Alice Catherine Millar
Intelligent Haunting 1638
Alice Catherine Millar was a serving girl allegedly stabbed to death in 1638. Her ghost still haunts rooms 5, 6, and 10.
Most Active Areas:
Room 5 Room 6 Room 10
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Brook Red Lion Hotel
Colchester, Essex
Built in 1465 (15th century) 3-star (Grade I listed historic inn) 24 Rooms
2 Ghosts
The Resident Spirits
View All County GhostsLegendary for its three resident ghosts, making it one of Essex’s most haunted inns. The spirit of Alice – a young woman murdered here in 1638 – is seen in rooms 5, 6 and 10 and even vanishes through a long-sealed doorway. A cowled monk’s apparition lurks around the corridors and reception area, believed to be a kindly spirit who perished while saving children from a fire centuries ago. The third is a playful small boy who darts about (often in the Parliament Room) and has reportedly shown up in guests’ photographs.
Known Ghosts:
Alice Catherine Millar (murdered maid), a hooded monk, and a young boy
Alice’s Ghost: Alice Catherine Millar was a serving girl allegedly stabbed to death in 1638. Her ghost – wearing a white gown – knocks on doors and is most often spotted in Rooms 5, 6, and 10, sometimes leaving a blood-like stain that vanishes quickly. Witnesses say she disappears into a wall where a doorway was bricked up over 200 years ago, reinforcing the tragedy of her restless spirit.
Hooded Monk: A shadowy monk in a brown hood has been seen watching silently from dark corners of the reception and upstairs halls. According to legend, during a 15th-century blaze at the inn he rescued several children, only to lose his own life in the fire. Now he returns as a guardian presence – staff often feel a calming, cloaked figure nearby during disturbances. He is thought to gently watch over the hotel and its guests.
Young Boy: The third ghost is a little boy around 6 years old. He has been spotted running across the Parliament Restaurant and giggling in the halls. Children guests sometimes report an unseen playmate. In several eerie instances, patrons taking photos have later noticed a small boy’s figure standing in the background. Though his identity is unknown, some speculate he might have been an innkeeper’s child from the 17th century.
Meet Each Spirit
The Hooded Monk
Protective Spirit 15th century
A benevolent monk spirit who died saving children from a fire, now serves as a protective presence throughout the inn.
Most Active Areas:
Reception area Upstairs hallwa... Dark corners
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Historical Background
Building Age
Built in 1465 (15th century)
Original Purpose
15th-century coaching inn and tavern
Historical Significance
One of England’s oldest inns; Grade I listed Tudor timber-frame building}. Has ties to Oliver Cromwell’s era and a notorious murder in 1638 on the premises. A bricked-up medieval doorway inside attests to structural changes over centuries.
Architecture
Medieval/Tudor – exposed timber beams, leaded windows, and period furnishings reflecting its 1400s.
What Guests Experience
Reported Activity
Guests frequently report classic haunted phenomena: footsteps in empty corridors, doors opening and closing on their own, sudden cold spots, and bedsheets tugged at night. Many have seen a fleeting female figure in Tudor dress in their room mirror (attributed to Alice). A guest’s photo taken in the dining room unexpectedly revealed a child’s face peeking around a corner. Staff have heard faint chanting in Latin near the reception at night (linked to the monk) and felt a small hand slip into theirs briefly in the kitchen before disappearing. These recurring accounts span decades, lending credibility to the inn’s ghostly reputation.
Most Active Areas
Rooms 5, 6, and 10 are hot-spots (Alice’s territory). The reception area and adjacent hall see frequent monk sightings. The Parliament Room (restaurant) is known for the boy ghost’s mischief. Also, the staircase by reception is a focal point – multiple spirits have been glimpsed there, and many guests feel they’re “not alone” when using those stairs at night.
Witness Accounts
Numerous first-hand testimonies span over 200 years. In the 1950s a night porter named George famously quit after encountering Alice’s apparition gliding through a locked door. In 2003, a couple fled at 2 AM after a hooded figure silently crossed their path on the landing. A recent TripAdvisor review noted, “We won’t talk about the ghosts supposed to haunt this place…” confirming the ghosts are an open secret. Local ghost tour guides often cite the Red Lion as the site where “everyone in Colchester knows someone who’s seen something.” Both staff and visitors continue to add to the log of sightings – all remarkably consistent.
Paranormal Investigations
The Red Lion has drawn many paranormal investigators. It featured in the book *Haunted Colchester* and on episodes of TV’s *Most Haunted* (the inn’s eerie cellar was a highlight). Multiple ghost-hunting events have been held here; investigators frequently record unexplained orbs and EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) in the upper bedrooms. In 2021, a paranormal group’s overnight lockdown yielded a video of a shadowy child figure in the dining room. With its rich haunted history, the hotel remains a favorite testing ground for paranormal research teams.
Quick Ghost Access
Book Your Stay
Price Range: Rooms from ~£49 per night (Budget)
Rooms: 24
Spirits: 2 Ghosts
📅 Sample dates:2025-06-06 to 2025-06-08 • 2 adults
Dates and guest count can be changed on booking sites
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Paranormal Tip: Book rooms rooms 5 for the best chance of supernatural encounters!
Contact Details
Special Packages
No specific ghost packages, but periodic "Ghost Hunt" experience nights are offered by third-party organizers. Hotel offers standard stay packages and Tudor-themed dining events.
Accessibility
Limited – as a 3-story 15th-c. building, there is no lift and steep, narrow stairways. Not wheelchair accessible. No on-site parking (use public car parks within 5-minute walk).
Other Haunted Sites Nearby
Colchester is known as one of England’s most haunted towns. Within 0.3 miles is Colchester Castle, where spectral prisoners and a vanishing headless figure have been reported in the dungeons. Other nearby haunted spots include the Siege House restaurant (0.4 mi, bearing musket-hole scars and ghostly Civil War soldiers) and *The George Hotel* (0.2 mi), another historic inn rumored to have its own resident ghost. The wider area boasts many ghostly locales, making the Red Lion an ideal base for paranormal tourism.
Ready to Meet Our Ghosts?
Book your stay and experience Alice Catherine Millar and the other spirits firsthand. Many guests report paranormal encounters during their visits.