The Fleur de Lys, Lymington; The Enchantments of the Fleur
- Dr Iain M Lightfoot
- Aug 6
- 7 min read
There’s something romantic, almost poetically transcendent about stepping into a building that predates nearly every pub you’ve ever investigated. The Fleur de Lys in Lymington isn’t just old, it’s ancient in the most beautiful of ways. This totally charming inn is recorded in the Doomsday Book, its timbered walls and uneven floors whispering of centuries gone by. It has stood through wars, plagues, and the countless stories of those who drank, lived, and sometimes died within its embrace. It is this weight of history that creates the perfect recipe for residual energy, and perhaps, intelligent hauntings.
As paranormal investigators, we’ve learned to listen to the atmosphere as much as we do to the people who tell the stories. The Fleur de Lys doesn’t shout, it gently and quietly whispers is secrets. From the first step across its threshold, there was an energy that welcomed and for some, perhaps warns.
Folklore and Whispers of the Past
The Fleur de Lys has long been associated with folklore, most notably linked to tales of The Grey Lady, a grim murder and a significant fire. Its very name, “Fleur de Lys,” hints at connections to French heraldry and possibly to religious orders that once walked these grounds between the abbey and the village. Some locals whisper about monks who once served here, and one of them, becoming known to us as Max, would reveal himself to us later that night.
Steve, the landlord, told us early on:
“My dad was a sceptic, but even he has had experiences here. Doors slammed shut locking him in for 15 minutes, when he left he saw a figure moving… He couldn’t explain it.”
When a sceptic speaks of the unexplainable, you listen. Steve's father and I spoke of this story when we met. It was clear that there was no explanation for what he experienced.
The Investigation Begins
Barry and I arrived with our usual blend of anticipation and respect. Steve welcomed us warmly, recounting the pub’s deep history and the inability to rationalise some of the more inexplicable events he experienced. As we set up our equipment, cameras in the snug, the main bar, the hallway, and the newer extension, we could feel the building watching us, definitely that feeling of being watched with a very keen interest, we needed to gain the building's trust.
The first odd sensation came quickly. Near the doorway into the first cottage, I stumbled, as if 'wobbled' by unseen hands, Barry also felt it too. I didn't feel that this was a coincidence, was the house announcing itself.
A little back story. Barry and I have a theory that before some investigations, the spirits know that you are coming - I do not know how this happens or why. Before my first visit to meet Steve, I was camping in a remote location, only one other person nearby and I saw a monk... and now, here I was about to meet that monk again.
A spirit ball suddenly lit up in response to one of our questions, confirming the presence of the monk spirit. The energy was shy, as if testing our intent, but very much there. I asked if this was the same person who was at the campsite, yes... the ball again confirmed. This was the start of an amazing night's connection beyond the veil.
Strange Lights and Smoky Scents
As always in active locations, we did get Orbs appearing throughout the night. What was interesting was that they were sporadic, as if they didn’t want to be seen although, one came from the snug and then hovered perfectly spherical and pulsating in front of me, an image that remains imprinted in my mind, as if I met a spirit and we met, then stood there and just watched each other!
As we walked through the building, Barry commented on the smell of burning - it stayed for about 5 minutes then lifted.
“Funny you say that,” Steve’s mother told us, “because other mediums have reported the same thing. They smelled fire when nothing is burning.”
The validation was striking. Soon after, I had a vision of a young girl spilling water from a kettle. I was told by the team that water does, inexplicably drip from the ceiling. We felt that these were more than coincidences, they were echoes.
Knocks, Shadows, and a Playful Presence
As the night deepened, so did the activity. Knocks on the windows, taps on the walls, sounds from above, sounds that seemed to provoke the dogs and kept us alert. Shadows darted just out of reach of our cameras, enough to question if we saw what we saw.
While we were casually chatting, more phenomena erupted.
“It’s odd,” Barry mused, “the more normal you act, the more 'they' seem to want to get your attention.”
Perhaps Barry is right... Do the spirits prefer the natural flow of conversation and atmosphere rather than the forced and focussed questioning. The building was becoming alive with energy.
