Maldon, Essex
The Blue Boar’s hauntings are a potpourri of local lore. Guests and staff have long whispered about unexplained phenomena. One of the most frequently cited ghosts is not human at all – it’s a ghost cat. A spectral cat, black in color, has purportedly been seen darting around the halls and even felt brushing up against legs in the bar, only to disappear when people look down. In addition to the feline phantom, there are claims of at least one human spirit occupying the inn. People speak of a shadowy lady in old-fashioned clothing (some say Victorian-era) appearing briefly in upstairs corridors during the dead of night. Others mention the possibility of a young stable boy ghost, or even the spirit of a past innkeeper wandering the cellar. The hotel’s staff typically avoid specifics with guests, but will acknowledge with a smile that “we have our ghosts here.” Indeed, a TripAdvisor reviewer hinted at multiple spirits by saying, *“We won’t talk about the ghosts that are supposed to haunt this place...”*. Overall, while none of the Blue Boar’s ghosts have formal names or backstories, the cumulative tales of cats, ladies, and lurking shadows firmly establish it as a haunted inn in local legend.
No named individual ghosts, but reports of a **phantom black cat** and one or more human spirits (often described as a female presence)
Reports of a ghostly cat haunting the Blue Boar Hotel have circulated, with sightings suggesting a feline presence that cannot be physically accounted for.
Late 14th century (parts dating to 1350s)
Coaching inn and public house (served as a medieval tavern and later a stagecoach stop on Maldon’s main route)
A Maldon landmark, the Blue Boar has been an inn for over 600 years. It played host to countless sailors, merchants, and even highwaymen over the centuries. The oldest wing (ca. 1400) survived multiple town fires and boasts connections to famous figures: legend holds that Tudor courtiers stayed here when Maldon was a thriving port. The building features a Georgian facade added in the 1700s, masking its older core. Beneath the inn, a secret tunnel is said to run toward the River Blackwater – possibly used by smugglers in ages past. The inn’s rich tapestry includes service as a Victorian coaching inn and a WWII billet for airmen. With its antiquity and continuous operation, the Blue Boar encapsulates Maldon’s history and is even mentioned in local archives and literature as a centerpiece of the “most haunted town in Essex”.
Medieval timber-frame structure with a Georgian brick frontage. The interior is a warren of characterful rooms: low ceilings with dark oak beams, uneven wooden floors, and cozy fireplaces. Upstairs, quaint sloping hallways lead to individually shaped rooms reflecting centuries of modifications. The mix of 14th-century beams and 18th-century exterior gives the Blue Boar a distinctive historic charm.
On a day-to-day basis, the hauntings manifest in subtle ways. Staff have found that certain chairs in the dining room are frequently inexplicably pulled out from tables overnight, as if someone had been sitting there. A cleaning manager mentioned hearing the distinct *purring* of a cat near the kitchen in the early morning – an area closed off at night – which stopped as she approached. Overnight guests occasionally report hearing soft knocks on their door and scratching sounds, only to find no one there. Some have awakened to the sound of a child giggling in the hallway, despite no children being booked at the time. Mechanical and electrical oddities occur too: the centuries-old grandfather clock in the lobby sometimes stops at around 3:00 AM for no reason and then restarts on its own later (engineers find nothing wrong with it). In one quirky incident, an entire tour group staying at the inn claimed that all their room alarm clocks reset themselves to 6:00 AM (the approximate time of sunrise in midsummer) – whether a ghostly prank or coincidence, it was notable enough that they mentioned it to management. These ongoing, if less dramatic, occurrences keep the staff aware that their unseen “regulars” may be at play.
The oldest parts of the hotel see the most activity. The second-floor guest rooms in the front (facing Silver Street) are particularly known for ghostly encounters – these rooms correspond to the original 14th-century structure. Room 7 and Room 5, in that wing, have the bulk of guest reports (cold spots, sightings, unexplained sounds). The main staircase and upper landing also have an uncanny feel; more than one visitor has claimed to see a fleeting figure on the stairs when descending late at night. The cellar and old ale storage rooms beneath the bar are another zone of activity (where the innkeeper figure and strange noises occur). In the pub area, the snug (a small side lounge) is the site of the phantom cat sightings – regulars joke that if you sit in the snug by the fireplace, don’t be surprised if an invisible cat curls up at your feet. Meanwhile, the hallway outside Room 4 is notable as the spot of the lady apparition by the window. Overall, focusing on the original inn segment – front-facing rooms, stairwell, snug, and cellar – will put one in the heart of the Blue Boar’s haunted zones.
