Guy Fawkes Inn
York, Yorkshire
Paranormal Tip: Book rooms near the belfry suite remains the primary location for visual manifestations of the child spirits for the best chance of supernatural encounters!
The Guy Fawkes Inn hosts several distinct supernatural presences, the most frequently reported being two child spirits known as the Cholera Children. These young ghosts are attributed to victims of a cholera outbreak in the 1700s, and their presence centres on the Belfry Suite. Guests and staff have reported seeing the apparitions of two children in this room, their forms appearing with enough clarity to be identified as young figures before fading from view. The children do not appear malevolent. Their manifestations occur without warning, leaving witnesses startled but unharmed. The visual nature of these encounters distinguishes the Belfry Suite as the inn's most actively haunted location.
In the bottom bar area, a more striking apparition has been reported by multiple witnesses over the years. Known as One-Eyed Jack, this figure appears dressed in a 16th or 17th century red frock coat, wearing a wig and tri-cornered hat, and carrying an old-fashioned pistol. He has been seen pacing up and down the bar area. Whether his name derives from a missing eye or an eye patch is not known, but the consistency of his described appearance across different witnesses lends weight to the reports. He is sometimes accompanied by the figure of a grumpy older man.
Additional spirits mentioned in connection with the inn include a Grey Lady and a figure known as The Priest, though detailed accounts of these apparitions remain scarce compared to the well-documented child spirits and the bar apparition. A woman has also been reported wandering the corridors and staircases during the night. The layering of multiple hauntings across different areas of the building reflects the centuries of human activity within these walls.
The Belfry Suite has earned its reputation as the inn's most haunted room through decades of consistent reports. Guests booking this particular accommodation do so knowing they may not sleep alone. The two child spirits manifest visually, appearing as distinct figures rather than vague shadows or movements in peripheral vision. Witnesses describe seeing children dressed in period clothing appropriate to the 18th century, their forms solid enough to be mistaken briefly for living guests before the impossibility of their presence becomes apparent.
One characteristic of these hauntings sets them apart from more aggressive supernatural encounters: the children do not seem aware of or interested in the living occupants of the room. They appear engaged in their own activities, playing or moving through the space as though the modern world does not exist for them. This residual quality, where spirits repeat actions from life rather than interacting with the present, suggests these children remain trapped in a moment from the 1700s, perhaps the final days before cholera claimed them.
The emotional weight of encountering child ghosts affects witnesses deeply. Staff members who have seen the apparitions describe feeling profound sadness rather than fear. The knowledge that these small figures died in suffering, their lives cut short by a disease that caused agonising dehydration and pain, transforms the supernatural into something deeply human.
The bottom bar of the Guy Fawkes Inn plays host to one of York's more distinctive apparitions. Known as One-Eyed Jack, this ghost appears as a man dressed in a red frock coat from the 16th or 17th century, wearing a powdered wig and a tri-cornered hat. He carries an old-fashioned pistol and has been seen pacing up and down the bar area, as though keeping watch or waiting for someone who never arrives.
The name One-Eyed Jack appears to derive from his appearance, though accounts differ on whether witnesses have seen him wearing an eye patch or whether one eye appears to be missing entirely. His clothing marks him as a man of some standing or possibly military background, the red coat suggesting a connection to the British Army of the period. The pistol adds a note of menace to his appearances, though no witness has reported feeling threatened by his presence.
Multiple sources document this apparition independently. He is often reported alongside a second figure described as a grumpy old man, the two of them occupying the bar as though it were still their local. The bar's low ceilings and period features may contribute to the sense that this space belongs more to the past than the present, and One-Eyed Jack appears entirely at home in the surroundings.
A woman has also been reported in the corridors and on the staircases of the inn, moving things around and walking up and down during the night. Whether she is connected to the Grey Lady tradition or represents a separate presence remains unclear.
Two child spirits haunt the Belfry Suite at Guy Fawkes Inn. They died during one of York's devastating cholera outbreaks in the 1700s and now appear to guests staying in the room that was once their home.
A striking apparition in a red frock coat, powdered wig, and tri-cornered hat has been seen pacing the bottom bar of Guy Fawkes Inn. Carrying an old-fashioned pistol and known as One-Eyed Jack, he is one of York's most distinctive pub ghosts, documented by multiple independent sources.
