The Original White Hart, Ringwood: A Night of Secrets
- Dr Iain M Lightfoot
- Oct 6
- 5 min read
Ringwood is a wonderful market town in the heart of the New Forest that one senses is a place where history simply clings to the brickwork. At its centre sits the Original White Hart, a handsome coaching inn with timbered beams, a maze of rooms, and an atmosphere that seems to thicken as the evening draws in. For centuries it’s been a resting place for travellers, merchants, Royalty and locals alike. There's a story that Molly, one of the maids is still at the pub...
We were drawn here by the reports that have circulated for years, footsteps on empty stairs, whispered voices, lights where none should be, and the ever-present story of a young woman whose tragic end. A story passed from staff to staff members and one that lingers, ever-fuelled by unusual events.
Setting the Stage
Our base for the evening was the main bar area. The staff were welcoming and curious. As is usual, we began with our standard set-up, cat balls, recorders, cameras, and environmental sensors. The pub itself was unusually still. Only a couple of small orbs appeared at first, nothing like the flurries we’ve captured elsewhere. Yet, that stillness made the later activity stand out sharply. During the interviews with the team, we all noticed an unusual airborne anomaly, an orb in daylight perhaps? Unusual. Also was the strange stinging pain on my ankle, normally associated with spirit scratches...
The first real moment of the investigation came quickly: a darting, zip-orb shooting into the dining room. It was fast, purposeful, and unlike any dust or insect anomaly we’ve seen before, the zip-orbs are super-quick. Almost at the same time, Barry caught sight of something from the corners of his eyes, movement, fleeting but he was adamant he saw something.
Footsteps, Lights, and Music
Whilst we settled down again to our wait for activity, out of nowhere, came footsteps. Loud, deliberate steps above us in rooms we later discovered to be empty. At the time, we looked outside and saw that there was light in the room, and that we heard voices so of course we discounted this as guests in the hotel. However, the sounds repeated, then came the echoing footsteps on the stairwell, footsteps clearly going up the stairs and we were able to replicate these sounds. Later, more noises and sounds where to be heard in what we discovered was Room 4.
Barry specialises in audio capture of EVP and DVPs. Soft at first, then clearer, Barry heard the sound of pipes. Not modern bagpipes, but the kind of pipe music you’d imagine in a military mess or a tavern centuries ago. We asked the manager directly if music was playing somewhere, but the pub’s sound system was off. No background music was playing anywhere.
It was like an invisible scene was unfolding around the fireplace, men seated with tankards, someone playing pipes, a fragment of another time perhaps being overlaid on the present.
Upstairs in Room 8
We decided to investigate the main are of the haunting, upstairs in Room 8. On entering the room it felt instantly different, the energy shifting. The three of us who enbtered the room experienced something rather striking, literally! As I moved towards the window something, was heard to have hit the window, I was standing right next to it and I was a little startled by the sudden sound. At the same time, the cat balls activated three times in succession.
The atmosphere rose, then abruptly fell silent. We captured a few orbs here and there, but then everything went still again. Almost as if whatever had been present simply withdrew. This ebb and flow became the theme of the night, activity spiking when we moved, then relocating as we did, a common behaviour experienced in intelligent hauntings.
Dowsing and Names from the Past
Downstairs I conducted a significant dowsing session. Concentrating on the rods, information began to flow, fragments of names, memories, and impressions.
“Molly” was not a real name but a nickname given by the pub.
A man named Charles lived in the building but was not the landlord.
Several carved crosses existed around the building. Staff thought there were seven; “Molly” insisted there were six. One, with pointed ends, sits on the stairway to the kitchen; we believe another is hidden behind later alterations upstairs.
The accuracy of some answers startled even the staff. One cross, previously unknown to them, was identified precisely. Sadly, we were filming at that moment and it one of those raw, powerful exchanges you rarely capture, I do not think that those present will ever forget.
The Story of the Woman
The female presence we encountered was strong at first but weakened as the session went on. Through impressions and dowsing, a story emerged: she had been promised something—freedom or marriage perhaps—but was betrayed. In despair she leapt from a window.
She was not alone. She spoke of two other spirits, one possibly male. Towards the end of the night we thought we heard the voice of a child, which deeply unsettled the assistant manager listening through headphones.
Residual and Intelligent Activity
To really bring what we discovered together throughout the evening we noted:
Talking upstairs when no one was there.
Zip-Orb and a few less energetic orbs.
Direct voice phenomena (DVP) caught faintly on the recorder.
Psychic impressions of horses outside heard by staff, scraping chairs on the floor.
Cat-balls lighting in apparent response to questions.
Psychic impressions.
Footsteps on the stairs and in Room 4.
Music.
The almost complete absence of orbs compared to other venues, striking in itself but unfortunately, not unusual.
All of this suggests a possible blend of residual and intelligent activity. Some scenes feel like replaying echoes of the past, pipes, footsteps, murmured voices, while others respond directly to our presence.
The Original White Hart: The Verdict
The Original White Hart proved to be a most intriguing investigation. On the surface, it’s a bustling pub in a historic town. Yet beneath that, layers of human experience linger, that of betrayal, companionship, ritual, and loss.
This is not an inn of grand theatrics, its ghosts don’t rush to perform. Instead, they reveal themselves in glimpses, a darting orb, a child’s voice, a cross carved long ago, pipe music drifting where none should be. The energy moves with intelligence, slipping from room to room as if curious about us but cautious too.
We left with more questions than answers:
Why the dispute over six or seven crosses?
Who was Charles?
Was “Molly” her true name, or another mask?
Whose footsteps still climb the stairs at night?
One thing is clear, the Original White Hart deserves its reputation as one of Ringwood’s most haunted buildings. We would love to return, not just to seek evidence, but to give voice to those who still walk its halls unseen.
Thank you for reading. Please subscribe and share, and if you’d like to keep us fuelled through those long nights of investigation, you can support our work by joining the:
Midnight coffee Club at buymeacoffee believe me, every cup is enjoyed (and needed at times)!
Comments