Cross Keys Hotel

COLIN SMITH | August 1, 2023 at 3:57 pm

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SAFFRON WALDEN (INDOOR) – CROSS KEYS HOTEL (ESSEX)
TIME: 23:30hrs MONTH: March YEAR: 2007
TEAM MEMBERS: COLIN SMITH / LIZ SMITH / ANDY BALL (Medium) / DENISE SMITH (PSYCHIC
MEDIUM) / PETE BEALE / DAVE WOOD (MEDIUM) / EMMA LONTON (RESEARCHER)
GUEST: CHRIS WEET (RESEARCHER)
OTHER GUESTS: None
EQUIPMENT: 2x camcorder (1 X DVD with nightvision), 6 x Digital camera, EMF Meter, Walkie Talkies,
Laptop PC, Trigger Object, Recording Paperwork.
GHOST HUNT TEAM had wanted to do an indoor location for quite some time, so when the Epping
invetigation was postponed, a new venue was quickly looked into. This came about simply from a
picture of a “ghost” photographed in a room at the old Cross Keys Hotel in Saffron Walden, Essex. After
discussing room rates with the owner, permission was granted for the team to hold an investigation in
two rooms at the Hotel. The team jumped at the chance!!. The Cross Keys stands in the centre of the
town at the junction of High Street and King Street, it is a wondeful half-timbered building which dates
at least from the 14th century with later additions. Its haunted reputation has been mentioned in
several local books, plus an American ghost hunting guide and a TV programme on Anglia TV as well. The
main ghost is supposed to be one of a Civil War soldier and the most haunted room is No6. But will GHT
find out there is more to this building and will we find that many other spirits roam its rooms and
corridors….??? This is to be an all-night vigil, we started at 23:30hrs and ended around 04:45hrs.
May we take this oppertunity to extend a big “Thank You” to the owner and staff at the Cross Keys Hotel
for allowing this vigil to take place and for their kind hospitality.
RESULTS:
Once again, Recording sheet details were handled by mostly Chris and Emma, who have done a
wonderful job of time-indexing the whole vigil and writing up all reported phenomena. Again, the results
are transposed to here word-4-word. Prior to the vigil commencing, Emma noted down some initial
finding by Andy and Dave from the time they just walked in. Andy came up with a name near the
staircase of Elizabeth Kent and a date of 1842, then he got Elizabeth Tollermarche and…. Oliver
Cromwell!!!! both about 1652. Dave also picked up on the stairs an Elizabeth and a Virginia with a date
of 1912.
23:30hrs – Baseline tests: Both rooms 5 and 6 were swept for EMF readings, checked for hot/cold spots
and any know features that the team would have to take note of when working in the dark. The results
for both rooms were:
Room 5: (clockwise from door) doorway 2.0 – first corner 6.0 (power cable?) – small alcove 2.0 (metal
hooks) – chest of drawers/tv 1.0 – sink area 1.0 to offscale (power cable) – window area offscale (metal
frame/cable) – Bed one 2.0 – Bed two 2.0 – window area 1.0 – space between beds offscale (cable) – Bed
three offscale (cable found along wall base)
Room 6 (Haunted room) – (clockwise from door) False wall 1.0 – TV table 2.0 to 2.5 – drawer offscale
(possible cable) – Fan/kettle 2.0 – Window/wall/corner chair offscale (metal leaded window panes,
cables, light fitting) – Four poster bed pillow 5.0 – side table 2.0 – radio table 3.0 – wall 1.0 – bath area
offscale (cause unknown) – toilet 1.0 – sink area 1.0 – hanger area 2.0 to 4.0 (possible metal railing)
TEAM ONE, ROOM 6: Team one comprised of Colin, Dave, Emma and Pete. Vigil commenced at
23:30hrs
00:03: Dave gives the name John – no surname as yet 00:04: Pete senses a little girl standing by
the window looking out but with no obvious direction 00:07: Whilst lying on the 4-poster bed, Dave
gets the name Virginia 00:09: Pete is sitting in the corner chair by the bed, he is feeling upset and
wants to cry. Dave says there is a man sitting there who mourns his wife. Pete suggests the name
George 00:10: Both Dave and Pete feel the girl is the daughter of the mourning man and his late wife
00:15: Colin re-enters the room after briefly leaving, Pete is still in the chair feeling emotional. He is
crying. 00:20: Pete gives a name for the little girl of Amy and that she is waiting for her parents. Dave
believes Virginia died of pneumonia aged 34 00:23: Pete describes little girl wearing pink dress, frills
around bottom, shoulder length blonde hair in ringlets 00:25: Dave describes Virginia as
violet/purple dress with pleats, very expensive looking. Long brown hair just above waist level 00:30:
Dave does a call out. Movement near door attributed to Team 2 in Room 5. Dave get Virginia again, Pete
gets George and Amy. Dave see`s a light on the curtain. 00:35: Pete takes two pics and Dave asks for
Elizabeth to come forward – nothing. Asks again for George and Amy again 00:40: Both Dave and
Pete complain of back ache and Dave says there is more than 4 in the room. Dave asks for Elizabeth to
do something and feels his shirt being moved three times! 00:45: Colin just finishes telling the team
something when all four hear something fall, as if dropped between the wall and the floor behind Colin.
Pete says there is “…a nasty man” in the room. Dave says the “Witchfinder General” is with us… (This
would be Matthew Hopkins) 00:51: Colin warns Andy regarding Hopkins. Dave believes Hopkins is
somehow associated with the Cross Keys Hotel. Dave is told by Hopkins he won`t do anything, but if he
wanted to he can…. Emma confirms with Pete regarding an initial he picked up earlier. Pete says it was
“M”.