Built in the 1500s - 16th century
Private dwelling and cottage, later converted to a public house and inn
The Guy Fawkes Inn occupies one of the most historically charged locations in York, standing directly opposite St Michael le Belfrey church on High Petergate, mere steps from York Minster. The building's primary claim to fame centres on Guy Fawkes, the notorious conspirator of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, who was baptised at St Michael le Belfrey on 16th April 1570. A blue plaque on the property and extensive tourist material proclaim the 16th-century cottage in the beer garden as his birthplace. However, City of York historic building records note that No. 25 High Petergate was formerly wrongly identified as the birthplace of Guy Fawkes. The cottage, sometimes listed separately as Guy Fawkes Cottage, remains attached to the rear of the main building and forms part of the guest accommodation today. The architectural history of the site proves complex. The main structure at No. 25 has been extensively obscured by later extensions over the centuries, making precise dating of original elements difficult. What survives provides a glimpse into Tudor York, when High Petergate served as one of the city's principal thoroughfares leading to the Minster. The building's transformation into a public house capitalised on the Fawkes connection, and the inn has operated under this name for generations. The property contains 13 guest rooms split between the main inn building and the cottage. Its position on York's historic ghost walk routes has cemented its reputation as one of the city's most visited haunted establishments. The Belfry Suite, named for its proximity to and views of St Michael le Belfrey, has become particularly notorious among paranormal enthusiasts.
Tudor timber-framed construction with later Georgian and Victorian modifications. The cottage retains 16th-century features including exposed beams and low ceilings characteristic of the period. The main building facade shows evidence of multiple phases of alteration, with the interior preserving elements of the original structure beneath later additions.
Visual apparitions of two children in the Belfry Suite, full-bodied apparition of a man in period red frock coat carrying a pistol in the bottom bar (One-Eyed Jack), a grumpy older male figure in the bar area, a woman seen wandering corridors and staircases at night, shadow figures near windows, unexplained sounds during night hours, flickering lights particularly on upper floors, cold spots in various locations throughout the building, objects reportedly moved by unseen hands
The Belfry Suite remains the primary location for visual manifestations of the child spirits, with the name referring to its position overlooking St Michael le Belfrey church where Guy Fawkes was baptised. The bottom bar hosts the apparition known as One-Eyed Jack and an accompanying older male figure. The corridors and staircases see reports of a female figure moving through the building at night. The 16th-century cottage in the beer garden, available for guest accommodation, carries its own atmospheric weight given its disputed connection to Guy Fawkes. The building's Tudor core and later extensions create a layered environment where different historical periods overlap, potentially contributing to the variety of supernatural presences reported.
Multiple independent sources document the One-Eyed Jack apparition in the bottom bar, describing consistent details of his red frock coat, tri-cornered hat, wig, and pistol. Guest accounts from the Belfry Suite describe visual encounters with the child apparitions, with the cholera children being the most widely reported haunting across paranormal databases and tourism publications. Staff and guests have reported a woman walking the corridors and staircases at night, moving objects. The Paranormal Database records the site as haunted by Guy Fawkes himself, though what form he takes is not known, alongside the two cholera children. The inn features on established York ghost walk routes, with local guides considering the hauntings credible enough to include in their tours. One visitor documented seeing a black shadow figure standing by a bedroom window during their stay, followed by unexplained illness during the early morning hours that resolved completely by dawn.
The Guy Fawkes Inn features regularly on York's ghost walk circuits and appears on multiple most haunted pubs in York lists compiled by paranormal researchers and tourism publications including Haunted Rooms, SpiritShack, and the Yorkshire Post. The property appears in the Paranormal Database with documented entries. The Dead Air YouTube channel has featured the inn, referencing the Grey Lady and the Priest among the reported spirits. The property's accessible location in central York makes it a convenient stop for walking tours. The inn is cited in connection with claims of up to 15 different ghosts within the building, though many of these remain poorly documented compared to the core hauntings of the cholera children and One-Eyed Jack.
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25 High Petergate, York, YO1 7HP
Status: Operating
The inn's location on ghost walk routes means guests can easily combine their stay with evening paranormal tours of York. The Belfry Suite attracts guests specifically seeking supernatural encounters. November sees increased interest due to Guy Fawkes Night celebrations on 5th November.
Historic 16th-century building with period features including narrow staircases and uneven floors typical of Tudor construction. The cottage accommodation involves separate access through the beer garden. Street parking in central York is limited; public car parks available nearby.
Help others discover this haunted hotel
The Guy Fawkes Inn sits at the centre of York's most concentrated cluster of haunted buildings. This guide maps the spectral activity reported within walking distance of the inn, from the cholera children of the Belfry Suite to the restless spirits of the city's medieval lanes.
Read Guide
The Guy Fawkes Inn at 25 High Petergate in York trades on its association with England's most notorious plotter. Yet city records reveal the connection to be historically dubious, while the building itself holds genuine Tudor origins and darker stories of childhood mortality.
Read HistoryBook your stay and experience The Cholera Children and the other spirits firsthand. Many guests report paranormal encounters during their visits.