The Olde Ferry Boat Inn at Holywell
The Olde Ferry Boat Inn at Holywell, close to the River Ouse in Cambridgeshire, reputed to be one of the oldest Inn’s still in use to this day, with its thatched roof, and its own resident, and friendly ghost.
As the legend goes, a fair maiden, one Juliet Tewsley, frequented the village some 950 years ago. Believed to have been of a friendly nature too all, loved by the local inhabitants.
Whilst picking flowers in the local woods, spotted woodcutter, one Thomas Zoul, two years her senior, and she was smitten. From that day forth, she undertook early morning vigils in the woods, watching and waiting to see her Thomas pass by, never daring to approach him.
Eventually plucking up courage, Juliet had picked a small collection of her favourite wild flowers, waiting for her Thomas to approach, as viewed from her hiding place. As he came along the track she appeared to him, offering him her flowers whilst trembling, with fear and emotion, but in return Tom gazed at her and pushed her away, as he preferred a game of ninepins and a glass of ale, than our Juliet.
The Grave of Juliet Tewsley
Having been rebuffed, she fell to the ground along with her flowers, and a broken heart, left to sob her heart out for many hours. Unable to live without her Thomas, she took a length of hemp rope and at midnight on the 17th March 1050, she hung herself from a tree close by the river.
From that year forth, every 17th March, her ghost is said to return to the scene of her suicide.
The next morning her body was discovered, and the village mourned for her, sad that this young girl felt forced to take her own life.
Christian Law regarded suicide as a crime, at that time, and as so, her body was buried at the crossroads to the village, not in the graveyard, as ruled by the magistrates, close to the Ferry Boat Inn, marked by a single slab of granite.
Some years later the Inn was extended, permission was duly granted to build over the grave, so Juliet has now become a regular fixture of the Inn. Her grave stone being the central point of the taproom floor; and in keeping, the whole floor is of small granite stones, surrounding a much larger grave stone.
Over the years this has been the site of many psychic investigators, joining the locals to view our Juliet, on her night of apparition. On the 17th March each year Juliet is said to rise from her grave, searching the area for her Thomas. Many people have claimed to have seen the ghost, whilst bottles, glasses and cutlery are seen to move unaided. Close to midnight she has been observed walking from the river to the restaurant, and never misses an anniversary of her death.
Olde Ferry Boat Inn: Holywell-cum-Needingworth album
Juliet’s Gravestone: Holywell-cum-Needingworth album
