The Homestead, Bracebridge Heath, Lincs
We spent the night in this location after hearing various stories connected to it and also the old hospital which it used to be a part of. (St. John's hospital - closed in 1989) Although the stories sound interesting, unfortunately nothing happened that would lead us to think that the place was actively haunted - maybe the things being seen there are just recordings from the past?
A few of the stories say that a 'grey lady' walks through one of the rooms and stops in front of a fireplace, there's also another story of a man in a thick coat sitting at one of the tables near the bar area. A more interesting story was posted as part of the 'your sightings' part of the BBC Radio Lincolnshire Unexplained website which can be found here. You might have to scroll down to find it on those pages.
An interesting building with a fair bit of history around it, worth a visit if you're in the area...they also serve food and drinks as it is now a pub!
You never know, you might bump into the 'grey lady' or the 'hanging man' while you're in there.
Administrative History
formerly, the Lincolnshire County Lunatic Asylum. The Asylum was built in 1852 and enlarged on several subsequent occasions. It was originally established jointly by Lindsey, Kesteven, Holland, Lincoln, Grimsby and Stamford, and managed by a Board of Visitors appointed by the contributing authorities. Kesteven and Grantham withdrew from the arrangement when the contract of Union expired in 1893 (eventually establishing the Kesteven County Asylum at South Rauceby, 1897). The hospital was set in grounds of 120 acres which included gardens, farmland and a burial ground. In 1940 female patients were transferred to other hospitals, mainly Storthes Hall near Huddersfield, to make space for an Emergency Hospital, and many did not return until well after the end of the War. Administration of the hospital passed to the National Health Service in 1948. By the early 1960s it was known by its final name of St John's Hospital. Patients were admitted from Harmston Hall Hospital when that hospital closed. St John's Hospital itself was closed in December 1989 with the remaining patients transferred to other establishments. The site was sold for housing and most of the buildings apart from the central block were demolished.
The following names, among others, were used for the Institution, sometimes interchangeably:
1852-1893 Lincolnshire County Lunatic Asylum or Lincolnshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1894-1915 Lincolnshire Lunatic Asylum
1897-1898 Lindsey, Holland, Lincoln and Grimsby District Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1903-1920 Lincolnshire Asylum
1898-1902 Bracebridge Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1902-1919 Bracebridge District Lunatic Asylum
1919-1948 Bracebridge Mental Hospital
1930-1938 Lincolnshire Mental Hospital
1939-1960 Bracebridge Heath Hospital
1961-1989 St John's Hospital, Bracebridge Heath
The hospital was also used as a wartime Emergency Hospital in the period 1940-1943, and a few records of this function survive with the asylum records.
JEFF'S THOUGHTS
Date: 16 April 2005
Location: Homestead Pub, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln
Attendance: Garry Ross, Sarah Greenway, Clare Jackson, Jeff DeWolf, Loz Brough, & 2 Pub Staff
History: The Homestead Pub is on the grounds of what used to be St. John?s Mental Hospital. The hospital was originally built in 1852 as a lunatic hospital and continued service through to 1989. In the mid 1990?s, the property was sold for development, and later, transformed into a residential area. There is still a part of the hospital still standing at present.
Investigation: Upon arriving at The Homestead at approximately 22:45, we began to interview the landlady, and a couple of staff members, concerning the stories related to the pub. According to those present, and outside sources, there are a number of tunnels that riddle the property that once was the hospital. Various stories say that the tunnels have either been sealed off, or filled with concrete to prevent anyone from accessing them. Sightings of a ?hanging man?, seen in the area of the main stairway, have been reported and one family, with their 2 children, even asked to be moved to another table. There are also reports, from the landlady and staff, of a chair that keeps moving when placed near the bottom of the main stairway. There is also a picture of a little girl in the cellar that, if placed face down on the water heater, will be found stood upright against the flue pipe the next morning.
After the interview was completed and the equipment, and trigger objects, were set up, we began the investigation. In the front dining area, a ?tapping? noise could be heard as you entered into it. We later discovered that it was probably nothing more than the heating/ water pipes as the water was passing through them. We held 2 seances throughout the night without any abnormal/ unexplained incidences occurring. Regular checks of the thermometers didn?t reveal any significant temperature changes anywhere. None of the trigger objects that were set up had been moved. Lastly, no one in the group, or the 2 members of the pub staff, felt anything unusual.
All in all, this particular investigator can honestly say that, on the night of the investigation, nothing occurred that would lead me to believe that the place is haunted. However, I would definitely say that another investigation would be very beneficial. The hospital property has been around for well over 100 years and steeped in unknown history/ mystery. Definitely well worth another visit.
Nettleham Black Horse
Another night where nothing much happened but was still interesting to do. At one point in the night we had some pretty strange EMF readings that came from the middle of the room and seemed to 'float' around 3 feet from the ceiling and floor with no noticeable electrical equipment nearby to cause this to happen. These came and went a couple of times and then completely vanished for the rest of the night.
We tried a 'Ouija' board for the first time but we never got any conclusive evidence from it at all.
A really nice friendly little pub in a very nice area of Lincolnshire, well worth nipping into if you're in the area and you might be lucky enough to see or sense the ghosts that are said to be there.
History: The Black Horse Pub was once a Victorian work house. The pub consists of three cottages knocked into one building. Many sightings of a woman, who sits in a corner opposite the bar have been reported. Also, some have said that childrens’ voices have been heard. One of the cleaners that works there has also reported hearing someone walking near the bar area when no one else was around.
