The hamlet of Beeston lies on either side of the very busy A1 just south of Sandy. Half of the houses in the village, including the village pub, face towards the A1. The other half of the village faces in towards a large square green measuring 5.3 hectares (13 acres) which is a registered common. Beeston is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the name is given as Bilston.

In the 1960s the A1, the Great North Road, which passes through Beeston, was upgraded to a dual carriageway slicing straight through the heart of the hamlet. Now the only way to walk from one side of the hamlet to the other is via a footbridge over the A1. If you choose to drive then it is just 50 metres from the east side of the hamlet to the west but going back it is a 1,500 metres drive as there is no way across the dual carriageway so you have to go north along the A1 and around the Black cat roundabout.

Beeston

The Cross

The most recent haunting incident that has occurred at the Cross was in response to a group of sceptics. After categorically stating that ghosts didn't exist, the chalk on the pool table, where they were playing, suddenly rose into the air. Sometime later a bottle of whisky fell off the shelf for no reason and smashed. After that they were not so sceptical. Other happenings have included the beer gas turning itself off and the lager line has somehow managed to revert to the empty barrel just after it had been changed. The previous owners warned the new owners about the ghost, at first they weren't convinced; now they are.

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Beeston, The Cross