Feathers Hotel, Ludlow
Encyclopedia
Feathers Hotel is a hotel and historical inn opposite The Bull Hotel
in Ludlow
, southern Shropshire
, England
. Built in 1619 by a local lawyer named Rees Jones, it is a Tudor-style
half-timbered building, and is noted for its Jacobean furnishings. It is a Grade I listed building, listed on 15 April 1954, and is one of approximately 500 listed buildings in Ludlow, but one of its best known.
feathers and hence the name "Feathers Hotel", which was designed initially as a private home by Rees Jones, an attorney. The feathers also represented the traditional insignia of the Prince of Wales who later became Charles I; it also highlighted the town's liking for the monarchy.
who had come to Ludlow to pursue his profession at the “Council of the Marches”. It is thought that during the English Civil War
Royalist soldiers would have lodged there. After the war, Thomas Jones, son of the builder converted it into an inn. It served as an inn for some 200 years and a cock-fighting venue and became the Feathers Hotel in 1863. The Cambrian Archaeological Association
said in 1899, "this is much the most picturesque of all the half-timbered houses now remaining in Ludlow. In adapting it for use as a hotel, none of the old work has been tampered with." The New York Times reportedly named it the "most handsome inn in the world".
Robert Pancheri, famous for his wooden architectural sculptures and carvings for churches and public buildings was involved in the restoration of wooden carvings of Feathers Hotel. He received many awards for his works, which included Civic Trust Award 1970 for his work for the Feathers Hotel.
A particular sequence of paranormal
events that occurred in the hotel on several nights during May–June 1869, continuously for five weeks, had attracted a large crowd in front of the hotel who were curious to know and witness the ghosts. This also resulted in deputing a posse of policemen and detectives at the hotel premises. The Manchester Examiner and Echo reported these events in the first week of June 1869. The events reported relate to the disturbance caused to the inmates for nearly five weeks on account of the bells in the hotel which apparently started ringing one after the other after everyone had gone to sleep - fourteen bells in succession - at all hours of the night, and thus created much disturbance among guests. When a strict watch of the bells was maintained, the bells did not clang and create noise. However, as soon as the lights were switched off they started ringing again. To further keep a watch on the turn of events, the bells were tied with wires and muffled and for the next six days no incidents of bells ringing noise took place. However, in the hours between a particular Tuesday and Wednesday there was uncontrolled clanging of the bells right in the presence of the detectives and bell hangers present at the hotel. During these noisy manifestations, a few boys and a policeman who saw a ghost dressed in a black veil on the stairs of the hotel were dumbfounded. A lady cook of the hotel was the most affected. She was so frightened that she resigned her lucrative job and was taken ill. In the whole sequence of events, the hotel management profited, using it to their advantage to promote ghost tourism.
The Bull Hotel
The Bull Hotel or Bull Inn is the name of many hotels and inns in the United Kingdom:*The Bull Hotel, Anglesey*The Bull Hotel, Bridport*The Bull Hotel, Cambridge*The Bull Hotel, Fairford*The Bull Hotel, Halstead*The Bull Hotel, Horncastle...
in Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
, southern Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Built in 1619 by a local lawyer named Rees Jones, it is a Tudor-style
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
half-timbered building, and is noted for its Jacobean furnishings. It is a Grade I listed building, listed on 15 April 1954, and is one of approximately 500 listed buildings in Ludlow, but one of its best known.
Etymology
The timber facaded hotel has motifs of ostrichOstrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
feathers and hence the name "Feathers Hotel", which was designed initially as a private home by Rees Jones, an attorney. The feathers also represented the traditional insignia of the Prince of Wales who later became Charles I; it also highlighted the town's liking for the monarchy.
