The Sinister Haunting of the Wheatsheaf: Secrets of Malevolent Spirits
A brutal crime concealed for nearly a century left a dark legacy. Now, the spirits of the past torment the pub’s walls, with cold spots, whispers, and a vengeful presence lingering in the cellar.
Case File: The Wheatsheaf Horror
Case No.: 05WB-1908-WB
Classification: Haunting, Malevolent Spirit
Location: The Wheatsheaf Pub, West Boldon, Tyne and Wear, England
Date of Incident: 1908 to Present
Filed by: Paranormal Investigators and Local Witnesses
Status: Active, Paranormal Activity Ongoing
Incident Summary
Initial Report:
In 1908, a grisly crime occurred within the walls of the Wheatsheaf Pub in West Boldon that would leave a dark legacy for more than a century. A young girl, Jessica Ann Hargreaves, was brutally raped and murdered by Joseph Lawrence, a man who worked at the pub. Lawrence concealed her body within the cellar, a hidden space that would later become the focal point of its paranormal activity. The crime was kept secret for nearly 100 years. No police investigation was conducted at the time, and Jessica’s disappearance remained unsolved. The pub continued operating, its staff and patrons unaware of the horrific event that had taken place in their midst.
For decades the pub seemed like any other: lively, friendly, and frequented by locals. Yet over time, small, inexplicable occurrences began to emerge. Objects would move on their own, strange noises echoed through empty rooms, and the atmosphere in certain areas, particularly the cellar, felt unusually heavy. Staff and patrons alike reported a sense of unease in the cellar, where the temperature would drop and footsteps could be heard when no one was present.
It was not until 2004, during a charity psychic event, that the haunting was revealed to be linked to Jessica’s tragic death. Suzanne Hadwin, a psychic medium, reported hearing the voice of a young girl pleading for help. Through a series of sessions, Jessica’s spirit guided Hadwin and the pub staff to the cellar, where remnants of her life were uncovered: a small shoe, a lock of hair, and tattered clothing. These were hidden behind a wall, suggesting that Lawrence had concealed the remains to cover his crime. With this discovery, the haunting at the Wheatsheaf Pub was no longer dismissed as rumour. It became a documented tragedy that stirred the restless spirits tied to the pub.
Phenomena Overview
Cold Spots and Sudden Temperature Drops
A consistent feature of the hauntings is the occurrence of sudden cold spots. These are not drafts but intense drops in temperature that chill the body. Visitors often report these cold patches in the cellar, where Jessica’s body was hidden. The cellar remains the most feared part of the pub, where the temperature plunges unnaturally, leaving those inside physically uncomfortable and deeply unsettled.
Moving Objects and Poltergeist Activity
Poltergeist-like activity has been reported frequently. Glasses slide across tables, chairs scrape as though dragged, and cutlery has flown through the air. Staff have discovered furniture rearranged overnight or objects thrown to the floor. One of the most unsettling incidents involved a child’s handprint that appeared in jelly despite no children being present that day. This is often attributed to Jessica’s spirit.
Disembodied Voices and Eerie Sounds
Disembodied voices are among the most unnerving phenomena. Whispers, echoes, and murmurs drift through the pub, most often in the cellar. During one séance, a male voice believed to be Joseph Lawrence was recorded threatening Suzanne Hadwin, saying, “I’m coming for you.” Visitors also describe faint cries or pleas that they believe belong to Jessica. Alongside voices, the sound of footsteps, loud bangs, and slamming doors have all been reported.
Apparitions and Shadow Figures
Witnesses claim to see fleeting figures. Jessica is sometimes glimpsed as a small shadowy silhouette, while others have felt her brush past with a rush of cold air. Far darker is the apparition thought to be Joseph Lawrence. He manifests as a looming shadow, most often in the cellar, radiating an oppressive energy that terrifies those who encounter him.
Interactions with Visitors
Visitors have reported both gentle and aggressive physical interactions. Some describe a soft touch, others claim to have been pushed, grabbed, or tugged. Many also report dizziness, nausea, or sudden panic when near the cellar.