TEAM TWO, ROOM 5: Team two comprised of Andy, Liz, Denise and Chris. Vigil commenced at 23:30hrs
23:55: Garlic type smell 23:57: Andy is “told” – “be careful – we`re watching you…” 00:00: garlic
smell gets stronger 00:05: set up videotape camcorder in room 5 00:12: set up Trigger Object
experiment on table, photo taken to record position 00:25: Team relocates to the loft area, great
feeling of being out of room 5 for some reason (?). Loft is a cramped space, old beams using cruckshank
construction, possibly medieval but re-used by Victorians when upper storey was altered. Small, rotund
worker picked up on called William – no shirt, clean shaven, dark hair. Seems jolly and wearing boots.
Date given about 1400 to 1452 00:35: Denise see`s William too. Pub name given as “Black Bull” and
date of between 1710-1712 00:40: Team relocates again to main staircase from pub level. Woman
who was pushed down stairs picked up on, name of Janet / Janice with short curly hair. Also given in this
area was Charlotte / Clara / Lotti wearing a long dress, bustle, aged 24 approx with blue eyes and pale
complexion. Man in flock coat, grey hair with “evil laugh” 01:00: Andy picks up on a “mistress”.
MEAL BREAK – Both teams review picture evidence and talk about next plans.
TEAM ONE, ROOM 5: Team one comprised of Colin, Dave, Emma and Pete. Vigil commenced at
02:05hrs
02:05: Colin and Dave witness a light flash on the doorway to the sink area 02:14: Colin does call out
02:25: With Room 5 seemingly very quiet, the team relocates to the attic area 02:30: Dave feels his
side being pushed. Attic is very quiet, so team once again decides to relocate to Room 5 again. (later
digital camera pictures do reveal orbs in the attic, but they could more likely be just dust) 02:40: Back
in Room 5, 02:41: Both Dave, Colin and Pete report seeing “lights” around several areas of the room
02:50: Colin reports seeing flashing lights near Andy`s camcorder. Both he and Dave agree that
something is going on near the sink room 02:55: Pete hears a noise near the sink room. Colin feels the
temperture has dropped despite the radiators being on!! 03:05: A noise is heard again – unfortunately
its pigeons outside!!!.
TEAM TWO, ROOM 6: Team two comprised of Andy, Liz, Denise and Chris. Vigil commenced at 02:05hrs
02:05: Andy decides he does not like the chair in the corner. “mistress” picked up on. Orb pictured near
corner chair. Andy has the top of his head touched. The name Elizabeth Kent, a servent girl, is given. Liz
see`s her wearing a white dress with a mop cap from around 1842 02:15: Lights turned off for
nightvision camcorder. Andy gets image of flintlock pistol and a man in a red tunic with a breast plate
from about 1647. The man has a goatee beard, bad teeth… Oliver Cromwell is suggested as the name….
Andy picks up on a group celebrating, drinking and laughing. For some reason he is shown two mortartype cannon/guns. Also a name of James and Matthew Hopkins again 02:40: Andy gets Elizabeth
Tollermarsh or Tollermarche, a mistress – very pretty, shorter than Liz. Also a man who wears a white
shirt (no name given) possible another soldier. 02:57: Something walks past Denise – Andy does a call
out and two taps are heard. Denise`s arm is moved upon request from Andy`s questions. Date of 1652
given and Elizabeth Tollermarche said too. Group then returns to Room 5 to discuss next step…
FULL TEAM, ROOM 6: Team two comprised of Andy, Liz, Denise, Chris, Colin, Emma, Dave and Pete. Vigil
commenced at 04:45hrs
The whole group returned to Room 6 which was by far the most active room in the whole of the
investigation. It was decided not to hold a circle, but to do a general calling out session since these had
already gained results. Andy placed down further protection on the group and then started the call-out.
Initially there was little response prompting feelings that perhaps the group had witnessed the best the
room had to offer, however – not long into the call-out, Andy tried to call forward the spirit of Elizabeth
Tollermarche again. This entity seemed to prefer to communicate via Denise and demonstrated this by
lifting her arms again upon request from Andy. Dave was able to pick up on her too. But there was
something else in the room… pretty soon a dark shadow was picked up on by Dave, Pete and Andy in
the corner nearest the door – the only possible exit from the room!! Andy immediately sense it was the
negative presense of Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General. He was just standing by the door,
smiling. He seemed to want the group to try something, perhaps take him on and challenge him. Andy
decided not to let him intimidate the group and called upon his spiritguides to help push Hopkins out of
the room. With Dave`s help, the two were successful in pushing Hopkins from the room. Once this was
achieved, it was decided to close the investigation for the night. But its an investigation that raises some
interesting questions… 1) that Oliver Cromwell and/or his mistress Elizabeth Tollermarche were
patrons of the building during his stay in Saffron Walden which is plausible as he most likely was not
sharing the same place as his troops. We are looking into this now… 2) and slightly more disturbingly…
that Matthew Hopkins has or had associations with the Cross Keys, or…. 3) ….that he might simply be
interested in our team and followed us. GHT has run into him previously at Alresford twice and both
Dave and Andy have witnessed him elsewhere too. Whatever the answers, the Cross Keys must rank as
one of Saffron Walden`s most haunted buildings…

