Shadows and Whispers at The Trooper Inn, Froxfield

The Trooper Inn, Froxfield

Nestled high on the Hampshire Downs, The Trooper Inn is not just a charming country pub, it is a building that has endured and revelled in four centuries of history, folklore, and mystery. The original building is said to have been first built in the early 1600s, as a coaching house which once provided well-needed rest for weary travellers and perhaps soldiers who travelled from London to Winchester and Southampton. It was 'recently' rebuilt following a major fire and in the 1990s underwent significant modernisation with the addition of more rooms and conversions to leave the building as you see it today.

One of the main stories that surround the Inn, is that during the First World War, the building served as a mustering point for recruitment for the Army, and of course its very name seems to reflect its military ties. At one stage the Inn was called the Jolly Trooper but with time it became known as the Trooper Inn.

Known locally as “the pub at the top of the hill” and once nicknamed “the pub with the candles” when unreliable electricity left it in flickering half-light, the Trooper has been rescued and restored more than once by the community who cherish it. However, alongside its reputation for warm hospitality and guests flying in by helicopter, lingers another, more spectral story because the Trooper is believed to be haunted, with visitors over the years reporting footsteps, shadows, being woken in the night, and the unsettling presence of a long-dead soldier both on foot and on horse back.

Arrival and First Impressions

From the moment we arrived, there was a undeniable charge in the air. Even during the opening dowsing session, intended as a simple demonstration of a spiritual communication method, there was already a sense of a spirit “sat with us”. For Barry, it [the Inn] felt oddly familiar, as though he had been there before, déjà vu in its truest sense.

As we moved deeper in and around the building and grounds, the atmosphere and energy did what so many active locations do... intensify... then drop away.

As I walked around attempting to get some understanding from a medium's perspective, I felt that a spirit seemed confined to the old back room, unable to pass beyond it, perhaps tied to the recruitment days when men were signed into service here, I certainly got that impression. Even the cameras seemed to want to confirm this as we only really caught Orbs on that side of the building, and focussed on the old back room and kitchen.

Headaches crept up on most of us, heavy and pressing, as though the very air carried perhaps both memories and emotions. At one point, I was passed a message and heard the question: “Have you found what is hidden?” The words seemed to resonate with the building’s secrets, in fact the sense of something buried beneath our feet, a hidden room perhaps or something or someone under the floor?

Shadows, Footsteps, and a Hidden Staircase

We didn't have to wait long to engage with spirit because soon the noises began. Bangs echoed from the kitchen, and shadows were seen and they danced just beyond sight. At one point, a shadow was captured on film; at another, footsteps rattled on the ceiling above and noises which were unexplainable were heard most of the night. As an addition, footsteps were heard crunching the gravel outside, so much that we could have believed someone had arrived at the Inn! Perhaps they had, a weary traveller from a different time seeking rest and refreshment.

While we sat at the central table, we were told that there were more than ten spirits around us. Twice the cat balls lit up without physical interaction and upon request, we believe that this was signalling, an intelligent interaction with the spirit world.

At some point, Jack made his way to the restroom, I thought I saw a shadow move close behind. Strange, as earlier, one customer had clearly stated, the place I get the most cold spots here are the toilets - I certainly agreed with him later! One of the most intriguing captures of the night was that on my trusty IR Camcorder - I think that I know what it was...

You NEVER know what you are going to film.

A Lady, a Child, and Cold Spots

Being prompted by the sounds of children, we realised we need to explore the rooms where we had felt so much during the walkaround. In one room we discovered the position of an old staircase long since removed, an architectural 'ghost' layered within the inn itself. Cold spots, orbs, and the feeling of a mother and child were still visiting or in residence. One of the strongest sensations centred on the front room. Here, the cold grew sharp, biting in strange patches as though someone pressed icy hands against knees or shoulders. It was in this room that we felt the presence of a lady one who may have given birth here long ago.

A child's voice and laughter echoed faintly in the air, the voice, we hope, wove in and out of our recordings. It was a reminder to us that in those past days, joy and tragedy often share the same space in time and physicality.

Upstairs, a significant orb was captured on camera, shimmering above Barry's head before vanishing between Barry and Jack. The sense of feeling observed and movement in the shadows was constant. Unseen presences seemed to follow us down corridor and shadows vanished in corners,

Sounds, Lights, and Unseen Forces

The night unfolded with strange orchestration. Doors opened and banged shut without cause, lights flickered, and objects dropped suddenly from shelves. A faint woman’s voice and the muffled sound of children carried through the air. Twice, two women seated with us heard a door slam shut elsewhere in the inn. At one moment, music floated through, like a wind-up box playing a six-note tune.

Cold spots multiplied, particularly in one bedroom where it felt as though someone stood right beside us, unseen but undeniable. Outside, footsteps crunched on the gravel though nobody was there. Inside, doors that were notoriously stiff began swinging open and shut on their own, their weight defying simple draughts or shifting floorboards.

This Orb was very curious of the camera when we weren't there

History and Haunting Intertwined

The Trooper Inn’s historic role as a coaching house and wartime recruitment point makes it a natural vessel for memory and lingering energy. The soldier said to haunt the building may be one of those who signed his name within its walls before marching to war, never to return. Perhaps the lady whose presence we felt lost her life in childbirth, tethered by love and grief. The children’s laughter suggests stories unfinished, their energy lingering in the rooms where they once lived or played.

Whether the spirits we encountered were tied to recruitment, domestic tragedy, or something hidden beneath the very floors, one thing was certain: the Trooper still holds its secrets tightly.

The Trooper Inn - Verdict

As the night drew to a close, we gathered over drinks in the candlelit bar, each of us reflecting on what we had witnessed. For sceptics and believers alike, the Trooper Inn had provided an experience impossible to dismiss, significant Orbs, footsteps, shadows, whispers, and presences that blurred the line between history and haunting. As an aside, there was also information given through mediumship which could now begin to be either built upon or dismissed.

The landlord, once unconvinced, had witnessed enough to leave him questioning reality and perhaps that is the essence of the Trooper Inn, a place where the living and the dead sit side by side, enjoying simply being in the building. I would say visit the Trooper Inn and listen carefully and look closely because the spirits are here and they walk by, share a whistle, have a quick laugh, and then disappear in the shadows leaving you to question what you have just experienced.

The Team Investigate!