A variety of people have attested to the inn’s ghosts. One of the pub’s cellarmen in the 1990s openly spoke of the time he felt a cat rub against his legs in the keg room – he looked down and saw nothing, yet moments later heard a distinct meow in his ear. A guest from 2018 wrote in a review that while the hotel was “charming,” they did get woken up by what sounded like a kitten crying, though no animals were present. In 2020, a pair of paranormal investigators on a casual visit reported on their blog that they saw a “woman in old dress” pass briefly at the top of the stairs while they were in the lobby; they initially mistook her for a reenactor or staff in costume until she vanished (only later did they learn the Blue Boar’s staff don’t wear period attire). The current owner has mentioned in an interview that patrons occasionally ask him if the place is haunted – he typically answers with a story of his own: one night after closing, he clearly heard a loud thump upstairs as if something fell, but on checking, nothing was out of place – he chuckled that perhaps the ghost cat knocked something over in play. Collectively, these accounts – from staff, guests, and even ghost enthusiasts – reinforce each other enough that the Blue Boar’s hauntings are taken seriously by those who spend time there.
The Blue Boar hasn’t been the subject of any prime-time TV investigations, but it’s a staple on local ghost tours. Maldon’s guided ghost walk (run by the Combined Military Services Museum nearby) often starts or ends at the Blue Boar, recounting its specter stories and sometimes allowing participants to poke around with EMF meters in the snug. Several independent paranormal groups have done informal investigations during overnight stays. One such group in 2015 claimed to record faint cat meows on digital audio and witnessed a shadow move across a wall on the upper floor on their night-vision camera. The inn’s management is receptive to paranormal enthusiasts in small numbers, and they’ve hosted the occasional “ghost supper” where diners share ghost stories by candlelight in the function room. The building’s age and layout make it a challenging environment for high-tech investigations (lots of creaks and reflections), so results tend to be personal experiences rather than hard evidence. Nonetheless, the Blue Boar’s status as a key haunt in “the most haunted town in Essex” ensures it remains on the radar for paranormal researchers exploring East Anglia.
📅 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 the oldest parts of the hotel see the most activity. the second-floor guest rooms in the front (facing silver street) are particularly known for ghostly encounters – these rooms correspond to the original 14th-century structure. room 7 and room 5 for the best chance of supernatural encounters!
Address:
Silver Street, Maldon, Essex CM9 4QE
Phone: +44 1621 855888
Status: Operating (historic hotel, pub & restaurant)
No ghost-specific packages. Offers regular bed-and-breakfast stays and occasional deals during Maldon events (e.g., discounted rates during the Maldon Mud Race weekend). The hotel also has multiple function rooms and sometimes does dinner + room bundles for events like New Year’s Eve. While not explicitly marketed, staff may share ghost stories with interested guests, especially if asked during a quieter evening at the bar.
Due to the building’s age, accessibility is limited. Guest rooms are on upper floors accessible only by stairs (no lift, steep narrow staircases). The pub and restaurant are on the ground floor, but there are a couple of steps between sections. The management can arrange ground-level entry and seating for those with mild mobility issues, but there are no fully ADA-compliant facilities. On-site parking is available in a small courtyard (free for guests), and additional public parking is nearby on the High Street.
Maldon is reputed to be “the most haunted town in Essex”, so there’s plenty nearby. Within a 5-minute walk is the **Maiden’s Head** pub, home to a ghost of a serving girl (according to local tales). Just across the road sits **All Saints’ Church**, where a ‘Gray Lady’ ghost is said to appear in the bell tower. History buffs can venture 1.5 miles to **Beeleigh Abbey**, a medieval site with reported monk apparitions in its gardens. The town’s Promenade Park (0.4 mi) also has its ghost stories, including the legend of a half-man, half-crab creature (the “Crabbus” folk tale) lurking by the river. For a structured experience, guests can join the Maldon Ghost Walk that starts at the nearby war memorial – it covers the Blue Boar and other spectral spots, providing a comprehensive tour of this very haunted town.
Book your stay and experience Spectral Cat and other supernatural activity firsthand. Many guests report paranormal encounters during their visits.