Paranormal Places: Haunted Dudley pt2

 In part 2 of our haunted Dudley special investigation we take a look at some other places that are reported to be haunted in Dudley, West Midlands 

The Old Bulls Head

History & Heritage

• The building dates from around c.1900 (circa the turn of the 20th century) according to listing information: “Public house and brewhouse. Circa 1900. Red brick with some terracotta dressings…”  

• It is listed on the National Heritage List for England (List Entry Number 1116889) as “The Old Bull’s Head Public House and Brewhouse”.  

The juke box here used to play by itself even when not plugged in, items have been found to have been moved, cold spots heard, strange music being played and four ghosts; a shadowy figure, a lady in red in the stable area, a man in the cellar and a lady in grey.

BY  IAN · PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 10, 2015 · UPDATED DECEMBER 23, 2018

At least three ghosts are said to haunt the Old Bulls Head Inn. Whether any of them is responsible for the poltergeist type activity here no one knows. Objects disappear and reappear again in strange places. On one occasion a book from the bookcase was left open on the table even though nobody had touched it.

Figures have been seen walking upstairs and moving around in seemingly empty rooms. The three ghosts reputedly haunting the Old Bulls Head include a man in the cellar, a grey lady and a lady in red who haunts the area behind the pub which may have been a coaching house at one time. The story of the lady in red is an all too familiar one. A servant girl who took a lover was cruelly jilted after probably falling pregnant by him.

Here are some of the key claims:

• According to the site Mysterious Britain & Ireland, the pub (then often called the “Old Bulls Head Inn, Gornal”) is said to be haunted by at least three ghosts.  

• Reports include:

• A “man in the cellar” being seen.  

• A “grey lady” apparition.  

• A “lady in red” who haunts the area behind the pub (which may once have been a coaching house).  

• Some poltergeist-type phenomena: objects disappearing and reappearing in strange places, a book being found open on a table though no one had touched it.  

The Chapel house Inn

Information is scarce but some bullet points;

• The pub is noted to have been established around 1834, which makes it quite historic for a village pub.  

• Its former name was the “Miners Arms”.  

• A recent refurbishment uncovered original sandstone facade behind cladding, revealing a traditional local building material aesthetic.  

• Inside, it features a dedicated stage area for live music (especially Fridays to Sundays) and real fires for colder months.  

The Crooked House pub: The UK’s wonkiest pub

The Crooked House was located on Himley Road (B4176) near Himley, close to Dudley, West Midlands (sometimes described as “near Dudley”).  

• Originally built in 1765 as a farmhouse/millhouse before being converted into a pub in the 1830s.  

• It became well-known for its extreme tilt: one side of the building was around 4 ft (≈1.2 m) lower than the other due to subsidence from historic mining in the area.  

• It was commonly called “Britain’s wonkiest pub” due to its slanted structure and the optical illusions inside (coins/balls rolling uphill along the bar).  

Wonky?

• This refers to the pub’s structural uniqueness: Because of the lean, the building had a slope of approximately 15 degrees in parts, making it a quirky attraction.  

• Its novelty drew visitors beyond just locals: that tilt, the optical illusion bar, the history of subsidence — all added interest.  

•  The pub embodied a slice of Black Country history: the mining, the subsidence, the quirky survival of an old building. It also held strong sentimental value for the community.  

The building highlighted:

• Built 1765 as part of the Glynne estate (the millhouse) and later converted into a pub in the early 19th century (around the 1830s).  

• During the 1850s the effects of mining led the building gradually to sink on one side — this caused the nickname “Siden House” (Black Country dialect for “crooked”).  

• In the 1940s the building was deemed unsafe and scheduled for demolition, but was bought and reinforced (tie rods, buttresses) so it could continue as a pub.  

• In March 2023 the building (freehold) was put up for sale by its owner, the brewery Marston’s plc, with a guide price around £675,000.  

Tragedy

The Fire, Demolition & Aftermath:

• On 5 August 2023, a fire broke out which extensively damaged the pub. The blaze occurred shortly (roughly two weeks) after the sale had completed.  

• The incident is under investigation and being treated as suspected arson by the police.  

• Two days after the fire, the building was demolished (despite the local council stating only partial demolition had been authorised). The rapid demolition sparked controversy.  

• In February 2024, the local authority South Staffordshire Council issued an enforcement notice ordering the owners to rebuild the pub “back to what it was before the fire” within three years.  

As well as being wacky it was reputedly haunted by several ghosts. These included a Roundhead soldier who died near the house, an entity described as being "from long ago," and another with unintelligible speech, according to paranormal investigators. 

