The Four Crosses Inn was built in 1636 and constructed using recycled timbers from old ships that pre-date the pub by hundreds of years, so who knows what spiritual energies rest at this location from those old ships. The Inn lies on Watling Street, a famous Roman Road that has been in use for nearly 2000 years.

 

At the time during the English Civil War, the area around Staffordshire was centred in power struggles between the Parliamentarians (Roundheads) and the Royalists (Cavaliers), many of whom would've visited, drank and stayed over at coaching inns like the Four Crosses, as they were perfect places for recruitment. 12 miles north of the Four Crosses was where the famous Battle of Hopton Heath took place in March 1643, led by Sir John Gell of the Roundheads and the Earl of Northampton of the Cavaliers. The result of the battle was indecisive, though many lives were lost.

In the 1700s, there were many stories told about highwaymen visiting and drinking in the inn, before or after committing their crimes. One legend says that the famous Dick Turpin visited the Four Crosses once, but it's not known if this story is true or not (guess we must investigate and find out!). Another story tells that the famous poet and writer Jonathan Swift visited the Four Crosses in the late 1600s, where he had a dispute with the landlord's wife. Being frustrated, he used his diamond ring to etch onto a window pane the following words: 'Thy fool, to hand four crosses at the door! Hang up thy wife! There needs not any more'. Sadly this window pane no longer exists, but maybe we can get more information on this from spirit.

 

During its tenure as a coaching inn and pub, there have been several reported deaths taking place on site here, with many being from drunks who walked out in the road outside and got ran down and killed. This happened frequently because the main entry door was on the front roadside. As recent as 1980 did this tragic type of event occur, when a young boy ran out into the road and was hit by a passing car and killed. The front door then became blocked and inaccessible only after this sad death happened, and the entrance is now on the rear side of the building. And in the 1800s, a baby climbed onto a table in one of the upstairs rooms and horrifically fell off and died.

 

In recent times there was a great discovery behind a bricked up chimney, where a 150-year old Coachman's uniform was found hidden and undisturbed.

The Four Crosses is said to be one of the most haunted former coaching inns in Great Britain, with a cluster of paranormal activity reported and experienced.

 

The spirit of a young girl has been seen and heard often in this building, with the possibility that she was the daughter of a past landlord here. On top of this, a young boy died in 1980 when he ran out of the building into the middle of the road and was killed by an oncoming car. His spirit is also said to be around the building, with their ghosts said to be seen peeking out of the windows overlooking Watling Street. Will these youthful souls come forward and greet us, or are they playing hide and seek and we will have to find them?

 

A male shadow figure is also reported to haunt this old pub, scaring visitors and other ghost hunters down in the cellar as well as the downstairs bar area. It is unknown if he is a former landlord, a drunk who lost his life or someone entirely different.

 

Disembodied voices and screams echo throughout the fabric of this building, almost as if the place is still alive with happy-go drinkers and the families who once lived here. In the 1800s, a tragedy happened when a baby somehow climbed up onto a table in one of the upstairs bedrooms, and sadly fell off and met their untimely death, could some of these screams be attributed to this harrowing event?

 

Reports of glasses being thrown, furniture being dragged and loud heavy taps and footsteps are just some of the other paranormal activity that has been witnessed here.

 

Another account tells of a ghostly Roundhead soldier seen sitting near the parlour, drinking his final drink before disappearing away. It's believed with high tensions taking place in this area during the English Civil War, that this character returns to his final happy place before perishing in battle.

 

There have also been stories of suicides taking place in the rooms of this quaint establishment, so it'll be interesting to try and contact these despairing souls and listen to their stories of why they ended their lives.

 

And located not too far from the Four Crosses is the notorious Cannock Chase, a vast forest of paranormal phenomena from black-eyed children to UFO sightings. Will any of this have an effect on the night's investigation?

DATE: Saturday 8th March 2025

 

TIMES: 9:00pm - 3:00am / Sleepover until 7:30am (arrive 15 minutes early and wait patiently outside the rear car park until a member of our team greets you at the door for registration)

 

LOCATION: Four Crosses Inn, Watling Street, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1RX

 

PARKING AT EVENT: On-site car park at rear of the building.

 

REMAINING BALANCE: Needs to be paid FOUR WEEKS prior to the event date. Failure to pay your remaining balance before this deadline will result in you forfeiting your places and your places will be sold on.

 

WHAT TO BRING: A torch, a warm coat/jacket, sensible footwear, any equipment you wish to bring along (your responsibility), your positive and open-minded energies.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Bringing alcohol or illegal drugs to this event is strictly prohibited. If anyone arrives at the event under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, they will not be allowed to stay for the night and will be asked to leave immediately.

This event includes you sleeping overnight at the Four Crosses Inn as part of your ticket price. However, sleepover is optional and so you don't have to stay and sleep overnight if you don't want to.

 

Once your Ghost Hunt has ended, you will have the option of going to sleep straight after or continuing to investigate for another hour, after which everyone (including our team) will stop investigating and will head to bed for the night.

 

If you are sleeping over, please bring a sleeping bag/camping bed/air mattress for the night as bedding isn't provided. There are bedrooms with some beds in, but they're not safe to sleep on. Breakfast won't be provided so please bring something to eat for the morning. Alternatively, there is the Truckers Rest Cafe 30 seconds away from the Four Crosses Inn if you want breakfast. Leaving time is at 7:30am.