The Haunted Elvey Farm, Pluckley, Kent

Elvey Farm Ghosts

Perhaps the most prolific ghost at Elvey Farm is the ghost of Edward Brett, who was a farmer at the hotel at the turn of the previous century. In 1900, he gave his wife 15 shillings, each of his children a penny, then walked calmly into the dairy and shot himself. The inquest into his death returned a verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane. Mr Brett has since been seen many times around the farm, often walking around the corridors of the hotel. One guest spotted him lying on a bed, and his voice has been heard whispering twice in the dairy where he shot himself.

Guests at the hotel have also experienced other paranormal activity, including a strange smell that resembles burning hay. There have also been reports of poltergeist activity, which was confirmed following a recent paranormal investigation.

Other ghosts in the vicinity of Elvey Farm include the spectre of a highwayman who was speared to a tree at Fright Corner, a lady in red, and a phantom horse and carriage that appears on Maltman’s Hill

History of Elvey Farm

Elvey Farm is a medieval farmstead. The Hall House was built in 1406, and little has changed about it since then. The house has a more colourful history than you might expect – French prisoners were believed to have been kept there during the Napoleonic wars, Lord Dering was believed to have been hidden there before his capture during the Civil War, and during World War 2, a Spitfire crashed into the paddock at the back of the farm during the Battle of Britain.

The current owners, Jeff Moody and Simon Peek bought the farm in 2007. They’ve since redecorated the hotel and are in the process of renovating the Granary section of the hotel into two new suites. Pluckley, the village that Elvey Farm is located in, was the location for the hugely popular television series, the Darlings Buds of May.

About

The Farm offers nine en-suite bedrooms, compromising of rooms in the Barn, Stable Block and the Oast House. Some of the rooms are suites, sleeping up to five people, whilst the rest are doubles. The rooms are all a beautiful mixture of old and new, with decorative oak beams, stone brick walls, and antique furniture. One of the rooms comes complete with a hot tub and a four-poster, whilst some of the other rooms have walk-in wet rooms and slipper baths.

Views from all of the bedrooms are stunning, overlooking glorious Kentish countryside, and the bathrooms have all been recently renovated with brand new fixtures and fittings. The hotel restaurant is open every night of the week and is housed in the charming 16th-century barn. The chef and his team take care to use local produce where possible and the menu reflects traditional Kentish cuisine, serving dishes such as chicken liver pate with Huffkin fingers, free-range chicken breast and gipsy tart. In fact, the hotel serves eggs from its own chickens, and vegetables from its own kitchen garden.

Features

• 9 en-suite rooms

• Several suites that compromise of either separate living accommodation or another bedroom

• Water, tea and coffee facilities

• Stunning bathrooms

• Fabulous restaurant and dining room

• Log fires

• One room with four-poster bed, hot tub and secret garden

• Well-behaved dogs welcome in the Stable Block

• Some rooms accessible for disabled guests

Things to do

The number one thing to do in Pluckley is to go ghost-hunting. The hotel is nearby to a number of bridleways and footpaths that will take you right to some of the most haunted spots in Pluckley. The hotel is also situated in the Garden of England, making you in an ideal location for exploring acres and acres of stunning countryside. Elvey Farm is a little bit out of the way, but if you want to go exploring further afield, Sissinghurst Gardens, Leeds Castle, Tenterden, Canterbury, Dover, Broadstairs, and Ramsgate are all within reach.