• The Roundhead: One of the ghosts claimed to be a Roundhead soldier who died near a tree that was known for causing accidents.
• The Entity from "Long Ago": Another spirit identified itself as being from the distant past.
• The Unintelligible Entity: A third spirit spoke in a jumbled, unintelligible way.
• The Pub's History: The house was built in the 18th century, but became a pub in the 1940s and gained a reputation for being haunted, reports of which were documented by groups like the Ghost Club. 

An article from the local newspaper Express and Star :

“A spooky tale of ghosts that haunted the Crooked House pub, terrifying those that stayed there

Half-an-hour before the church bells rang out Christmas Day, a woman staying at the Crooked House – that lost, much lamented slice of architectural eccentricity – was startled by the metallic shrill of spurs on oak floorboards.

She pulled bedsheets over her open mouth, her heart-beat raced and her eyes widened as the bedroom door slowly creaked open.

In the dim light, the startled guest could make out a figure, in full Royalist uniform, of an English Civil War trooper.

The Woman was  “fearfully startled”, 

Advancing to the foot of her bed, he leaned over it and, looking steadfastly at her, open and closed his mouth in quick succession as if desirous to speak, but for some peculiar reason was unable to utter a sound.

Convinced by this time that her visitor was a denizen of the other world and no ill-mannered practical joker, the lady became paralysed with fear.

At last the ghost abandoned its efforts and, moving towards the fireplace, with an infinitely sad expression in its eyes, pointed emphatically at the hearthstone and vanished.

When she screamed and switched on the bedside lamp all that remained was the disappearing sound of spurs.”

“The woman had endured a chilling close encounter with a ghoul that, according to the Express and Star article, was a regular Christmas Eve visitor to the wonky Himley watering hole.”

I’m not sure why. The building was erected as a farmhouse in 1765 – long after the Civil War battles – and didn’t become a pub until around 1830.

Yet, in the 1930s, the Cavalier appeared regularly on December 24 and attempted to converse with sozzled regulars.

The Spooky Isle website also published an article on the ghostly goings on at Britain’s wonkiest pub:

The Crooked House itself was home to at least two reported ghosts. A young girl dressed as a parlour maid, complete with cap, had been seen standing near the old fireplace. A visiting psychic who saw her was able to name the young lady, and she was known locally as Polly. She was thought to be responsible for any mischievous activity in the pub, such as things going missing or getting moved. It seems Polly was more likely to have been associated with the earlier Georgian farmhouse.

Inside the bar of The Crooked House, where only the hanging lamp appears to be vertical.

On occasions, staff and customers alike reported seeing an old man, described as being quite short and in his 60s or 70s, entering the old bar silently. At first, nothing seemed untoward until it was realised that he had suddenly disappeared, with nobody seeing him leave. It was thought by staff that he may have been a former landlord returning to check on his old pub.

In a rather strange portent of future events, a rumour was circulating in 1952 that the Crooked House had been demolished, and people were actually turning up to view the ruins. It was even reported in the Birmingham Gazette that a group from Rochdale who stopped off at Wolverhampton on their way to the Crooked House were told it was a waste of time as the pub no longer existed.

There is a strong local feeling to get the Crooked House rebuilt from the remaining bricks, which are now in storage. If it is, it will be interesting to see if Polly and the old landlord return to their former home.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crooked_House

https://youtu.be/aLwiUuPpXgs?si=CVOXNTu4f12NzCQg

The green man: a now lost pub gracing the name of The Green Man, the Oak King. 

Situated on Castle Hill, the town centre pub has long gone but there are stories of dirty deeds, secret societies and ghosts in its legendary entrance alley.

The historic Green Man pub in Dudley was first recorded in 1793 and was located on the Green Man Entry, which connects Castle Street and Tower Street. The pub was a landmark, but it closed its doors in 1975. Today, the Green Man Entry is paved with historic Rowley Rag cobbles, and a replacement plaque, modeled by John McKenna and Darren Sutton, marks the former site of the pub. 

• First Recorded: The Green Man pub was first recorded in 1793.
• Location: It was situated on the Green Man Entry, an ancient pathway that runs between Castle Street and Tower Street in Dudley.
• Landmarks: The entry is paved with historic Rowley Rag cobbles, and a plaque now marks the location of the former pub.
• Closure: The pub closed permanently in 1975. 