https://synergy1227.wixsite.com/ghtwebsite

Comments (2)

Mieke | March 3, 2019 at 7:45 pm
Reply ↓

I live nearby and me and my family sometimes go there for dinner and we were just talking and I needed the Bathroom. I then made my way to the bathrooms when I could’ve someone was following me into the women’s room but he looked male. I turned around but nothing was there and then I heard this gunshot and I ran downstairs to explain what happened.
COLIN SMITH | August 1, 2023 at 3:57 pm
Reply ↓

SAFFRON WALDEN (INDOOR) – CROSS KEYS HOTEL (ESSEX)
TIME: 23:30hrs MONTH: March YEAR: 2007
TEAM MEMBERS: COLIN SMITH / LIZ SMITH / ANDY BALL (Medium) / DENISE SMITH (PSYCHIC
MEDIUM) / PETE BEALE / DAVE WOOD (MEDIUM) / EMMA LONTON (RESEARCHER)
GUEST: CHRIS WEET (RESEARCHER)
OTHER GUESTS: None
EQUIPMENT: 2x camcorder (1 X DVD with nightvision), 6 x Digital camera, EMF Meter, Walkie Talkies,
Laptop PC, Trigger Object, Recording Paperwork.
GHOST HUNT TEAM had wanted to do an indoor location for quite some time, so when the Epping
invetigation was postponed, a new venue was quickly looked into. This came about simply from a
picture of a “ghost” photographed in a room at the old Cross Keys Hotel in Saffron Walden, Essex. After
discussing room rates with the owner, permission was granted for the team to hold an investigation in
two rooms at the Hotel. The team jumped at the chance!!. The Cross Keys stands in the centre of the
town at the junction of High Street and King Street, it is a wondeful half-timbered building which dates
at least from the 14th century with later additions. Its haunted reputation has been mentioned in
several local books, plus an American ghost hunting guide and a TV programme on Anglia TV as well. The
main ghost is supposed to be one of a Civil War soldier and the most haunted room is No6. But will GHT
find out there is more to this building and will we find that many other spirits roam its rooms and
corridors….??? This is to be an all-night vigil, we started at 23:30hrs and ended around 04:45hrs.
May we take this oppertunity to extend a big “Thank You” to the owner and staff at the Cross Keys Hotel
for allowing this vigil to take place and for their kind hospitality.
RESULTS:
Once again, Recording sheet details were handled by mostly Chris and Emma, who have done a
wonderful job of time-indexing the whole vigil and writing up all reported phenomena. Again, the results
are transposed to here word-4-word. Prior to the vigil commencing, Emma noted down some initial
finding by Andy and Dave from the time they just walked in. Andy came up with a name near the
staircase of Elizabeth Kent and a date of 1842, then he got Elizabeth Tollermarche and…. Oliver
Cromwell!!!! both about 1652. Dave also picked up on the stairs an Elizabeth and a Virginia with a date
of 1912.
23:30hrs – Baseline tests: Both rooms 5 and 6 were swept for EMF readings, checked for hot/cold spots
and any know features that the team would have to take note of when working in the dark. The results
for both rooms were:
Room 5: (clockwise from door) doorway 2.0 – first corner 6.0 (power cable?) – small alcove 2.0 (metal
hooks) – chest of drawers/tv 1.0 – sink area 1.0 to offscale (power cable) – window area offscale (metal
frame/cable) – Bed one 2.0 – Bed two 2.0 – window area 1.0 – space between beds offscale (cable) – Bed
three offscale (cable found along wall base)
Room 6 (Haunted room) – (clockwise from door) False wall 1.0 – TV table 2.0 to 2.5 – drawer offscale
(possible cable) – Fan/kettle 2.0 – Window/wall/corner chair offscale (metal leaded window panes,
cables, light fitting) – Four poster bed pillow 5.0 – side table 2.0 – radio table 3.0 – wall 1.0 – bath area
offscale (cause unknown) – toilet 1.0 – sink area 1.0 – hanger area 2.0 to 4.0 (possible metal railing)
TEAM ONE, ROOM 6: Team one comprised of Colin, Dave, Emma and Pete. Vigil commenced at
