Rev Ron Evans carried out blessings at the Thirsty Scholar in Wrexham which is believed to have once been used as a mortuary, reports BBC News. Bizarre behaviour, including objects flying across rooms, have been witnessed by staff and customers.
Ms Edwards, who ran the pub from May 2005 until it closed in 2006, said there had been a number of strange sightings. "Crisps being thrown, glasses breaking in your hand - which was really, really scary - ladles being thrown across the room, beer mats on the floor, doors opening and shutting for no reason, the atmosphere going cold," she said.
She also claimed she could feel 'spirits' at around opening time leaving people feeling scared. "I don't think it's just one ghost, I think it's quite a few that's here. I think there's one who's not very friendly because of the things thrown and the glasses smashed and I think there's another one here because you don't always get that horrible feeling when things happen."
Stories about the pub's history suggest that it was once used as a mortuary, and in the cellar, there is thought to be an underground tunnel that leads to the former War Memorial Hospital, now nearby Yale College.
Ms Edwards became so concerned she called in the Reverend Ron Evans from Connah's Quay. "He put crosses on the doors and I went round with my son and we said prayers with him," she said. "After he came, the place became calmer."
your comments
Chistine Madsen
My friend Jim ran this pub for a few years, he never saw or felt anything amiss.
Mon May 18 09:46:55 2009
Devan
I lived there with my mom Karen 2001-2002. My room had a man in it. I was 10 when I lived there. Every night I went to sleep there would be breathing in my ear and foot steps in my room, moaning. It scared me so much I ran to my mom in a fright. She didn't believe me, she said I was being silly so I went back in my room with my light on. Every time we had showers you felt like you were always being watched so I showed in my bathing suit all the time. I hated being upstairs or anywhere in that pub on my own. I felt so scared, my things always went missing, TV coming on by itself, my dog always barking for no reason. We believe that it all started when my big brother went in the old tunnel in the cellar and to this day I hate being on my own and sleep with a light on, it was so scary there!
Thu Mar 26 10:26:17 2009
Karen Coyne (Vaughan) Former landlady 2001-2002
Everything was alright until my son, Andrew, went down the tunnel in the cellar. After this me and my partner started arguing and fighting, things went missing, the kitchen where I spent most of my time, had a presence in there. Bowls of food were thrown across the room, a coldness which used to make the insecter crackle, this came from the freezer room. Keys went missing, doors slamming, pipes banging. A local historian visited the pub, he told me that when I came out of the kitchen with the food (which was the orginal building) there was something behind me. He told me that there was a protective presences, which protected the family against little evil things. I called him Arthur. I felt that when I was in the shower he was there, watching. I woke up with scratches all over my body and also my partner, this is when he started to believe me. I went to St Giles to see the priest to get some advice. Luckily I was able to leave and go home to Telford a short time after. The day we left my partner actually did believe as he saw a presence go through the back door up the stairs and in to the manager's flat. It scared him to death. When my father looked after the pub for a few days, he said the presence was in the cellar and he saw something on the stairs. I believe that there is many spirts in the old part of this building. I looked into it and the original building was a dwelling house and a rectory, also a doctor's surgery, before it was converted into a boarder hotel in the 60s.
Mon Mar 23 08:49:26 2009
Kerry
It sends chills through my body when I read all the comments. My mom had the pub years ago and I only went to visit once with my baby boy. I stopped the weekend, when taking a shower and bathing my little boy, you felt as if some one was watching you all the time. You would keep looking to see if anyone was there but nothing. My sister's bedroom was believed to have a spirt in it. The one night I stopped, I put my son to sleep and took the monitor with me so I could here him at all times, went in to the bar (it was closed) sat down with my mom. I had a cordless monitor but decided to plug it in to make sure the battery didn't go. Then all of a sudden the monitor went off and I ran up the stairs to check and he was screaming. To this day - and he is now 8 - I believe there was something in there with him and us at night. My mom didn't tell me what was actually there until I was home and I never returned and was glad my mom left. But my grandad says he saw a ghost who was there to protect the family, and that there was little demon ghost.
Wed Mar 18 14:06:02 2009
Coyney
Very scary place! My mum lived and ran the pub for many years and many bad things happened! The tunnels are real! I went down and scratches appeared on my mum's face next day! Many tapping noises on pipes and the family dog would bark at nothing! They is a ghost called Arther there who is protecting the pub from bad spirits. The kitchen used to be an operating table and same again the pool table was many sightings! The pub is now I believe gone but there is something dodgy there!
Mon Mar 9 10:06:04 2009
Amanda, Wrexham
E remember when it was the Edgerton years ago. There was defo an atmosphere in there. The toilets used to always feel cold. Would love to go in the cellar and have a look.
Mon Feb 23 08:19:30 2009
Julie Edwards
To Mark of Gwersyllt, I would also like to actually go into the back of the old pub, and as you say there may still be paranormal goings on there! Please get in touch and perhaps we can persuade the new owners to let us look around one more time.
