SOMERSET is teeming with haunted locations. From old farms to stately homes, we are never far from a friendly ghost or ghoul – if you believe in such things, of course.

Now, one noted Somerset spook is being featured in a special Halloween advent calendar, created by Paul Lee, a renowned spectre sleuth and documentarian of all things haunted.

The calendar, available online and social media, documents the most haunted hotels.

And his entry in the calendar for October 14 is set to feature The Grey Lady – an actress said to have taken her own life in the 1800s when her husband killed her secret lover.

In the ensuing two centuries, she is said to appear in the rooms and hallways at the Francis Hotel, in Bath.

“She wears the same grey feather dress she wore on her last night on stage,” Paul said. “Her perfume has also been smelt, lingering in the air.

“She may be the strange lady seen sitting on a bed; when staff check reception they find that the room is unoccupied and a return trip reveals the intruder has gone.”

The Grey Lady is said to roam the halls of the Francis Hotel, in Bath… Picture: Google

But according to legend, The Grey Lady is not alone at the Francis, Paul said.

“Another phantom is a lady in black who disappears after turning down a corridor,” he went on.

“There are also the ghosts of a housekeeper of the building’s designer, who took pity on her after she lost her fortune due to gambling.

“She became depressed and hanged herself on the top floor. She usually manifests as poltergeist behaviour, and guests report a feeling of claustrophobia and pressure bearing down on them.

“Historical records do not reveal a maid who hanged herself, but two local men died in the hotel when it was bombed in the war (they may have been taking shelter in the basement).”

And there’s more, said Paul, who has a PhD in nuclear physics, who added: “Reports also exist of people seeing and hearing doors moving by themselves, including the 100-year-old turnstile door, even though there was no wind.

“Management tell of a single loudspeaker in the bar piping music, even though everything was off and the room was empty.

“Child-like whispers and voices that accompany staff on their rounds – but stop when staff stop to listen, shadows that disappear down hallways, and an employee who feels a ‘reassuring’ squeeze or an arm round her shoulder are some of the other incidents experienced here.”

Have you heard or spotted Judge Jeffreys at Caffe Nero in Taunton? Picture: Google

Paul has also compiled a map detailing haunted locations across the country, which can be found at paullee.com/ghosts/ghostgeo/index.php.

Among those listed for Somerset are The Three Swans pub, in Frome, where a ghostly black dog is said to patrol the bar, while a former landlord of The Well Inn, in Cannard’s Grave Road, near Shepton Mallet, is believed to prowl the premises.

In Taunton, Judge Jeffreys – the ‘hanging judge’ who oversaw the Bloody Assizes trials in the town – is said to roam the room he occupied at the Tudor Tavern, now Caffe Nero.

You can follow along with Paul’s Halloween Advent Calendar on BlueSky at paullee.com/bsky.

Do you know of any other haunted locations in Somerset? Drop us a line at newsdesk@somersetleveller.co.uk.