Ye Olde White Harte, Hull

Ye Olde White Harte on Silver Street is a Grade II listed building with strong links to the English Civil War and a reputation of being haunted. Built around 1550, the building became a public house in the late 18th century. However, it was in this building, in the “plotting parlour” above the back bar, that on 23 April 1642, a fateful decision was made. The Governor of Hull, Sir John Hotham, 1st Baronet of Scarborough (Born July 1589 – Died 3 January 1645), held a meeting here in which it was decided to close the gates of Hull to King Charles I. There was a large arsenal at Hull which Parliament had authorised Hotham to retain and hence deny the King access to. The King subsequently besieged Hull for three weeks and it was the first major action of the English Civil War.

This is not the photograph associated the article.

The following ghost photograph story by Jon Livesey and Hannah Crocker entitled ‘Does ‘soldier’s ghost’ snapped in ‘haunted’ pub prove ancient boozer has spooky spirits on offer?’ was published in the Mirror on 5 August 2015.

The image, taken at Ye Olde White Harte in Hull, is said to show an English Civil War soldier earwigging on plans to snub King Charles I.

The ghost of an English Civil War soldier has been spotted in an historic pub said to be haunted.

At least that’s according to the boozer’s landlord, a self-confessed sceptic.

Non-believer Mike Woollas runs Ye Olde White Harte in Hull, East Yorks.

And he says the grainy image, said to show a sneaky English Civil War cavalier earwigging on plans to snub King Charles I, has left him struggling for a rational explanation.

He said: “I am quite sceptical about this kind of thing but there are some things you can’t explain.”

The spooky snap was taken by a punter at a clairvoyant night.

It appears to show the side profile of a man with long hair and a moustache – the look favoured by cavaliers loyal to King Charles I during the 17th Century.

Ye Olde White Harte is best known as the location of a meeting in 1642 between the governor of Hull, Sir John Hotham, and the burghers, during which they agreed to refuse King Charles I entry to the city.

This act of defiance, hatched in the so-called Plotting Room on the first floor of the pub, was one of the incidents that sparked the Civil War.

Mike, who has run the pub with wife Kerrie and daughter Jess since 2009, said: “This is a new one on us.

“The person who took this photograph told us it looks like Guy Fawkes, but there is no connection with him and this pub.

“I think people get confused because of the link with plotting.”

Since taking over the pub, there have been several spooky occurrences that have left Mike and his family struggling for a rational explanation.

He said: “In January, at about 11.30am, Jess ran out from behind the bar shouting ‘Dad, dad! Come and have a look at this’.

“There were six punters, all sat with open mouths, and a set of keys hanging from a hook behind the bar were swinging.

“I checked for a draught nothing. It was ice cold, as if we stood next to an air conditioning unit.

“The punters supped-up and left in a hurry.”

Jess said her son Bobby has also experienced the ghostly goings-on.

She said: “I went into his bedroom, above the pub, and he said ‘Shut the door mummy, he can see me!’

“I asked who and he replied ‘the man’ there was no one there.”

Clairvoyant Netty, who hosted the pub’s event, said she thinks the photograph is a genuine ghost sighting – but luckily for punters, he’s a friendly ghost.

She said: “There is 100% a presence at Ye Olde White Harte but it’s definitely a calming presence.”

The pub dates back to the 1500s.