Hemel Hempstead

Contents -- Click to go to item

General
The Crown Inn
The Nickey Line
Odeon Cinema
The Olde King's Arms
The White Hart

A brief note about the area
A paranormal investigation teams’ feelings
The sound of a train whistle.
Strange moaning sounds and flying objects
A big fat laughing ghost, could it be Henry VIII?
A feeling of terror and a distressed ghost
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General

Hemel Hempstead has been occupied for some time with evidence of New Stone Age, Iron Age and Bronze Age man.

The name Hemel is thought to have derived from Haemele which was the name for the region in the eighth century when the town is first mentioned in written records. Haemele is believed to have been based on the name of the man who owned the area but it could also mean the confluence of two rivers which would have been the Gade and Bulbourne. In the Domesday Book the name is given as Hamelamesede.

The area was originally a forest. Since then it grew into a small market town. Most of the town’s growth has happened since the New Towns act of 1947.

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The Crown Inn

The Crown Inn in Hemel Hempstead (now known as the Rose and Crown) is known to have existed as far back as 1523. In 2000 a paranormal investigation team visited the inn for an all night vigil. During the night one of the team members felt ‘suddenly chilled’ and could tell from the expression on a colleague’s face that he felt the same. There was nothing unusual to be seen and the only thing visible on the photographs they took were several orbs which seemed to glow with their own light.

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Odeon Cinema

At the Odeon Cinema in Jarman Park, Hemel Hempstead objects have been reported flying through the air in one particular room. Strange moaning sounds have also been heard coming from the same area. This has all taken place very recently.

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The Nickey Line

On the now disused Nickey Line the sound of a train whistle has been heard which is thought to be that of a train which used to regularly run on the line.

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To view images see: Hemel Hempstead Album

To view a report about the Nickey Line see: 27-04-2007

The Nickey Line Hemel Hempstead, The Nickey Line
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The Olde King's Arms

The Olde King’s Arms is a heavily timbered building which was first mentioned in the early 1600s. The inn is rumoured to have been used as a meeting place between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn when they were courting. Several members of staff have reported seeing a ‘big fat man’ who would sit on one of the beds and laugh. As Henry VIII was a statuesque figure with an ever expanding girth in his later years could the ghost be that of Henry himself?

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The White Hart

In the White Hart Inn both customers and staff have had bad feelings when they approach the stairs. Customers have had a sudden and unaccountable feeling of terror and one member of staff just couldn’t explain why she wouldn’t go near the stairs. The ghost of a man has been seen haunting the stairway though no one knows why. Usually his face is seen and he appears to be terribly distressed.

One legend tells of a young man who was tricked into accepting the King’s shilling when he was given a glass of beer by a recruiting sergeant with the shilling in the bottom. The young man is said to have killed the sergeant and the officer’s ghost now haunts the inn. A variation on the legend has it that the young man was killed on the stairs whilst trying to escape the Press Gang. This version claims that his screams and cries can still be heard.

The main part of the inn certainly existed in 1655 with parts of the building dating back to 1530.

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