In scenes reminiscent of the Hollywood hits Paranormal Activity or Poltergeist, a film crew rigged the Red Lion pub at Avebury to give visitors the fright of their lives.
The 90-second video, which was filmed in the summer, was all in aid of the promotion of a seasonal beer from the makers of Old Speckled Hen.
Drinkers are left alone as the barman goes to ‘change the barrel’. But it’s not long before objects start dropping to the floor and flying across the room, leading to the biggest fright of all – a screaming female ghost behind the bar.
The bar was rigged with hidden cameras, which captured the reactions of the terrified visitors.
Published on October 16, it has already been watched nearly 80,000 times.
Brewer Greene King chose the Red Lion at Avebury as the location for its publicity stunt as it is reputedly Britain’s Most Haunted Pub.
The 17th century coaching inn is said to have five ghosts, including a phantom carriage driven by ghostly horses. And two children are said to haunt the Avenue bedroom, while a ghostly woman sits writing at a table.
The most famous ghost, though, is Florrie – a 17th century serving wench who was caught with her lover when her husband returned home from a Civil War battle.
The lover was shot dead, and Florrie’s throat was cut before her body was thrown down the well in the front lounge of the pub.
In 1997, the high priest of the Covenant of Earth Magic said he had exorcised the ghost of Florrie.
This infuriated the landlord, who told the Marlborough Times: “This is my pub and he cannot go around exorcising spirits without my permission.”
Luckily, according to the publicity-conscious landlord, the exorcism was a failure and Florrie was soon back, scaring the punters.
Old Spirited Hen is what is know as a ‘speer’ – a mixture of beer and spirits. The toffee apple beer “blends rich toffee flavour with crisp fruit.”
Watch the video here, if you dare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxUiC-78GH8