History
The building was completed in 1619 by Rees Jones, practicing attorney from PembrokeshirePembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
who had come to Ludlow to pursue his profession at the “Council of the Marches”. It is thought that during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
Royalist soldiers would have lodged there. After the war, Thomas Jones, son of the builder converted it into an inn. It served as an inn for some 200 years and a cock-fighting venue and became the Feathers Hotel in 1863. The Cambrian Archaeological Association
Cambrian Archaeological Association
The Cambrian Archaeological Association was founded in 1846 to examine, preserve and illustrate the ancient monuments and remains of the history, language, manners, customs, arts and industries of Wales and the Welsh Marches and to educate the public in such matters.Its activities include holding...
said in 1899, "this is much the most picturesque of all the half-timbered houses now remaining in Ludlow. In adapting it for use as a hotel, none of the old work has been tampered with." The New York Times reportedly named it the "most handsome inn in the world".
Architecture
The Tudor-style, half-timbered black and white building was listed on 15 April 1954. The front dates to the early 17th century, with a timber-frame and plaster; brick; double-depth plain tile roof, with three gables to front and brick end stacks to rear. The hotel is three storeys high excluding the cellar, and has a three-bay plan, with bays which are moulded and carved mullions and transoms, with cast diamond glazing. The central entrance contains a porch with pillars and consoles supporting the 1st floor balcony. The studded plank door is the original. The ground floor room to right of entrance has panelling, mantelpiece and wall paintings and rooms on the first floor have panelling, plaster ceiling and over mantel, with rustic bare Elizabethan timber-framing and ceiling beams in several of the rooms. The dark oak paneling reaches the ceiling of the dining room. Its diamond paneled windows open towards churches and castles. The mantle pieces are richly carved. Another feature is that the chimes of the church tower are clearly heard in the hotel rooms, which also ring at midnight and 4 AM. As of 2007, the hotel had 40 en-suite rooms. Twelve of the rooms were renovated in the late 2000s in the Georgian style and several of the rooms contain four poster beds. Among the other features noted in the hotel is the lock plate with inscriptions of the name of Rees Jones. The lintels of the doors have fine carvings. When it was converted to an inn in 1670 alterations made included a balcony which was added for “electioneering.”Robert Pancheri, famous for his wooden architectural sculptures and carvings for churches and public buildings was involved in the restoration of wooden carvings of Feathers Hotel. He received many awards for his works, which included Civic Trust Award 1970 for his work for the Feathers Hotel.
Haunting
The hotel is reportedly haunted and is often subject to "ghost hunts". A Victorian gentleman has been seen by guests and staff walking his dog through room 232 into room 233 before vanishing and room 211 is said to be home to a jealous spirit who appears to have an aversion to female guests; one female guest was reportedly dragged out of bed by her hair and later soaked in water while her husband slept peacefully. Also reported is a girl in the carpark walking through the cars.A particular sequence of paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
events that occurred in the hotel on several nights during May–June 1869, continuously for five weeks, had attracted a large crowd in front of the hotel who were curious to know and witness the ghosts. This also resulted in deputing a posse of policemen and detectives at the hotel premises. The Manchester Examiner and Echo reported these events in the first week of June 1869. The events reported relate to the disturbance caused to the inmates for nearly five weeks on account of the bells in the hotel which apparently started ringing one after the other after everyone had gone to sleep - fourteen bells in succession - at all hours of the night, and thus created much disturbance among guests. When a strict watch of the bells was maintained, the bells did not clang and create noise. However, as soon as the lights were switched off they started ringing again. To further keep a watch on the turn of events, the bells were tied with wires and muffled and for the next six days no incidents of bells ringing noise took place. However, in the hours between a particular Tuesday and Wednesday there was uncontrolled clanging of the bells right in the presence of the detectives and bell hangers present at the hotel. During these noisy manifestations, a few boys and a policeman who saw a ghost dressed in a black veil on the stairs of the hotel were dumbfounded. A lady cook of the hotel was the most affected. She was so frightened that she resigned her lucrative job and was taken ill. In the whole sequence of events, the hotel management profited, using it to their advantage to promote ghost tourism.