Stourbridge pub named one of the UK's most haunted watering holes
A 200-year-old pub is part of a long-standing local folk tale following its tragic history and years of spooky encounters.
Nestled in the heart of Amblecote in Dudley, The Starving Rascal pub has been named as one of the UK’s most haunted – and a CCTV video shared by its new owners shows why.
The Starving Rascal has been identified as one of the most haunted watering holes by pub company Ei Publican Partnerships.
It was chosen from more than 4,600 buildings, alongside Ye Olde Man and Scythe in Greater Manchester and the White Horse in Dover.
The pub was originally built in the early 1800s and opened as The Dudley Arms.
However it’s believed that in the early 20th century, a tragic set of circumstances led the pub to become haunted by a local beggar.
On a freezing cold night, a ‘rascal’ is said to have asked the landlord for food and water, but he refused. The man then lay down for the night in the doorway of the pub and was found dead in the same spot the next morning.
It was in 1977 that the pub was given its now iconic name to reflect its history.
Over the years, it has been the chosen location for a number of paranormal research companies who have found signs of ghostly activity.
Now, its new publican, Conner Mills, who only reopened the pub’s doors in June has already witnessed some unexplainable action, caught on the pub’s CCTV.
In the clip, a camera covering a quiet corner of the pub at 2.40pm in the afternoon captures the moment a picture that had been firmly hooked on the wall flies into shot.
Conner said: “We hadn’t been at the pub long when we had our first encounter. The photo was fixed to the wall and it didn’t just drop off or it would have landed directly down on the bench.
"Instead it’s clearly been thrown to end up where we found it, that’s why we checked the CCTV. We were a bit spooked by what we saw, but the pub’s history is what attracted us to it and we were aware that it’s haunted.”
Nick Light, managing director for Ei Publican Partnerships, added: “Many pubs are steeped in history as public houses have been in existence for so long but, for some of those with a more sinister past, strange goings-on are still being reported today.
"So, as we head towards Halloween, we’ve identified our most haunted pubs for those that like to explore their spooky local landmarks.”
Ei Publican Partnerships pubs across the country will be marking Halloween with events, decorations and seasonal beers including Hobgoblin.
If you can’t make it to the pub, supernatural enthusiasts are being dared to take part in the Hobgoblin ‘Come to The Dark’ game which has a spooky quiz and plenty of prizes up for grabs.