Electromagnetic Disturbances and Equipment Malfunctions
Investigators using EMF meters have recorded abnormal spikes, particularly in the cellar. Cameras have malfunctioned, batteries drain without reason, and recordings are plagued with static.
Light Phenomena and Orbs
Orbs and light anomalies have been seen and photographed throughout the pub. Flickering lights often accompany other manifestations, suggesting the spirits draw upon electrical energy to manifest.
Investigation Overview
Investigations began long before the discovery of Jessica’s remains in 2004. For decades, staff told of odd happenings, but these were treated as folklore until psychic investigations and modern equipment confirmed them.
2004 Psychic Investigation
Suzanne Hadwin immediately sensed the presence of a young girl during a charity event. Through séances she received messages from Jessica, guiding staff to the cellar. Behind a wall they found a child’s shoe, hair, and clothing.
Séances and Spirit Communication
Séances brought chilling results. Voices were heard, objects moved, and witnesses sketched apparitions. A voice believed to be Joseph Lawrence threatened Hadwin directly.
Modern Techniques
Paranormal teams used EMF meters, temperature sensors, and audio recorders. These captured voices, sudden cold spots, and shadow figures. EVPs revealed Jessica’s faint cries and Lawrence’s malevolent threats.
Physical Evidence and Attempts at Cleansing
Physical artifacts were uncovered. Repeated exorcisms and blessings failed to banish the spirits. Some cleansing even seemed to intensify activity.
Ongoing Investigations
To this day, teams continue to study the Wheatsheaf. Reports of activity remain frequent, with the cellar at the centre of the disturbances.
Press Coverage and Public Reaction
Local press paid little attention at the time of Jessica’s death since it was hidden. After the 2004 revelations, the story drew wider notice. Visitors now seek proof of the supernatural, though many locals avoid the pub entirely.
Case Status
Final Assessment:
The haunting remains unresolved. Jessica’s spirit appears trapped while Joseph Lawrence’s presence dominates the cellar.
The Wheatsheaf Horror stands as one of Britain’s most chilling hauntings. The pub’s tragic history and its continuing activity ensure its place as a key site of paranormal research.
The Story
In the village of West Boldon, where the rhythm of life once revolved around the colliery, the market, and the local public house, the Wheatsheaf Pub stood as one of the most familiar gathering places. It was a place of warmth and community, where miners and labourers ended their day with pints of bitter and conversations by the fire. Yet, unknown to its regulars, in 1908 the building became the scene of a crime so horrific that it would stain its walls for generations to come.
That year, a young girl named Jessica Ann Hargreaves disappeared. She was last seen near the Wheatsheaf, and although her absence was noted, no one suspected the truth of what had happened to her. Jessica had been lured inside by Joseph Lawrence, a man employed at the pub, who took advantage of her vulnerability. In the shadows of the cellar, away from the laughter and noise of the bar, Lawrence raped and murdered the girl, concealing her body in a recess behind a wall. There was no police investigation, no public outcry, and no formal record of the crime. For nearly a century, Jessica’s fate remained a mystery, whispered only in fragments of rumour while the Wheatsheaf continued to operate as though nothing had happened.
The decades passed, and the Wheatsheaf remained at the heart of village life. Yet those who worked there noticed that something about the pub was not quite right. Cold drafts blew through rooms that had no open windows. Objects shifted when no one was near them. In the stillness of the cellar, footsteps echoed as though someone unseen was pacing in the dark. Staff spoke quietly among themselves of the heavy atmosphere that seemed to thicken the air below ground, but there was no evidence to explain it. To most, the Wheatsheaf was simply an old building, its quirks no different from any other public house of its age.
But the uneasy feelings grew harder to ignore. Some patrons avoided the cellar altogether, claiming it made their skin crawl. Others insisted they heard whispers when alone in the pub, faint voices at the edge of hearing. These accounts remained unproven until 2004, when the Wheatsheaf became the focus of a charity psychic evening that would change the story forever.
