travelers in the days before motor transport.
Traditional English coaching inn architecture with period features
Brief apparitions of caped figure, moving glassware in bar area, self-opening doors and windows in Room 13, door manipulation with physical contact
Front bar area, Room 13, corridor near Room 13
Hotel staff and guests have reported the phenomena, with incidents documented in paranormal databases
Activity documented in The Paranormal Database and other accounts of English hauntings
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📅 Sample dates:2025-08-20 to 2025-08-22 • 2 adults
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Paranormal Tip: Book rooms near front bar area for the best chance of supernatural encounters!
Address:
125 Dunstable Street, Ampthill, MK45 2NG
Status: Operating
Paranormal experiences available, ghost tours can be arranged, Room 13 available for brave guests
Historic building with period features, accessibility may be limited
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