23:30hrs
00:03: Dave gives the name John – no surname as yet 00:04: Pete senses a little girl standing by
the window looking out but with no obvious direction 00:07: Whilst lying on the 4-poster bed, Dave
gets the name Virginia 00:09: Pete is sitting in the corner chair by the bed, he is feeling upset and
wants to cry. Dave says there is a man sitting there who mourns his wife. Pete suggests the name
George 00:10: Both Dave and Pete feel the girl is the daughter of the mourning man and his late wife
00:15: Colin re-enters the room after briefly leaving, Pete is still in the chair feeling emotional. He is
crying. 00:20: Pete gives a name for the little girl of Amy and that she is waiting for her parents. Dave
believes Virginia died of pneumonia aged 34 00:23: Pete describes little girl wearing pink dress, frills
around bottom, shoulder length blonde hair in ringlets 00:25: Dave describes Virginia as
violet/purple dress with pleats, very expensive looking. Long brown hair just above waist level 00:30:
Dave does a call out. Movement near door attributed to Team 2 in Room 5. Dave get Virginia again, Pete
gets George and Amy. Dave see`s a light on the curtain. 00:35: Pete takes two pics and Dave asks for
Elizabeth to come forward – nothing. Asks again for George and Amy again 00:40: Both Dave and
Pete complain of back ache and Dave says there is more than 4 in the room. Dave asks for Elizabeth to
do something and feels his shirt being moved three times! 00:45: Colin just finishes telling the team
something when all four hear something fall, as if dropped between the wall and the floor behind Colin.
Pete says there is “…a nasty man” in the room. Dave says the “Witchfinder General” is with us… (This
would be Matthew Hopkins) 00:51: Colin warns Andy regarding Hopkins. Dave believes Hopkins is
somehow associated with the Cross Keys Hotel. Dave is told by Hopkins he won`t do anything, but if he
wanted to he can…. Emma confirms with Pete regarding an initial he picked up earlier. Pete says it was
“M”.
TEAM TWO, ROOM 5: Team two comprised of Andy, Liz, Denise and Chris. Vigil commenced at 23:30hrs
23:55: Garlic type smell 23:57: Andy is “told” – “be careful – we`re watching you…” 00:00: garlic
smell gets stronger 00:05: set up videotape camcorder in room 5 00:12: set up Trigger Object
experiment on table, photo taken to record position 00:25: Team relocates to the loft area, great
feeling of being out of room 5 for some reason (?). Loft is a cramped space, old beams using cruckshank
construction, possibly medieval but re-used by Victorians when upper storey was altered. Small, rotund
worker picked up on called William – no shirt, clean shaven, dark hair. Seems jolly and wearing boots.
Date given about 1400 to 1452 00:35: Denise see`s William too. Pub name given as “Black Bull” and
date of between 1710-1712 00:40: Team relocates again to main staircase from pub level. Woman
who was pushed down stairs picked up on, name of Janet / Janice with short curly hair. Also given in this
area was Charlotte / Clara / Lotti wearing a long dress, bustle, aged 24 approx with blue eyes and pale
complexion. Man in flock coat, grey hair with “evil laugh” 01:00: Andy picks up on a “mistress”.
MEAL BREAK – Both teams review picture evidence and talk about next plans.
TEAM ONE, ROOM 5: Team one comprised of Colin, Dave, Emma and Pete. Vigil commenced at
02:05hrs
02:05: Colin and Dave witness a light flash on the doorway to the sink area 02:14: Colin does call out
02:25: With Room 5 seemingly very quiet, the team relocates to the attic area 02:30: Dave feels his
side being pushed. Attic is very quiet, so team once again decides to relocate to Room 5 again. (later
digital camera pictures do reveal orbs in the attic, but they could more likely be just dust) 02:40: Back
in Room 5, 02:41: Both Dave, Colin and Pete report seeing “lights” around several areas of the room
