November 2007: It was only a week after Halloween, and in England, with its crisp autumn mornings and golden fall colors, it still felt like the season—despite the holiday not being celebrated as widely as in the U.S. Instead, the country was gearing up for Guy Fawkes Day, a holiday commemorating the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when a group of English Catholics attempted to assassinate King James I by blowing up Parliament. Their plot was foiled, and the conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, were captured, tortured, and executed in gruesome fashion at the Tower of London. Ever since, November 5th has been marked with bonfires and fireworks, and children once went door to door asking for a “penny for the Guy”—a British parallel to American trick-or-treating.
Whatever the occasion, England is steeped in history, and many of its ancient sites are wrapped in haunted legends. I was in London for a long weekend and wanted to immerse myself in one of these storied places. After visiting London Bridge and the Tower of London—where Guy Fawkes and countless others met their grim fates—I decided to take a bus to Avebury. This small, thousand-year-old village is surrounded by Neolithic stone circles of mysterious origins, and my goal was to spend the night in a 17th-century inn rumored to be haunted.
London Bridge on the Thames River
About Avebury
Avebury is a small village that dates back over a thousand years, nestled within the heart of one of England’s most enigmatic ancient landscapes. It consists of a cluster of traditional English buildings, some with thatched roofs, along with a few historic churches and abbeys surrounded by crumbling graveyards—where weathered tombstones lean under the weight of time.
At the village’s center stands the Red Lion Inn, a 17th-century coaching inn dating back to the 1660s. It holds the distinction of being the only inn where guests can sleep within the boundaries of an ancient stone circle. However, it is perhaps better known for something else—its reputation as one of the most haunted places in England. The inn is said to be haunted by multiple spirits, but its most infamous ghost is that of a woman murdered by her husband in the 1600s. According to legend, the man had returned home from fighting in the English Civil War only to discover that his wife had been unfaithful. In a fit of rage, he killed her and threw her body into the inn’s well before sealing it shut. Today, the very same well remains in the center of the Red Lion Inn, now covered with glass and repurposed as a feature of the bar.
My room—one of only a handful available to guests—was directly above the well and is said to be one of the inn’s most haunted. Many guests have reportedly fled in the middle of the night, disturbed by eerie happenings—blankets being pulled from their bodies, a ghostly woman standing at the foot of the bed, or the unsettling sensation of unseen hands tugging at their feet.
Yet, what truly makes Avebury significant is the Neolithic stone circle that surrounds it. Dating back to approximately 3400 BC, this ancient monument predates Stonehenge and is just as impressive, with massive stones rivaling those of its famous counterpart. Unlike Stonehenge, however, visitors are free to walk among the stones, as they stand scattered throughout the village. Avebury is unique in that it is the only town in the world enclosed within a Neolithic stone circle.
The purpose of the circle remains a mystery. It was built long before recorded history, and though some theories suggest it was used by Celtic Druids, its original creators and their true intentions remain unknown. Nearby stands another enigmatic monument—the Silbury Hill, a massive man-made chalk mound whose volume rivals that of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Despite extensive research, no one knows its exact purpose. Some believe it was a burial site, while others theorize it had religious or astronomical significance.
With its eerie history, ancient ruins, and ghostly legends, staying in the tiny village of Avebury was both a fascinating and unsettling experience—one that felt as though the past was still lingering, just out of reach.
Me at Stoonehenge-5000-year-old neolithic stone structure built by Druids possibly as a sun dial for ceremonial purposes, but no one knows for sure
To get to Avebury, I took a double-decker bus from London, making sure to grab a seat at the front of the top deck, right above the driver’s cabin. From that vantage point, I had a perfect view of the English countryside as we rumbled along the narrow country roads. It was almost unbelievable that such a massive bus could navigate those winding lanes, barely squeezing past hedgerows and stone walls.
I got off the bus at Stonehenge, taking the opportunity to spend an hour exploring the world-famous Neolithic stone circle. Standing among the towering stones, I could feel the weight of history—thousands of years of mystery and speculation surrounding their purpose.
