Golden Fleece, York
The Golden Fleece is an inn in York, England, which has a free house pub on the ground floor and four guest bedrooms above. It was mentioned in the York City Archives as far back as 1503.[1][2] The inn claims to be the most haunted public house in the City of York. The back yard of the inn is named "Peckitt's Yard" after John Peckett, who owned the premises as well as being Lord Mayor of York around 1702.
The pub is situated on The Pavement in the centre of York, opposite the historic Tudor street called The Shambles. It has a recognisable large golden fleece hanging above the door. Whilst the pub has a narrow frontage, it is very deep, with a front bar, a corridor containing staircases and toilets leading to second bar, and past that a space with dining tables. There is further dining space upstairs, in an old-fashioned room complete with a set of armour. The menu is modern, with options for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free. Obviously you cannot guarantee seeing a ghost, but fifteen have been reported. The most commonly encountered is Lady Alice Peckett, wife of former owner and Lord Mayor John Peckett. There is also One Eyed Jack, a man in a 16th-17th century red coat, armed with a pistol, and Victorian boy who was trampled to death by horses and who frequents the upper room. The most recent ghost appears to be a Canadian airman who fell to his death from an upper window during the Second World War. There have also been Roman soldiers reported in the cellars.
In 1983 the inn was designated as a grade II listed building by English Heritage.[3]
References
- ^ Casey, Vinny (14 May 2003). "York Guide". Telegraph. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
- ^ Garrison, Gordon G. (5 May 2002). "Travel: Step back in time in York". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
- ^ Historic England. "The Golden Fleece Public House and attached outbuildings at rear (1256915)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 December 2012.