Many locals talk of terrible deeds committed in the entry and links with a secret organisation that used to meet in The Green Man. It is said that the entry was used for murder of the organisations enemies and people who have wronged their organisation. True? Well who knows as actual written evidence is around.If it is true then this would make it just the kind of place to be haunted.

https://youtu.be/9s_T0VF4cCs?si=Uw5Wb5Sbpitem5r2

Dudley Canal Tunnel

If you take a trip through the tunnels, after the first section from the entrance the boat enters the Castle Mill Basin. It is here that the ghosts of two children have been seen near to the entrance to the Wren’s Nest Tunnel. The story is that the youngsters tried to get through the tunnel on a home-made raft and perished in the attempt. 

They are briefly seen standing just above the water line as if awaiting rescue by the tourist boats as they pass by there. A man in old fashioned working clothes has also been seen in the deeper parts of the limestone caverns. Visitors often comment on how authentic he looks until told afterwards that no present day employees were working down there at the time of the sighting. 

https://youtu.be/YI89hPYD8GI?si=wEzNSAbi9JtJHMEi

https://dudleycanaltrust.org.uk/

St Edmunds Church and the hanged man

Saint Edmund’s Church is better known locally as ‘bottom church’. The church is associated with a local hangman, Edward Croaker, who is buried in the churchyard there. Local legend maintains that at the stroke of midnight the ghost of Edward Croaker rises up from his grave to be pursued by the shades of those he had executed.

One popular story of ‘Croaker’s Ghost’ concerns a group of young men drinking in the nearby Hawke’s Head Inn. They dared one of their number to spend the hour after midnight sitting on Croaker’s grave for a bet. In order to prove he had done it the young man was to leave his dagger plunged in the earth over the grave. 

The drunken young man was seen to enter the churchyard but no-one else had the nerve to stay around to witness the deed. The next morning the young man was missing. A search revealed his corpse laid out alongside Croaker’s grave with a look of sheer terror on his face. The young man had died of shock. Naturally this story added greatly to the ghostly legend of Edward Croaker.

https://stedmundsdudley.wordpress.com/

The Malt Shovel 

The Malt Shovel pub in Dudley is also haunted.

Historian Andrew Homer, author of Black Country Ghosts and Hauntings, reveals some of our area's darkest tales, such as the claims that some still see the misty form of a 14-year-old boy found bludgeoned with an axe nearly 100 years ago.

As a former secretary of the Black Country Society, Homer's passion and knowledge of the region is unmatched – and he shares all in his writings. He said: "When it comes to dark history, the Black Country is aptly named. The fascination for me is in the often tragic stories of real people such as Catherine Eddowes, born in Wolverhampton but died in London at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Or murderer William Howe, one of the last men in England to be gibbeted when his body was encased in an iron cage and left to rot as a warning to others.

"The industrial revolution forged the Black Country, but it also forged the spirit of people who were forced to endure appalling living and working conditions. Their stories too deserve to be told." (Source: Express & Star).

https://www.facebook.com/TheMaltShovelDudley/?locale=en_GB

Paranormal phenomena associated with the pub being in one of Dudley's most haunted areas. 

• Blue Boy: A misty, indistinct figure that is sometimes seen in the upper windows of the pub.
• Small person and black dog: An apparition of a small person who appears with a black dog. When staff or customers investigate, the figures disappear without a trace.
• Other activity: Guests report being pushed from behind by unseen hands, and glasses have been known to shake violently or fly off their hooks for no reason. 

https://youtu.be/uukBo5gD8YU?si=wiCuwrol_p675xD1

The Court House

The Court House is a historic pub located at 30 New Street, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 1LP.  

It has a notable presence: a large three‑storey brick building, situated on the corner of New Street and Tower Street in Dudley town centre.  

Historical & Architectural Notes

• The site has hosted a pub since at least 1860.  

• The building was rebuilt (or substantially refurbished) in the 1930s by local brewer Julia Hanson & Sons Ltd.  

• It is of traditional three‑storey construction with pitched mansard and flat roofs, large stone mullion leaded windows above the entrance, and prominent chimney stacks and dormer windows.  

• Although not a nationally listed building, it is locally listed and lies within a conservation area.  

According to a site called “Mysterious Britain & Ireland”, the pub is “situated in one of the most haunted areas of Dudley”.  

• Reported phenomena include: noises from the cellar when no one is down there; names of staff being called from upstairs when nobody’s present; beer glasses being lifted off shelves and then smashed onto the floor.  

• A figure has reportedly been seen walking through the bar into the pool room, but when staff check, there’s no one there and nowhere obvious the figure could have gone.  