Meeting Max the Monk
When we moved into the newer part of the building, I began to experiment again with my dowsing rods, some spirits find it easier to communicate with those. It was then that I reconnected with the spirit of the monk. He gave my his name as Max which could've been short for Maximous perhaps? He made it clear he still watched over the bar. The rods pointed out where he was at that moment but also then indicated his favourite spot, coinciding with where the shadow of a person has been seen and also where Barry's collar was unexpectedly tugged, as if to say, “This is mine.”
“Max seems to like it here,” I said.... “If he’s happy, I’m happy!” (Steve Landlord/Chef)
Max confirmed through responses that he simply wanted a small drink left for him occasionally and that he approved of the way the staff cared for the pub. He was absolutely A guardian, not a threat.
As we went to leave the area, Steve felt a strong touch on his leg, like a dog had brushed by - was this his dog saying hello, we think so. Either way, Steve was no longer a sceptic.
The Garden – A Boundary Between Worlds
On venturing outside, the investigation intensified. The moment I stepped across a certain line, I felt an energy shift. The dowsing rods directed me to a spot where Steve’s dog had often sat, watching something only it could see.
“That’s weird,” Steve admitted, visibly shaken. “My dog always went to that exact spot and stared at the Magnolia. I’ve never understood why.”
Here, cat balls lit up, confirming a spirit's presence. We suspected perhaps an ancient burial beneath this sacred spot. The sensation of headaches, intuition, goosebumps and pins and needles ran through me as if the ground itself held a memory. I asked Barry to stand in the same place - he also had a feeling there but also believed he saw moving shadows on two occasions... We investigated the well, but nothing was really found there, no EVPs nor portal or anything bad. In fact, some EVPs fromthe well, reported by another team, are highly likely to be from within the pub. We believe that there is a link from the well to the sink in the main bar. However, I remember that on my first visit I had felt a tension between the outside of the pub and the inside, was it because of what happened next?
A Dark Secret in the Cellar
Every old pub has a darker history hiding somewhere within, and at the Fleur de Lys, it’s perhaps the cellar. Here, with the dowsing rods and cat balls responding on request, a story unfolded. A pregnant woman, pushed down the stairs, killed, and dismembered to conceal the crime. We don't know where or IF, and of course the story is HIGHLY subjective, given to me via intuition/mediumship. Could this be a link to the Magnolia?
Despite her violent ending, the spirit was calm and cooperative. She confirmed she was content and worked alongside other spirits to safeguard the pub. This revelation shifted the atmosphere and that the building wasn’t haunted by fear, but by guardianship. Who protects and works for the Fleur is protected by her. A wonderful and happy thought don't you think?
Voices from the Past
In response to a question, asking about the Grey Lady, I asked if it was here pushing the vase of the bar? Then came the voice. Clear, audible, and chilling.
“No, it isn't me", she called.
Barry and Steve both heard it loud and clear, in fact Steve checked to see if someone had come into the bar...
“I went straight to check if someone had come in,” he said... “but there was nobody there.”
This wasn’t an EVP captured later; it was a disembodied voice heard by three witnesses in real time. So, had we also uncovered the presence of a former landlady, possibly (Mary-Ann?) Haywood whose first name or initials are missing from the list of landlords and landladies of the Fleur, whose spirit lingers still. Therefore who is it that is pushing the flowers of the bar, the mystery continues.
The Fleur de Lys - The Verdict
The Fleur de Lys is more than just an old haunted pub, it’s alive. Its spirits are not trapped; they are guardians, protectors of their history. From the monk who claims his corner to the woman who found peace in death, they coexist with the living, ensuring their stories endure.
As we sadly packed up our equipment, Steve, who lives, breathes and, no doubts bleeds the blood of the Fleur de Lys, perhaps the oldest pub in Britain, is someone who only wants the best for the building, asked one final question:
“So, do you think they’re happy here?”
Without question, yes, they are. They want the Fleur de Lys to remain as it is, a place where the past and present walk side by side.
If you ever visit, and please do, raise a glass to Max and if you are stood in his place, you might just feel a tug at your collar. Yet also say hello to the Landlady and the young girl, they may make themselves known with a cold breeze, a sign that they too are saying hello to you.. For now the adventure continues when we once again go beyond the veil.
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