From Camb Times:
Cambs Supernatural Investigators hold first major ghost hunt at Dog in a Doublet, Whittlesey
CAMBRIDGESHIRE Supernatural Investigators held its first major ghost hunt at a Fenland pub after some mysterious incidents during its renovation.
Among ghost hunters at the Dog in a Doublet, Whittlesey, was KELLY FELSTEAD, fiancée of our editorial content manager Tom Jackson, who shared her experience.
A PUB nestling on a riverbank in the remote Fens is bound to be a prime target for centuries-old ghostly tales and supernatural goings-on.
So the Dog in a Doublet, Whittlesey, was the ideal setting for a ghost hunt by the newly-formed Cambridgeshire Supernatural Investigators (CSI), who visited the recently-renovated pub in a bid to capture some ghosts in the act.
It was with excitement, and a little bit of apprehension of the unknown, that my sister Jodie and I joined CSI on its hunt.
Landlords John and Della McGinn said the Dog in a Doublet was renowned for being haunted.
Becky Cooper (green jacket) and Vivien Powell have formed Cambridgeshire Supernatural Investigators -Becky Cooper (green jacket) and Vivien Powell have formed Cambridgeshire Supernatural Investigators -
The couple have experienced many strange incidents including the curtains in their flat being mysteriously drawn when no-one’s home, screeching noises and things being moved around.
Builders were also running scared during the pub’s renovation.
Mrs McGinn said: “Some people have seen a woman walking across outside.
“We hear footsteps a lot from the cellar to our flat. John has had a feeling that someone followed him to the cellar.”
A picture taken by Kelly's sister Jodie showed an orb near Kelly's leg.A picture taken by Kelly's sister Jodie showed an orb near Kelly's leg.
Shortly before the ghost hunt, CSI co-founder Vivien Powell, from Chatteris, explained how she’d been pushed while alone near the cellar earlier that evening.
She said: “I was kneeling to lay a baseline test down, had a funny feeling and got pushed nearly down the stairs.”
With the first ghostly encounter of the night under our belt, we waited for the pub to officially close before the investigation could begin.
After dark the popular local was transformed from a bustling pub into an eerily silent and lonely building which I could believe was home to restless spirits.
History of the Dog in a Doublet
THE Dog in a Doublet dates back to about the 15th or 16th century. The front of the pub is the oldest part.
It’s believed that it was built because of the river. When a body was found in the river it was taken to the pub and stored while police investigated or someone collected the body.
There was a bench for the bodies and a curtain separating it from the rest of the pub.
Armed with equipment including infra-red cameras, motion cameras, voice recorders and machines that detect electromagnetic fields (EMF), plus enough tea and coffee to keep everyone going until well past 4am, we finally got down to business.
I was given an EMF machine and was told that if at any time it flashed or made a noise to get my camera out.
My group, led by fellow CSI co-founder Becky Cooper, also from Chatteris, first investigated the main bar. We sat in a corner in the dark, the only light source from two candles at the window.
Using dousing rods she discovered that we were in the presence of a woman from the 19th century who visited the pub for work and died on the river.
Eerily, when asked to give us a sign, one of the candles began flickering energetically and the flame grew bigger while the other candle didn’t move.
After moving to the oldest part of the bar – where a male ghost also made contact through the dousing rods – we went upstairs. In little groups, we stayed in various rooms of the flat with our equipment in the hope of catching something on camera.
However, at the end of the session we discovered that the video camera on the stairs leading to the flat had been unplugged.
After a short break it was time to head downstairs.
On the stairs leading to the function room – at the end of which a plasma ball was placed – my torch suddenly died. I was told this was normal as spirits feed off electricity.
My torch came back to life when we left the area. It flickered on and off for the rest of the time we were downstairs.
The next day at home, when testing the torch, the battery was full of life.
One of the most unexplained events of the evening happened on the stairs near the cellar.
My sister and I saw a T-shirt, which was hanging on a hook, moving from side to side as if an unseen hand was swishing it.
Alerting the rest of the group, the swaying of the shirt got faster when Becky asked for a sign that someone was there. Her EMF device also flashed.
Just before leaving at 4.30am, we were left with another unexplained event. A whistle went off in the direction of a toy whistle that had been deliberately placed behind the bar - and nobody was near it.
• The group will present its findings at a psychic supper at the pub on April 1. Tickets cost £10 and include a sausage and mash supper. Places can be booked by calling Becky on 01354 693228 or Vivien on 01354 692347.
