THERE'S a rare chance to try your hand a ghost hunting at one of the most haunted and oldest pubs in the country.

Eerie Evenings, are set to return to The Skirrid Inn on September 6, for an overnight ghost hunt. It remains one of the spookiest venues that the team has ever visited, and they are looking for brave individuals to join them on their investigation.

The night will include a sumptuous two course meal at the Inn and the opportunity to enjoy psychic readings from the experienced mediums present. A local historian will bring to life the history of the site, the tales of its past residents and its present hauntings. Once the pub is dark, silent and very, very spooky the overnight vigils will begin. Guests will be able to take part in experiments such as séance, dowsing and 'scrying', with the opportunity to use real ghost-hunting equipment during the overnight vigils. Refreshments will be provided throughout, as ghost-hunting can be thirsty work.

The Eerie Evenings team have investigated the venue many times before, and it has provided them with some of their most intriguing experiences to date. Previous investigations have provided a wealth of activity including unexplained footsteps, lights being seen and people feeling as though they had been touched by unseen hands. On one event there was a photograph taken which appears to feature the rather creepy image of someone being hanged.

The Skirrid Mountain Inn is believed to have been built over nine centuries ago, and is alleged to be the oldest pub in Wales. It is also one of the leading claimants to be the oldest standing pub in Great Britain.

The inn is so called because of the mountain that looms over it, 'Skirrid Mountain', which is sometimes called 'Holy Mountain'. Legend has it that it cracked in two at the time of Christ's crucifixion. The ancient 'mounting stone' in the forecourt is said to have been used by many Welsh and English Kings over the centuries, and Owain Glyndwr, the great Welsh rebel, supposedly rallied his troops at this very stone before his famous attack on Pontrilas during the 14th Century.

'Hanging' Judge Jeffries is thought to have started his infamous career at The Skirrid Inn, although records are unclear. According to folklore, between the 12th and 17th Centuries over 180 people were hanged from a beam on the staircase. It is claimed that this beam still remains in place today, complete with apparent rope marks. It is also thought that the first floor would have been a fully functioning court room; complete with a cell in which prisoners spent their last night - presumably listening to the jovial festivities of their prosecutor and executioner in the bar below.

Glasses often fly across the bar by themselves, faces have been seen at the windows, guests feel a ghostly noose slip around their necks, things mysteriously disappear only to turn up weeks later and residents wake to an icy cold room and the feeling they are being watched. It is thought that one of the main spirits at the inn is that of 17th Century barmaid Fanny Price. Numerous mediums have given this name in connection to the paranormal activity, including Most Haunted's Derek Acorah.

However, it is clear that more than one spirit is responsible for the spooky experiences to be had at The Skirrid Inn. Maybe Eerie Evenings' very own mediums will be able to shed some light on the ghostly perpetrators, or at least give some insight into the truth of the historical legends surrounding the building.

The Skirrid Mountain Inn is one of the scariest places you will ever visit. Believer, sceptic or in-between, an Eerie Evening at The Skirrid Inn will be an experience like no other.  

For more information or to book your place contact Eerie Evenings direct on 01543 278075 or visit their website at http://www.eerie-evenings.com">www.eerie-evenings.com.