Our thoughts and caveats

• These are anecdotal reports — there’s no verified scientific investigation (at least publicly documented) that confirms the hauntings with certainty.

• “Haunted” doesn’t necessarily mean malevolent; many of these stories reflect unexplained sounds or movements rather than aggressive activity.

• Some of the reports may be influenced by the building’s large size, old features, hidden corners, and the fact that pubs often have odd acoustics or reflections which can trigger misperceptions.

https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/hauntings/the-courthouse-dudley/

https://youtu.be/MNMKCagbbZ0?si=EmeGkH5lnU000Svn

Shrewsbury Arms

As with many old pubs in Dudley, rumours of ghostly activity surround the Shrewsbury Arms. Staff and patrons have occasionally reported strange happenings — unexplained footsteps, flickering lights, and a sense of being watched in empty rooms. Some believe these hauntings could be tied to the building’s long history or to nearby historical sites such as Dudley Castle, known for its own spectral legends. While there’s no firm evidence of paranormal activity, the stories contribute to the pub’s mystique and local folklore.

The Shrewsbury Arms is haunted by a seemingly benign chap nicknamed Old Joe. He is a figure in a cloth cap who has been seen in the cellar and walking around the bar after the pub is closed. He has been seen by a number of people over the years but there is no clue as to why he is associated with the pub.

‘GhostNav: Black Country Ghosts’

The Shrewsbury Arms dates back to the Victorian era, when Dudley was a bustling industrial town surrounded by coal mines, foundries, and glassworks. Pubs like the Shrewsbury Arms served as vital gathering places for miners, ironworkers, and locals looking to unwind after a long day’s labour. The building itself is believed to have been constructed in the late 1800s, featuring classic red brick architecture typical of the period.

Throughout its history, the pub has seen generations of Dudley residents pass through its doors, and its name — “Shrewsbury Arms” — likely pays homage to the Earl of Shrewsbury, a title historically connected to the region. Many pubs across England were named in honour of noble families or local landowners, symbolising ties to regional heritage and patronage.

https://www.admiraltaverns.co.uk/pubs/shrewsbury-arms-dudley/

https://youtu.be/vVAmBlDJBhA?si=I_kQI_X_Xa32sJOr

The Swan

 History 

• The pub was originally known as the “Swan with Two Necks” (a somewhat curious name). It has its roots in the early 19th century.  

• Over the years it changed hands multiple times: It was owned by Richard Davies of Dudley in 1841, later by Joule’s brewery of Stone, Staffordshire, and then passed to Mitchells & Butlers in 1968

There are reports that The Swan in Amblecote is haunted. Here’s what the local lore and sources say:

• According to local news, the pub is said to be haunted by the ghost of a beggar who, on a freezing night, was allegedly refused shelter or assistance by the landlord, ended up sleeping in the doorway, and later died there.  

• The site is listed in a paranormal-database entry as having a “haunting manifestation” type story: “the pub is reputedly haunted by an early twentieth-century beggar who froze to death in the doorway after being turned away by a former landlord.”  

What to make of it?

• The stories are folklore: they’re based on local recollections and anecdotal accounts rather than documented paranormal investigations with verifiable evidence.

• Because the building is old (dating back well over a century) and has a lot of character, it’s the sort of place where such ghost stories naturally accumulate.

• If you visit, keep in mind: even if you don’t “see a ghost,” the atmosphere, architecture and history may give a spooky feel

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/white-swan-dudley-146505

The Dudley Arms (Himley, West Midlands)

• Heritage Building: This is a Grade II listed building located on Wolverhampton Road, Himley.
• Protected Status: It is protected by law and is not usually open to the public, with the most recent listing date being December 18, 1987. 

You know you shouldn't, but it's got to be done, writes 'The Insider'. Scouting around the Dudley Arms to see if anybody resembles King Edward VIII.

The infamous monarch is said to have been a regular at the pub during the 1920s and 1930s, with his own private gateway from nearby Himley Hall, and is supposed to have been very popular with the local ladies.

Dudley Arms, Himley

BY  IAN · PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2015 · UPDATED DECEMBER 22, 2018

It is no surprise that The Dudley Arms is haunted given the amount of paranormal activity reported in the surrounding area. The pub is said to be haunted by one of the previous landlords who loved the pub so much he simply refuses to leave.

He is responsible for lights being switched on and off both upstairs and downstairs in the bar areas. Staff can be certain they have turned lights off only to find them turned on again by some unseen hand.