The Ancient Ram Inn Revisited

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Ancient Ram on a weeknight with the lovely Paranormal Investigator Susan Collins. Thanks to Caroline Humphreys we had access to the building midweek and did a small controlled investigation using just ouija boards and a Zoom H2n microphone ramped up to maximum sensitivity.

The first thing I noticed having returned to the Ram after a long time away is the fantastic job that Caroline and Mick have done with the building. It is set out perfectly for an investigation with the addition of the small room at the top of the stairs, which was always used as a store room by John Humphries, now a ouija room situated between the two famous Bishops Room and Witches Room.

We started the evening sat, where I have spent many hours in the past talking to John, in the living room and watched the episode of Ghost Adventures which John had taken part in. It was great to hear his voice resonate in the building again and I had hoped it might be a trigger to see if he would be joining us for the evening.

The first vigil took place in the new Ouija Room (my name for the room) where we dimmed the lights to a red glow from a lamp and sat calling out while recording. No movement at all on the board hardly but the planchette I had was catching on the raised letters. We were about to give up and move on to the Bishops Room when we noticed a 2nd board which was smooth so we stayed in the room for a while longer. all the movement seemed to just point towards Sue very slowly and nothing significant.

We moved to the Bishops Room with the board and the microphone and started vigil 2 on the middle bed recording and again calling out for responses. Again very much the same in this room and it did feel very peaceful .

We decided to move into the Witches Room as our final location and were surprised to find a fantastic glass Ram Inn Ouija board . We set up the microphone and sat calling out for a bit and then left the microphone running while we went outside for a break.

We did have more board movement in this room again mainly pointing at Sue although we did come up with the name Frederick. The only association I have found is the 1901 landlord William Frederick Voought who had a son called Frederick who was a soldier in the Royal Garrison Artillery.

Apart from a couple of noises it did appear to be a quiet night however we did pick up some anomalies which we hadn't heard on the night.

To hear the anomalies caught on the H2n recorder please Click Here and listen to Ram Inn Evps

Some Useful Information of past Owners and Landlords

1145 ~ 1350 Church Property

1350 ~ 1521 Owner ~ Maurice de Bathe (Tenant ~ Peter le Couk

1521 ~ 1532 Owner ~ Richard Robyns of Wotton-Under-Edge

1532 ~ 1532 Owner ~ Thomas Hickys ~ Cloth Maker.

1532 ~ 1538 Owner ~ John Hickys ~ son of Thomas Hickys.

1538 ~ 1539 Owner ~ Joanna Jones of the Vyese

1539 ~ 1572 Owners ~ John Gower, Thomas Byshup (Bishop), John Hewys, Geoffrey Bruton, William Coldwell, Henry Berry, Richard Hale, Thomas Coleman, Robert Hopkins, Thomas Gower and his wife Joan, Stephen Hopkins, Robert Brown and James Coldwell.

1572 ~ 1575 Owner ~ Thomas Collman and Thomas Gower son of the the above.

1575 ~ 1575 Owner ~ Thomas Collman.1575 ~ 1616 Owner ~ William Osbourne and wife Agnes (died 1605) ~ Clothier They had six children. John, Walter 1553~1628 married Judith (died 1606), Deanice, Edith married Hugh Venne, Margaret married Henry Toms, Katherine maried Geffrey Michael. The property remained in the family for two centuries.

1616 ~ 1657 Owner ~ William Wallington (Tanner).

1657 ~ 1691 Owner ~ William Wallington (Tanner) possibly son of the above!!

1691 ~ 1756 Owner ~ Thomas Waight (Tanner).

1756 ~ 1793 Owner ~ William Smythe. (first mention of the house being called Tan House)

1793 ~ 1820 Owner ~ William Smythe. Later deceased and widow Betty Smythe gives up lease to Wotton-under-Edge General Charities.

1820 ~ 1905 Owner ~ Wotton-under-Edge General Charities. Tenant ~ Joseph Pinnell ~ at this time the house becomes an Inn or Public House known by the sign of the ram, according to the deeds. 1905 ~ 1912 Owner ~ Coombe Valley Brewery Co Ltd.

1901 ~ 1916 Landlord ~ William Frederick Vooght ( b 1846 ) at Budley Saltirton, Devon. His wife Kezia ( b 1848 ) Son Frederick W B Vooght ( b 1874 ) Soldier in The Royal Garrison Artillary. Daughter Daisy ( b 1887 ) at Bristol Daughter Hilda ( b 1890 ) at Bristol Daughter Norah ( b 1892 )

1916 ~ 1927 Landlord ~ Rufus Morley

1927 ~ 1939 No Information found to date.

1939 ~ 1967 Landlord ~ Lewis Raymond Allen.1912 ~ 1968 Owner ~ West Country Breweries.

1968 ~ 2017 Owner ~ John Humphries.

2017 ~ present Owner Caroline Humphries