Fri Jan 9 07:38:37 2009
Mark, Gwersyllt
I've been to Arnold's Bar and Grill and think that it is a great place. As a paranormal investigater I think there is still spiritual presence there and would love to go and investigate the place.
Fri Oct 17 08:55:35 2008
Julie Edwards/former landlady
Congrats to Arnold's Bar and Grill. I have made a visit and it is so different! It is lovely. I do hope staff and boarders do have peace and quiet there, the atmosphere is definitely different! Perhaps it was me! I am begining to think it was, but there again nothing has happened since so perhaps the spirits didn't care for me! Julie edwards, last landlady the Thirsty Scholor.
Thu Sep 11 09:18:07 2008
Keith & Sian, current landlords
We opened Arnold's 8/1/08 with a complete refurbishment. We have found no evidence of any paranormal activity, maybe the spirit has moved on, or we may not be sensitive to its presence. Anyone who wishes to investigate can contact us (the webteam has our number).
Wed Jul 30 11:15:48 2008
Adam from Wrexham
I work in the pub Thirsty Scholar but is now called Arnolds bar and grill. My manger had told me about the morgue. After reading this internet info I find it very intresting and my college tutor had told me about the former hospital and where they stored the bodies is now an art garlley at Yale College.
Wed Feb 13 08:08:34 2008
Rick, Wrexham
Wrexham town centre has many underground tunnels, I believe, running from the parish church and have something to do with the monks that where in residence at one time. The tunnels run from the church down the arcade, along the High Street and along the Queen Street area. Regular ghost sightings have occurred in the Golden Lion pub, the hairdressers in the arcade, Cloisters wine bar, and in my case, the Talbot bar. Most of the tunnels are now blocked off, but sections can be accessed via the Golden Lion pub, and the hairdressers in the arcade. There was a presence in the Talbot bar and it made itself known on a number of occasions to me and a younger member of staff, usually at about 6pm on a Sunday. For the record, ghosts will not harm you. Do not believe what you see in films, they are in a different time zone as a solid entity to you.
Fri Nov 30 08:13:26 2007
Jonny Griffifths
I didn't believe in ghosts until I had an encounter in there. I was only 19 and went there just before Wrexham was kicking off. Went to toilet, came out and saw a dark shadow in the mirror from the toilet I had just come out of.
Wed Aug 1 08:16:23 2007
Anon, Wrexham
I was working in this pub before they closed down and I was there when they did all the paranormal tests, people there were saying they felt cold, got touched, so on...but me, nah. I felt nothing and thought that it was all fake! There was one bit down the cellar though that really did scare me, we were all down there doing a seance and one of the gas pipes blew off the cannister and let out hot air, at that point I ran, and that is the only thing, but down that cellar is a tunnel, and apparently it used to be a morgue.
Tue Jul 3 15:29:10 2007
Roy, Buckley - Paranormal Knights
Went to the Thirsty Scholar just before it closed down at the invite of the landlady. We had someone walking up and down by the pool table which could be clearly heard and as for the cellar with the gas pipes for the barrels coming on when there was no gas down... Very scary place indeed.
Mon Apr 30 08:34:04 2007
Lloyd Price, Wrexham
While my mother (Julie Edwards) was running this pub I lived upstairs in the flat. It was very scary living up there on my own at first. I could hear tapping noises one night so I went in the cellar to investigate and it was only the ice maker making ice! I never really saw anything happening upstairs but I felt constantly uneasy, as if someone was watching me. My mother's pub licence was in a frame on the wall behind the bar; one Sunday afternoon I was at the bar watching footy and the licence flew across the bar and hit the back of my leg. That was the only experience I had of this ghost untill the very last night of my mum running the pub. She invited some spiritualists around and they set up all this equipment. I was showing them around my flat and a massive sighing sort of heavy breathing happened as we got to the landing. I thought it was one of them making this noise but they swore it wasn't them. When it got to 3am we went into the cellar, all stood in a circle, pitch black. The lady kept asking if there was any sprits who want to contact. We heard this whispering voice saying "get out"! Then a pump on a keg of beer came off the barrel making a huge hissing noise! I was up those stairs and outside by the time you could say pint of stella! I never visited the cellar again nor the pub! I ain't said all this just to stick up for my mum; even I didn't believe a word she said about the ghosts until I moved in there and I didn't believe in ghosts either. But I do now!
Tue Dec 5 09:22:45 2006
Julie Edwards former landlady
My experiences at the pub were witnessed by not only myself but new and old customers and staff. I also didn't sell sherry or pork scratchings! We had a varied tasty menu available! To this end I appreciate the sceptics out there but I for one have never witnessed such activity for the first time in all my life! Cheers Thirsty Scholar, may you be around for a long time, but give the next landlord/lady a break!
Mon Nov 6 14:10:28 2006
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