Conisbrough

A short distance from St Peter’s Church in Conisbrough there stands an unusual old building which appears at first glance to be Georgian in origin. Further investigation into its architecture reveals that the old house, now a restaurant called Cromwells, has much earlier roots, and is believed to have been built during the 1600’s. Throughout its history, the building has had many uses - as a farm house, a boarding school, a post office, and a community centre. In 1983 it was sold on to become what is today a licensed restaurant, although unfortunately a rather unexpected visitor from the past was handed down along with the deeds of the property, much to the surprise of the current staff!

Before recent alterations changed the interior of the building, the stairwell leading to the upstairs bar was next to a narrow passage. Chef Ian Godfrey recounted how one of the waiters was surprised one afternoon by a figure in a long cloak and a large hat with a feather, rushing past him as he made his way down the stairs. The figure, similar in appearance to a Cavalier, disappeared in an instant, leaving the waiter startled. It is perhaps no coincidence that an unseen hand has on occasion slammed the kitchen doors on unsuspecting staff, causing them to drop handfuls of plates.

When renovations were taking place in 1989, an electrician was rewiring in the upper part of the building in semi-darkness. He was so convinced that a man had walked past him and disappeared that he dropped his tools and ran downstairs to confront his colleague, whom he suspected of playing tricks. Assured that this was not the case, the electrician then realised that the figure he saw had been wearing old- fashioned clothes, with sacking gaiters on his legs! The history of the building shows that it was used periodically as a working farmhouse for more than two hundred years. The dress of the apparition would suggest that he was a landworker, and his appearance has been recorded on several occasions since.

The current landlord was preparing to close the premises at the end of a busy evening, when all except two of the guests had left the downstairs restaurant. Without warning, a huge gust of air ‘screeched’ past their heads and ‘banged’ into the wall close to the chimney. Although the sound was so loud that the remaining guests left in terror, nothing was physically seen, and no explanation could ever be offered.

Related Links for Haunted and Restraunt: