The Dolphin Inn via Google Maps
The Dolphin Inn in Penzance, Cornwall, has been in operation
for nearly 500 years and has had a front seat for history. It was once used as
a recruiting headquarters by Sir John Hawkins to recruit Cornishmen and
organize the fleet to fight the Spanish Armada in the 1600s. It is one of the oldest
establishments in the town of Penzance.
Sir Walter Raleigh used the tavern as a courtroom and is
said to have smoked the first pipe in Britain on the property. Judge Jeffries
continued to use the inn as a courthouse, where he gave out harsh sentences for
things like smuggling and other misdemeanors. There is a room in the basement that
was used as a “hanging room” and other parts of the basement were used as a
jail.
Flooding has been an issue with the inn due to its close proximity to the ocean. This was solved in the 19th by building large, gray seawalls to protect the inn from the ocean’s waters. Today, the inn still operates as a tavern and an inn with various types of rooms. It is known for its welcoming atmosphere and for being a nice place to eat and stay.
There are three well-documented ghosts that call the Dolphin
Inn home. One is a fair-haired young man who is said to have been killed in a
fight. He is usually seen standing next to or sitting on the end of innkeepers’
beds. His identity is not known because he disappears when people try to talk
to him.
There is also the ghost of a Victorian woman who floats
along the bar then disappears through a wall. In 2000, a staff member was
startled by the ghost while waiting for the busy lunch shift to start. He saw
this ghost materialize from the wall and proceed to disappear into the opposite
wall.
The ghost of an old sea captain named George is seen wearing
a tricorn hat, lace ruffles, and a jacket with brass buttons. He is often seen
wandering the upstairs rooms and hallways until he gets tired of doing so.
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