On 21st June 2014, Twilight Shadows Paranormal conducted a paranormal investigation at a tearoom in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. This lovely old tea shop dates back to 1502, with additional building of a second storey added in 1675. Originally a cottage, it was the home and workshop of a tailor and later a blacksmith, who conducted his business in a forge next door.
Many customers have experienced strange phenomena within the tearoom. Reports of an eerie presence have been recorded and some people have actually seen a female ghost dressed in Crinoline attire, busily bustling about. Tearooms were extremely popular during the Victorian era when ladies could go for tea, without a male escort.
As we entered the Bath stone-clad building, it was like we had stepped out of our time-zone and traveled back in time. We hoped that we would make contact with the previous occupants of this beautiful building. Jacky immediately said that “her back was going” which is something that happens to her when she senses spirit. My left hand tingles when I feel an entity close by and I was experiencing this at the same time as Jacky had spoken. I could feel a female spirit drawing near.
UPSTAIRS
We sat around a table chatting and the table knocked twice. I felt someone touch my head. Sharon told us that the whole of her right side had gone cold. It was midsummer night and very warm outside so we could not find a logical reason for this. Lauren then said, “Someone has just touched my right ear.” I asked for the spirit to keep touching different members of the team.
There was a service bell and we all heard it ring twice when nobody was anywhere near it. Ben jumped and said that his hand had just been touched. We all felt comfortable as the atmosphere was pleasant. Nothing happened for quite a while so I 'called out' asking for the spirits of the building to make contact with us. The table moved and we caught a strange EVP voice. I heard a breath behind me and as I was going to mention it, Loretta said that she had heard the sound of someone breathing out. We all then heard a choking type sound and this was also captured as an EVP.
I felt the spirit of the female drawing close and as I said so, a cold breeze swept over my hands. Everyone said that they were feeling really cold although the night was very warm. I heard a breath 'huffing' sound to my left. There was an old photograph of a very stern looking, older lady on the wall. Ben and I were staring at the photo for a while and we both saw the image of a skull at exactly the same time. We picked up an EVP of a woman sighing. I had heard the sigh and I imitated it for the rest of the group and another sigh seemed to copy me.
After a while, we all felt that the female spirit had left the room and it was quiet for a long time. We all then felt this female presence return and as we did, there was a tap on the table and a clicking noise to my left in the corner. We had all been drawn to this corner as we felt something was lurking there. We sat quietly and then we all heard a noise which sounded like a chain clinking. As we sat there, we heard a creaking noise. We then heard a shuffling noise, followed by a long sigh.
We decided to try a session with the Spirit Box. I asked, “Could you speak?” We heard a voice from the Spirit Box say 'Speak.' I kept asking for any spirit present to speak and the Spirit Box emitted a crying sound, an intake of breath and then a voice that said either Emma or Anna. We could not decide which.
DOWNSTAIRS
We assembled together downstairs and I 'called out.' We heard a shifting noise and a knock on table. Suddenly, we all smelt soot. It was very strong. There was another knock on the table. We asked the spirits present if they could affect a piece of our equipment when we asked questions. We asked how old the spirit communicating was but there was no response. I asked if the spirit could make a sound. I actually meant a voice but we all heard the sound of movement. I kept asking the spirit's age when they died and we received the information that they were in their 70's but not specific. We asked if we were talking to the same female spirit and we received an affirmative response.
We asked:
Did you live here? Yes.
Did you work here? No.
Was this your house? Yes.
Was it the blacksmith's house? Yes.
Was your husband the blacksmith? Yes.
Is that why we could smell soot? Yes.
Is your husband here with you? No.
Are you trapped here? No.
Are you only here some of the time? No response.
Do you watch people who come here? Like.
You like people here? No response.
Sharon and I both had a pain in our chests. The spirit said that it was nothing to do with her. I suddenly became very cold. The spirit said that my coldness was nothing to do with her either. We all heard a strange sound in the room which sounded like a cat. I felt someone touch my arm and Matt (who was standing next to me), shivered and said that the coldness was seeping into him.
We thought that this lady liked us being there but we weren't entirely sure. We asked her when she died and we received the information that it was sometime during the 1600's. We asked if she was lonely but we did not receive a response. We asked if she felt bad tempered and received an affirmative response. At this point we obtained an EVP which sounded like, 'Ahhhhhh.' and we also captured another 'Ahhhhh' sound.
Lauren said that someone touched her head. I was freezing cold. Loretta said that she felt that the spirit was trying to tell me something. After this I received a prediction from the spirit which although I will not disclose, came to fruition five months later. Amazing! As it was very late, we decided to finish our investigation. On behalf of the team, I would like to thank Jacky and Dave Wicheard for securing this lovely location and for the owner for allowing us access.
Written by: Maria Williams
