The George and Dragon is haunted by a ghost called Sukie. Sukie (or to give her real name Susan) was a teenaged waitress at the George and Dragon Inn some two hundred years ago. One day a well-dressed stranger came into the inn and she fell for him almost straight away. She thought that he felt the same way about her as he kept coming back to the inn. Unfortunately she also had three local admirers who were not as sophisticated as her gentleman. One day they decided to play a trick on her and bring her down to earth. They sent her a note making out that it had come from her gentleman and telling her to meet him in the nearby caves. At the due time Susan went to the caves, but instead of her gentleman she was confronted by the three locals who were laughing at her. In the struggle that ensued she fell and struck her head against the cave. As she lay unconscious the youths, realising what they had done, picked her up and carried her back to the inn where they laid her on her bed then hurriedly left. In the morning the other servants found her dead. The youths admitted what they had done but the local sheriff decided that she had died from the humiliation and a broken heart.

Only a few days after her funeral her bedroom became unnaturally cold at times and no one else would sleep there. Sometimes a white figure would appear in the corridors or would be seen in the garden. An American writer, Jhan Robbins, was intrigued by the story and wanted to spend the night in Sukie’s room. The landlord agreed and he shortly settled in for the night. Part way through the night he awoke with a start and a feeling as if icy hands had been placed on his forehead. When he turned the light on the feeling went away and the room was empty. Each time he turned the light off the cold feeling would return, and it would always vanish when he turned the light on. Then he noticed a pin point of light near the door. As he watched it grew until it was sixty centimetres wide and one hundred and twenty centimetres long. It had a strange, opaque, pearly quality and would vanish when he turned the light on, only to reappear when he turned it off. Plucking up courage he went over to the light, but as soon as he reached it he felt the most intense cold, he couldn’t breathe and his limbs felt heavy. Suddenly the shape moved towards him so he leapt back onto the bed and turned the light on, it vanished.

Objects have disappeared in the inn only to turn up somewhere else later. Footsteps have also been heard coming down the stairs, but these are thought to be those of a man who was said to have been robbed and murdered in one of the rooms in the second half of the eighteenth century. Sukie was once seen by the widow of a previous landlord. She had gone up to the bedroom to look for one of the kitchen staff and instead found a figure hunched over the fire. As she looked on the figure slowly faded away.

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Hellfire Caves

The Hellfire Caves at West Wycombe are now a tourist attraction open to the general public. Within the network of tunnels are scenes with models of members of the club all designed to help visitors realise the decadent activities that took place there over two hundred years ago.

One young girl had visited the caves with a party of friends but had wandered off by herself. Realising she was on her own she walked on down a tunnel expecting to catch up with them at any time. Soon she began to feel lost and frightened as she couldn’t see or even hear anyone. Eventually she decided it was best to turn round and try to retrace her steps. As she did so she became aware that the atmosphere had changed and it was now extremely cold. She moved off quickly down the tunnel then suddenly realised that someone was following her a little way behind. Looking back she saw a man in old-fashioned clothing. She did not feel that the man was threatening so she stopped and turned round to face him. The man stopped and stood looking at her for what seemed like a long time and then he simply disappeared.

The caves became famous because of their use by the Hellfire Club, even though the club only met there a few times as the caves were too damp. In fact, most of the time, they met at nearby Medmenham Abbey. The excavation of the caves was initiated by Sir Francis Dashwood during the eighteenth century to give work to the large number of unemployed in the area, as well as being a place where the members of the Hellfire Club could pursue their activities without fear of being discovered. The club (and numerous others by the same name around the country) was basically an excuse for debauchery, a motto above the entrance to Medmenham Abbey declared “Do as you please”. To this end it is said that prostitutes dressed as nuns were shipped up from London.

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See also - Buckinghamshire - Medmenham - Medmenham Abbey

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - Local Roads

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - St Lawrence

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - West Wycombe Park

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Local Roads

We are not too sure about this one as we can not find the road the tale refers to.

It is said that on wintry February nights the ghost of a beautiful young lady appears in West Wycombe. One night she was driving home in her coach when she realised that she was being followed by members of the notorious Hellfire Club. Knowing of their reputation she urged her driver to go as fast as possible. By mistake the coachman took a wrong turning in Cressex Lane and ended up in the pond killing the woman.

The nearest we could get to Cressex Lane is Cressex Road but that is in High Wycombe. In the late 1800s Cressex was a farm to the south of High Wycombe about four kilometres from West Wycombe. At that time the road which is now called Cressex Road did exist and went westwards from the farm.

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See also - Buckinghamshire - Medmenham - Medmenham Abbey

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - Hellfire Caves

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - St Lawrence

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - West Wycombe Park

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Local Woods

In 1995 five teenaged girls decided to go camping. They pitched their tents in a field by a wood near West Wycombe and were enjoying themselves so much that it was soon 01:00. Suddenly they became aware of a howling noise which continued for a few minutes. This was followed by a bright flashing light which lit up the tents. Two of the girls plucked up enough courage to lift up the tent flap but by then the light had gone. Then the howling started again and this time all of the girls left the tent. To their horror they were confronted with the apparition of a headless rider on a white horse which was galloping across the field a metre off the ground.

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St Lawrence

The ghost of Sir Francis Dashwood, who founded the notorious Hellfire Club in 1752, is said to ride, at breakneck speed, up the hill towards St Lawrence Church. The church is clearly visible on top of the hill and adorned with a large golden ball where Dashwood and other members of the Hellfire Club were said to have played cards.

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See also - Buckinghamshire - Medmenham - Medmenham Abbey

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - Hellfire Caves

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - Local Roads

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - West Wycombe Park

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West Wycombe Park

In 1774 Paul Whitehead, an old friend of Sir Francis Dashwood who was the owner of West Wycombe Park and the founder of the Hellfire Club, fell ill and died. At his request his heart was embalmed and presented to Sir Francis. After that his ghost was seen in the grounds of West Wycombe Park, allegedly looking for his friend. In 1781 the ghost was particularly active and could be seen waving and beckoning from the woods. The ghost did not confine itself to the park as it was also seen in the garden and around the house. On 11th December 1781 Dashwood died and after that the ghost of Paul Whitehead no longer haunted the park.

The music room in the house is haunted by the ghost of a lady who is thought to be the grandmother of Sir Francis Dashwood. Noel Coward claimed to have seen a smiling monk in the music room while he was playing the piano there. The monk has also been seen standing quietly on the ground floor smiling at visitors.

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See also - Buckinghamshire - Medmenham - Medmenham Abbey

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - Hellfire Caves

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - Local Roads

See also - Buckinghamshire - West Wycombe - St Lawrence