Sue has explored the rich paranormal past of the area for many years and has kindly shared this chilling tale from one of Barnstaple’s most storied buildings – the now sadly closed Three Tuns pub.
Here’s Sue’s spine-tingling account, in her own words…
The Three Tuns, Barnstaple
Originally a merchant’s house in the 14th century, the building became The Three Tuns around 1700. Over the years, this old pub has displayed a considerable amount of ghostly activity.
Landlords and staff have experienced many strange and unsettling encounters of the paranormal kind.
These include a young woman sobbing – when investigating the sound, there was no one there. Heavy booted footsteps coming down the wooden staircase, clearly heard after hours by several people – but the staircase was empty.
Gaming machines that were unplugged, suddenly bursting into life. Doors opening and closing by themselves. The sound of a baby crying in an empty pub. Twenty balloons from a farewell party all fell from the ceiling at the same time.
The back door was repeatedly slammed very hard, as though people were leaving in a hurry. Footsteps crossing an otherwise empty room upstairs. Some staff, after hours, had requested not to be alone, while others were unaffected.
A landlady was once woken by the sound of fighting downstairs – furniture and glasses being smashed, voices shouting and laughing. Thinking people had broken in, she crept down the stairs, opened the door very slowly… and at once the noises stopped.
Everything was in place. All was calm. But she felt a crowd of unseen eyes watching her, and later remarked it felt as though the air was charged with electricity. She shut the door and went back to bed.
Then there’s the case of Dinah Willis, age 18, a servant girl at The Three Tuns in 1862, who used a psychological trick to rob guests. While serving drinks, she’d whisper tales of how haunted the pub was and encourage people to drink more so they’d sleep soundly.
Then, in the dead of night, she’d let down her hair, don a white nightie, and tiptoe barefoot into rooms to quietly steal coins and jewellery. When one terrified guest awoke, mistook her for a ghost and screamed, the entire building was roused. Dinah – real name Mary Fry – was sentenced to three months’ hard labour.
But here’s the chilling twist – years later, when the building became a pizza restaurant, staff reported seeing a girl in a white nightdress kneeling by the fireplace. She is believed to be the daughter of a former landlord. Her mother, having fled the home with her youngest child, left the girl behind. When the girl expressed a wish to join her mother – following unwanted attention from her father – she mysteriously disappeared…
Dare You Delve Deeper...?
Thanks to Sue Pengelly for sharing this haunting tale from one of Barnstaple’s most intriguing historic buildings.
If you’re brave enough to step into the shadows, don’t miss The Woman in Black – a masterclass in ghostly storytelling – coming to Queen’s Theatre Barnstaple from 28 October – 1 November 2025.
Book now before it disappears into the mist...
Sue Pengelly Haunted History
And for even more eerie tales from Barnstaple and beyond, join Sue Pengelly’s Haunted History Tours:
Walking tours. True stories you didn’t know you wanted to know. Crimes, brothels, the gritty working class history and ghosts.
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