Suzanne Hadwin, a psychic medium from Sunderland, arrived expecting to host the kind of séance that had become popular entertainment. Yet almost as soon as she entered the building she felt a presence. It was the presence of a child, frightened and desperate, calling out for help. During the session she reported hearing the clear voice of a young girl who gave her name as Jessica. The spirit begged her to look in the cellar.
Guided by these impressions, Hadwin led the staff downstairs, where she indicated a particular wall. At her urging, part of the brickwork was opened. Behind it lay a small cache of items that stopped the gathering cold: a child’s shoe, strands of hair, and scraps of tattered clothing. These were not props for a séance, nor the sort of trinkets one would expect to find bricked into a cellar wall. They bore the signs of age and decay, and to those present, they were the remains of Jessica Ann Hargreaves.
From that moment the haunting of the Wheatsheaf could no longer be dismissed as local superstition. The discovery tied the stories of cold spots and ghostly sounds to a real, violent crime. Paranormal activity in the pub intensified. Objects began to fly across rooms with alarming force. A child’s handprint appeared in jelly left on the counter, though no children had been inside the pub that day. Disembodied voices grew louder and more threatening. In one séance, a male voice was recorded with chilling clarity, declaring, “I’m coming for you.” Those who heard it believed it to be the voice of Joseph Lawrence, the man who had taken Jessica’s life.
Visitors reported seeing fleeting figures darting into corners, and investigators documented sudden drops in temperature of ten or fifteen degrees within seconds. EMF meters spiked inexplicably, batteries drained, and cameras malfunctioned in the cellar, always in the cellar. Some investigators reported being pushed, tugged, or grabbed by unseen hands. Others became dizzy, nauseous, or overwhelmed with panic as soon as they crossed the threshold of the basement stairs.
The apparitions themselves became the subject of countless reports. Jessica’s presence was felt as a small shadow, sometimes glimpsed darting away, sometimes sensed as a soft touch accompanied by a wave of sorrow. Joseph Lawrence’s presence was altogether different. Witnesses described him as a tall, dark figure, radiating hostility and malice. His shadow was said to linger in the corners of the cellar, his presence pressing down on anyone who dared to stay too long.
Attempts were made to cleanse the pub. Priests were called to bless the building, and exorcisms were performed in the hope of driving out Lawrence’s spirit. Yet every attempt failed. In some cases, the activity seemed to worsen in the days following a cleansing, as though Lawrence’s spirit resented the intrusion. Jessica’s presence, though less threatening, remained as well, her spirit bound to the place where her life had been stolen.
By then the Wheatsheaf had become a focus for investigators from across the country. Teams brought cameras, audio recorders, and EMF detectors. Many left with evidence they could not explain: faint cries caught on tape, shadowy shapes on film, sudden spikes of electromagnetic energy where no sources could be found. Witness after witness told the same story: the Wheatsheaf was not simply haunted, it was one of the most active locations in the north of England.
For locals, the Wheatsheaf became a place divided. Some were drawn to it, fascinated by its reputation. Others stayed away, believing the building steeped in darkness. The crime of 1908, long buried in silence, had risen again through whispers, shadows, and inexplicable phenomena. The pub became a living memorial to a child’s death and to the lingering evil of the man who had killed her.
Today the Wheatsheaf Pub continues to operate, but it carries with it the weight of its history. Those who enter speak of the uneasy atmosphere, of voices that echo where no one stands, of shadows that move when no one is near. Jessica Ann Hargreaves and Joseph Lawrence remain at the centre of its story, two spirits locked in the place where their lives collided in horror more than a century ago. One is remembered as a victim who cannot rest, the other as a predator who cannot let go.
The Wheatsheaf Horror is not a tale that has faded with time. It persists in the voices of those who work there, in the evidence captured by investigators, and in the chill that settles on every visitor who dares descend into the cellar. The building is a reminder that the past does not always stay buried, and that some crimes echo far beyond the years in which they were committed.
Fascinating story! I hope her spirit is at peace.