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General
The village of Bletsoe is relatively small with a population of only 210. It lies just under ten kilometres to the north of Bedford and consists of rows of estate cottages and more modern houses around the triangular village green. Unlike most villages the present day population is less than it was in the 1600s.
The mother of Henry VII, Lady Margaret Beaufort, lived in the village; it was also the seat of Oliver St John who was Parliamentary leader during the English Civil War. He was one of the signatories to Charles I’s death warrant.
Bletsoe Castle is the remains of a mansion built in the sixteenth century by the St John family. To the north-west of the village the remains have been found of a Saxon burial site and Roman buildings.
The name derives from an Old English personal name and the word hoh meaning ‘Blecci’s hill-spur‘. In the Domesday Book the name is given as Blecheshou.
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The Falcon Inn
In the old stables (which is now used as a bottle store) of the sixteenth century inn there is reported a very strong feeling that you are being watched.
One previous resident of the inn who stayed there for five months said that there is a corridor upstairs at the back of the building where can be heard the sound of a very heavy footed person walking up and down. He also reported that he had seen the feet of this person underneath his bedroom door but there was never anyone there when the door was opened. In addition the loud screams of a baby in pain have been heard. These were heard whilst the previously mentioned resident and others were staying in a bedroom at the back of the house. This crying would only happen once or twice every two to three months and was also heard by the Head Chef.
At the front of the building one bedroom (on the left) was occupied by the Dessert Chef. She would leave her room in an untidy state (clothes all over the place) only to return and find it tidy. This was witnessed by the aforementioned resident who saw her lock the room when they left yet all was neat and tidy when they returned.
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Bletsoe, The Falcon Inn
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