After my visit to Stonehenge, I caught another bus for the short journey to Avebury, just a few miles away. I was dropped off in the center of the village, surrounded by ancient standing stones, and made my way straight to my lodging for the night—the Red Lion Inn, a historic and famously haunted inn at the heart of Avebury.
One of the ancient ditches, originally dug out of the earth to encircle the stone circle, still remains—though many of the standing stones that once lined its edges were removed by villagers over the centuries and repurposed as building materials.
Ancient stone structures that form a stone circle around Avebury
Ancient stone structures that form a stone circle around Avebury
There were only a few patrons at the bar when I checked in. The first thing I did is drop off my backpack in my room upstairs above the bar and return for a beer. I started talking to the bartender about the town and the bar and of course ghosts. The bar tender did confirm that he had seen some unexplainable things in the bar and that some guests have fled in the middle of the night. This is why they only accept payment at the time of check in. After finishing my beer, I let the bar tender know that I planned to explore the town and the stone circle, and they reminded me that I needed to be in the room before 11pm because the door to the upstairs hallway will be locked by then and no one will be able to exit or enter. I thought this was strange and a bit sinister. When I asked why, the bartender replied for security reasons. It occurred to me that maybe it was to keep frightened guests from stirring up a panic in the middle of the night when seeing specters. I made sure to create my own escape route if I needed one out the window of my room and over the rooftop and climbing down a telephone pole to the outside below.
There were only a few patrons at the bar when I checked in. The first thing I did is drop off my backpack in my room upstairs above the bar and return for a beer. I started talking to the bartender about the town and the bar and of course ghosts. The bar tender did confirm that he had seen some unexplainable things in the bar and that some guests have fled in the middle of the night. This is why they only accept payment at the time of check in.
Red Lion Inn
I hurried out from the inn in the evening to explore Avebury and the stone circle which I had all to myself There were no fences or no tresspassing signs. The little creepy town of Avebury was all mine to explore.
St James Church built in 1300s and meant to be haunted by a monk that is sometimes seen wandering the graveyard. I didn’t see anything but there are some strange orbs in my photo.
Tombs at the St. James Church
Walking around at night was incredible. The town was ghostly, and no one was out. The old church with the tombstones in front was fun to explore in the dark. It too has a reputation as being haunted by one of its previous priests. Then I walked through the farm fields among the giant neolithic rocks of the stone circle that towered above me. Over the years the rocks had fallen and over the years the rocks were erected, and crops were grown around them or fields of grass for sheep grazing and in some cases materials from them were used for building materials. One farmer that was harvesting rock for his house was crushed by one as it tumbled over him and people after this believed it to be a curse to disturb the rocks. Today they are protected.
Walking among the rocks was creepy especially since there are all kinds of UFO and ghost type legends associated with them. Ornate crop circles with precise dimensions only able to be viewed from the air were popping up in the area on a common basis and there were never any spectators on the ground. Are these being created by mischievous people trying to have a laugh? Seems like a lot of trouble to go to for such an effort. But it’s anybody’s guess.
My Room at the Red Lion Inn
I explored for hours, and I didn’t see any supernatural events or UFOs, but I did get a scare when I walked around a stone circle and I started a group of ravens that erupted in squawking and shrieks.
Then because it was close to the time that the inn would lock the doors, I had to return to my room. My room was with no frills, but the price was good, and the history and legend were what I was here for. I left a small night lamp on so I could keep an eye on the activities in my room and I made sure to cover my feet with my blanket. In the end I didn’t sleep very well. I had lurid dreams and in one dream I saw a woman standing beside my bed but when I awakened, she wasn’t there. I was so psyched about seeing ghosts that I started to see them in my dreams, at least I think they were dreams. Once morning arrived, I jumped out of bed to explore the town some more and to catch my bus back to London after having a very interesting experience in the little town of Avebury.