The White Hart pub, Walsall.

hauntinghenry · Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 4 Location: west midlands

This pub is believed to have many spirits but there is one that seems to be truthful. In the past a black magic ritual was said to have taken place there, this included a child having her hand chopped off. These were rumours going around aswell as people saying that they had seen the hand in the window of the pub. It wasn't until the building was knocked down or rennovated (cant remember which) that these rumours were made famous as they found the remains of a girls hand. These are the rumours i've heard and would like to hear some of yours if you know of this pub.

bitterbuck1 · Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:16 am Post subject:

Henry do you have a year in which this took place?

Drew · Joined: 14 Sep 2008 Posts: 1

This pub still stands proudly on a corner in Caldmore Green, Walsall. A mummified arm was found during the 70's and is availble for viewing upon request at Walsall Library and Museum.

It has recently been converted in to flats, I have no idea if any sightings have been made since the mid 20th century when a retired police inspector spent the night there and afterwards proclaimed that he 'wouldn't spend another night in that place, not even for £1000'.

bitterbuck1 · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:14 pm Post subject:

Hi Drew, and welcome to the forum!
That must tell us something if the Policeman wouldn't stay another night!

YB · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the forums drew.. Most people are scared of things they can't explain. Natural human nature. Most spirits I believe just want to be known that they are around and do so any way they can... One way of being remembered I suppose.

camperman999 · Joined: 16 Oct 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Midlands, UK

Hey i'm not to far from this place!! I might have to check it out!

bitterbuck1 · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:16 am Post subject:

Enderfay · Joined: 26 Dec 2009 Posts: 7

There has been so much rubbish written about this particular place over the years, unfortunately.....

The arm - frequently (and erroneously) referred to as 'The Hand Of Glory' - was almost certainly nothing more sinister than a medical specimen that was discovered behind a chimney breast in the attics of the White Hart in the Victorian period. Along with it, a sword - said to hail from the English Civil War period - was found, but the latter mentioned vanished not long after discovery. Evidently, someone fancied the sword more that some poor kids arm!!

No serious stories of Black Magic rituals, I'm afraid, just an absent minded medic, of some description!! Laughing

The arm itself has been removed from it's host with some precision - backing up the medical angle - and evidently treated with a form of preservative substance. Far from being shown only when requested, the specimen has been on general display in Walsall (old) Museum for at least two decades now. (Though the Museum has been messing around with it's displays / exhibits for a while now, so I couldn't accurately say whether it was still on display currently? It was used in 2004, however, for a popular Walsall Ghosts presentation hosted at the site in question).

Apparently, one of the reasons for it having been previously kept out of the public gaze was the fact that it was supposed to bring bad luck to anyone who touched it / looked at it. When I first viewed it around 25 years ago, the Museum worker who showed it to me said he'd never had any problems in handling it in all the time he'd been there though!! Laugh!!

The White Hart itself is still extant, standing on a corner overlooking Caldmore Green - one of the most horrible red-light districts in the Walsall region! (On a visit to see someone who lived in the area a few years back, I found myself walking on a carpet of dirty syringes and used sanitary towels in an alleyway opposite the former pub!!) Despite this, the building itself - converted into flats a good few years ago - is an incredible looking place and, despite it's setting, it's hard not to be impressed with the property.

It would seem that some of the stories concerning the site still cause ripples today, as - within the past few years - a friend of mine was called in to investigate alleged haunting activity inside of the ground floor flats. (I was supposed to attend, but was ill at the time!! Dohhhh!!!!)

All the best,

Enderfay

YB · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 5:10 am Post subject:

Welcome to the forums Enderfay,
Thanks for enlightening us.

Enderfay · Joined: 26 Dec 2009 Posts: 7

Hi YB - thank you very much for the welcome!! Wink

My special interest is the folkloric / social history side of the paranormal, so I do enjoy seeing what these tales originate as - initially consist of - and how they come to get twisted / exaggerated / expanded with time! Laugh!!

All the best,

Enderfay

Bucci · Joined: 21 Jan 2010 Posts: 11 Location: west mids

I too live not far away from this place and have seen the hand admittedly years ago so not sure if its still on display anywhere sry .. I was under the impression it belonged to a junior doctor who lodged at the inn and worked at the near by General Hospital (Bradford Street) who kept it as a anotomical study ?? I dont know thats probably more a myth
However I have also been told by a friend who lives in that area that the apartments are visited by a 'lady of the night' looking for customers .. as this is a renouned red light area this is not surprising, this lady apparently tugs at mens clothing , as im not certain of the layout of the building but this does happen to occur on a second floor landing and what would have been the barrel store at the back of the building. Again probably urban legend but a little more to the story

ClaraJayne · Joined: 21 Jul 2010 Posts: 54 Location: Burntwood, UK

I live down the road from walsall 0_o