Is The Jamaica Inn Haunted? Phantom Hooves, Nursery Rhymes and Watchful Spirits

The Jamaica Inn, Bodmin, Cornwall.

Some 280 metres above sea level, on windswept Bodmin Moor, The Jamaica Inn is one of Britain’s most atmospheric historic buildings. Established during the eighteenth century as a coaching inn for travellers crossing the isolated route between Launceston and Bodmin, the building was said to be closely associated with smugglers, secrecy and the dangerous Cornish landscape. Its reputation was later immortalised by Daphne du Maurier, whose 1936 novel Jamaica Inn transformed the inn into an enduring symbol of mystery and gothic intrigue.

The Investigation

Our investigation began in the cinema room and museum, situated within the former stable block. Almost immediately, I experienced an overwhelming loss of energy. While preparing my equipment, I remember saying that I simply "could not be bothered". I felt completely drained and wanted to curl up and sleep. Strangely, as soon as I moved away from the room at the far end of the museum, my energy began to return... something the Inn's resident team knowingly confirmed...

There was a noticeable amount of visual activity, including numerous possible orbs, together with the persistent sensation that something was moving all around us. During a previous visit, I had heard the delicate sound of a music box playing in this area alongside whistling, I repeatedly asked for that beautiful music to return, but on this occasion it sadly remained silent.

Instead, and very clearly, we heard the unmistakable sound of horses’ hooves striking cobbles outside in the courtyard. The sound was so realistic that I immediately looked through the window, expecting to see horses in the courtyard, but there was nothing there. Phantom horses and carriage wheels are among Jamaica Inn’s most frequently reported phenomena, making this experience particularly intriguing.

While sitting in the museum, the nursery rhyme “One, two, three, four, five, once I caught a fish alive” began repeating insistently inside my mind. It did not feel like an ordinary passing thought because that words continued over and over, accompanied by the distinct impression that children were nearby. This is something I have encountered before when getting a message from spirits. (The Plaza in Romsey).

Alongside the nursery rhyme came another sequence of words or sounds that I could not understand. It felt like a language rather than random noise, but I could not identify it. The paranormal teams of the Jamaica Inn suggested that it may have been an older form of Cornish? There is no way to establish that, but the impression was strong enough to record.

An Entry from the Visitor's Log on the 12 July 26!

I also received the unexpected concept of a New York gangster. It felt as though the genesis or beginning of this person, or perhaps a fictional character, had somehow originated at the inn. I could not determine whether this referred to a real visitor, an actor, a writer’s idea or a character conceived within Jamaica Inn’s walls. Given the inn’s literary and cinematic history, it is possible that the impression related to a story, performance or creative idea rather than an actual gangster. If you may have an idea about this, please do get in touch.

Members of Jamaica Inn’s paranormal team have reported equally unusual experiences within the stable block. One investigator described being rushed by an unseen presence while putting away the heavy cast-iron chairs. She felt warm breath against her ear and an impact of energy through her chest. The chairs themselves have also reportedly been heard scraping across the floor when nobody was near them. Was this the Scottish influence I felt?

Rooms 3 & 5 at the Haunted Jamaica Inn

We later collected the keys to rooms three and five. Despite their formidable reputations, both vigils were relatively quiet. Apart from a few possible orbs, we experienced nothing conclusive. This is an important part of paranormal investigation: even famously haunted rooms do not produce activity on demand of course! I did have an impression at the beginning of the evening of a dog, possible an Alsatian. This was said could have been the pet of the original occupants of room 5... it is said that this dog has made a few appearances!

Back in the bar, several of us repeatedly noticed movement at the edge of our vision, particularly behind the counter. There were faint taps and small, unexplained sounds. It felt as though someone remained just beyond sight, not threatening us, but watching and assessing.

Could this be John Wesley?

The strongest atmosphere of the night developed in the modern dining area. During a séance, I sensed a clergyman discussing conflict between two religious sections of society, with one being favoured above the other. The vision and names brought John Wesley into my mind, although there is no evidence that Wesley was directly connected with Jamaica Inn. He did, however, travel and preach across Bodmin Moor, including at nearby Trewint. I am convinced that this was who I was talking to. Was he trying to tell the team about a chapter hitherto unknown?

I had hoped to reconnect with the female presence I previously understood to be a milkmaid, but she did not appear. Nevertheless, throughout the séance, it felt as though people surrounded us, silently watching. Our investigation ended with a dowsing session that produced numerous responses. Dowsing is subjective and cannot be presented as proof, but it can provide valuable questions for future historical research. I am unsure what I was asked and what answers were given...

Our Verdict

Is the Jamaica Inn Haunted? Well, the Inn really does not surrender its secrets easily. There is so much history, and so many real-life folklore and real stories that will be told in Ghosts on Draught, but when we were there, the Inn's activity was subtle: a rhyme repeating in the mind, an unknown language, movement glimpsed from the corner of the eye or horses crossing cobbles that remain completely empty. Perhaps that is what makes the inn so compelling. Its spirits do not appear to perform for visitors. They watch, wait and decide whether they wish to be known. To the Jamaica Inn, thank you, we will again return because we feel apart of the fabric of its stories now.

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