Paranormal case file · Location 51
ApparitionCurated Haunted LocationKnown Haunted Location
Curated Haunted Location
Four Crosses
Four Crosses, Watling Street, Hatherton, Staffordshire, England, WS11 1RX, United Kingdom
The haunting
The Four Crosses developed a reputation for unexplained incidents, with several different spirits said to haunt the building. Reported experiences included: - The schoolgirl: A child apparition reportedly photographed inside the pub. - The crying child: Visitors and staff reportedly heard children crying when no child could be found. - Mysterious footsteps: Sounds of footsteps were reportedly heard moving through the building without an identifiable source. - Smashing glasses: Staff reportedly experienced glasses smashing or falling without an obvious explanation. - The ladies' toilets: This area became particularly associated with strange activity and was nicknamed a paranormal playground. The inn was also linked to stories of a Roundhead soldier and a heartbroken woman named Emily, said to appear crying in the ladies' toilets.
Reported / claimed activity
The Story of the Child Spirit Who the schoolgirl might have been remains a mystery. The reports do not establish her identity or explain why she might be associated with the inn. Her supposed appearance is often considered alongside the other stories of children crying and unexplained activity reported within the building. For paranormal enthusiasts, the most intriguing part is the suggestion that an ordinary photograph might have captured something that was not immediately apparent to the person taking it. Was the figure connected to the inn's past, or could it have been something entirely unexpected? The original image and the witness's account have left the question open for those interested in exploring the case.
The Schoolgirl Ghost Photograph One of the inn's best-known modern paranormal stories appeared in the news on 9 November 2014. Clairvoyant Christine Hamlett, then aged 57, was visiting the Four Crosses Inn when she took a series of photographs on her mobile phone. She later believed one of the images showed the figure of a schoolgirl. The photograph was reported by ITV News Central, with the accompanying story describing Hamlett's belief that the child had a message that needed to be heard. The image was credited to BPM Media. Hamlett had also collected photographs she believed showed child spirits at locations around nearby Cannock Chase, an area with its own extensive paranormal reputation. The reported photograph helped connect the inn's existing stories of crying children with a specific image that readers could examine for themselves.
Background and folklore, separate from member eyewitness experiences.
Historical background
The Four Crosses Inn was a historic coaching inn dating back to 1636. Situated along the ancient Watling Street, a route with Roman origins, it stood in an area where travellers, merchants and horse-drawn coaches passed through the Staffordshire countryside. Like many old inns, it developed a reputation for strange happenings and stories passed between locals. Its age, secluded setting and long association with travellers made it a particularly atmospheric location for paranormal tales. The inn was also associated with the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin, although this connection forms part of its local storytelling rather than an established account of his visits.
References & research
Sources & background
These sources document the location, story or claimed activity. They do not prove paranormal activity.
- Is this Staffordshire pub haunted by a schoolgirl ghost?News article · ITV News Central
Report on Christine Hamlett's photograph and the paranormal reputation of the Four Crosses.
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