The Mistley Thorn Hotel

The Mistley Thorn Hotel dates from 1723 and was originally a coaching house. In an article by Emily Talbut entitled ‘The 14 most haunted places in Essex to visit this Hallowe’en’, (13 October 2014, Essex Chronicle) the Mistley Thorn Hotel is referred to as being haunted by the Witch Finder General, Matthew Hopkins, who was buried in Mistley on 12th August 1647. Though the current building is too new to have been visited by Hopkins, he is certainly linked to the Thorn Inn that stood in his time, from where he started his witch hunting activities. It has even been suggested that he lived there and possibly had a financial interest it in.