The Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor is One of England’s Most Haunted Hotels

The Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor is One of England’s Most Haunted Hotels, take it from me!

Growing up, I read every book by Daphne du Maurier, and could not get enough of stories that took place in the County of Cornwall, England. Books by Victoria Holt were also among my favorites, Mistress of Mellyn, Bride of Pendorric, and Menfreya in the Morning just to name a few. The desire to see that world has stayed with me always.

Never heard of Cornwall? Cornwall is a land where fairies, piskies (“the little people”), and ghosts roam; where Percival threw Excalibur into Dozmary Pool; the birthplace of Arthur Pendragon (Tintagel), and the lovers Tristan and Isolde. My young imagination took flight, and I could see the ghostly images of the Nine Maidens, the Hurlers, and the Pipers who were turned to stone because they danced on a Sunday. Cornwall was the home of wreckers, pirates, smugglers, and the land of giants. I will never forget the Cheesewring, a granite geological feature on Bodmin Moor created by giants and St. Michael’s Mount, where a young boy named Jack led an angry Giant to his death. Yes, Cornwall is a land of magic! When I had the opportunity to visit, I jumped at it.

Jamaica Inn is a classic book by Daphne du Maurier, describing the horror of a young girl who discovered it was the home of a ring of wreckers and smugglers. The wreckers lured ships onto the treacherous rocks on the coastline of Cornwall, made sure there were no survivors and took the cargo. Jamaica Inn still exists and welcomes guests on Bodmin Moor. Is it haunted? It is known as one of England’s most haunted hotels.

My daughter did her college semester abroad in London, so I planned a trip to Cornwall for our family. Of course I booked the Jamaica Inn for us, and I was so excited to stay there! I don’t know if it is really haunted, or if it was just the knowledge and atmosphere of the evil carried out by wreckers but there was something about it that did not feel right. By the time we retired, we were all on edge. Randy, my husband, and my two children, Ally and Wes, said they could feel it as well. Did I really hear the sound of horse’s hooves and a carriage during the night? Did the misty moor shroud those who were murdered for their cargo? I really don’t know what it was, but when I rose in the morning I checked out two days early, leaving a bewildered desk clerk behind. I had never had a feeling like that before, and I haven’t had one since. Is that what is meant by haunted? If so, it is one of England’s most haunted hotels.

Want to go looking for ghosts at Jamaica Inn? Or stay the night? There is a Smugglers Museum, and the Inn has Ghost Hunting Weekends and Murder Mystery Events. Let me know if you hear or see anything if you do. If you want to be seriously spooked for Halloween, Jamaica Inn is the perfect place to go. It is one of England’s Most Haunted Hotels!