02:50: Colin reports seeing flashing lights near Andy`s camcorder. Both he and Dave agree that
something is going on near the sink room 02:55: Pete hears a noise near the sink room. Colin feels the
temperture has dropped despite the radiators being on!! 03:05: A noise is heard again – unfortunately
its pigeons outside!!!.
TEAM TWO, ROOM 6: Team two comprised of Andy, Liz, Denise and Chris. Vigil commenced at 02:05hrs
02:05: Andy decides he does not like the chair in the corner. “mistress” picked up on. Orb pictured near
corner chair. Andy has the top of his head touched. The name Elizabeth Kent, a servent girl, is given. Liz
see`s her wearing a white dress with a mop cap from around 1842 02:15: Lights turned off for
nightvision camcorder. Andy gets image of flintlock pistol and a man in a red tunic with a breast plate
from about 1647. The man has a goatee beard, bad teeth… Oliver Cromwell is suggested as the name….
Andy picks up on a group celebrating, drinking and laughing. For some reason he is shown two mortartype cannon/guns. Also a name of James and Matthew Hopkins again 02:40: Andy gets Elizabeth
Tollermarsh or Tollermarche, a mistress – very pretty, shorter than Liz. Also a man who wears a white
shirt (no name given) possible another soldier. 02:57: Something walks past Denise – Andy does a call
out and two taps are heard. Denise`s arm is moved upon request from Andy`s questions. Date of 1652
given and Elizabeth Tollermarche said too. Group then returns to Room 5 to discuss next step…
FULL TEAM, ROOM 6: Team two comprised of Andy, Liz, Denise, Chris, Colin, Emma, Dave and Pete. Vigil
commenced at 04:45hrs
The whole group returned to Room 6 which was by far the most active room in the whole of the
investigation. It was decided not to hold a circle, but to do a general calling out session since these had
already gained results. Andy placed down further protection on the group and then started the call-out.
Initially there was little response prompting feelings that perhaps the group had witnessed the best the
room had to offer, however – not long into the call-out, Andy tried to call forward the spirit of Elizabeth
Tollermarche again. This entity seemed to prefer to communicate via Denise and demonstrated this by
lifting her arms again upon request from Andy. Dave was able to pick up on her too. But there was
something else in the room… pretty soon a dark shadow was picked up on by Dave, Pete and Andy in
the corner nearest the door – the only possible exit from the room!! Andy immediately sense it was the
negative presense of Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General. He was just standing by the door,
smiling. He seemed to want the group to try something, perhaps take him on and challenge him. Andy
decided not to let him intimidate the group and called upon his spiritguides to help push Hopkins out of
the room. With Dave`s help, the two were successful in pushing Hopkins from the room. Once this was
achieved, it was decided to close the investigation for the night. But its an investigation that raises some
interesting questions… 1) that Oliver Cromwell and/or his mistress Elizabeth Tollermarche were
patrons of the building during his stay in Saffron Walden which is plausible as he most likely was not
sharing the same place as his troops. We are looking into this now… 2) and slightly more disturbingly…
that Matthew Hopkins has or had associations with the Cross Keys, or…. 3) ….that he might simply be
interested in our team and followed us. GHT has run into him previously at Alresford twice and both
Dave and Andy have witnessed him elsewhere too. Whatever the answers, the Cross Keys must rank as
one of Saffron Walden`s most haunted buildings…

https://synergy1227.wixsite.com/ghtwebsite

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