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Ghost Dog Haunts Lincoln Castle Pub
31 Oct
Summary
- A stuffed dog from 150 years ago is displayed at Lincoln Castle.
- The dog belonged to a man executed in 1877 for poaching.
- Pub patrons report feeling a dog's presence and scratching at the door.
A peculiar stuffed dog, dating back almost 150 years, is a notable exhibit at Lincoln Castle. Its presence is linked to an intriguing legend involving William Clarke, a poacher executed in 1877 outside the castle walls. Clarke was a regular at the nearby Strugglers Inn, where he had his last drink before his execution.
Following Clarke's death, the dog reportedly waited for his master outside the pub and cried for him. The pub's landlord took the dog in, and after its demise, had it preserved. This stuffed canine remains a focus of local folklore.
Even today, patrons at The Strugglers Inn claim to experience a dog's presence, hearing scratching at the door. While bar staff often dismiss these accounts as the result of patrons having too much to drink, the legend persists.
Some staff at Lincoln Castle, like Jen Watson, see the story as a poignant reminder of the human and animal connections prisoners once had. However, others, such as Megan Elen-Woodward from The Strugglers Inn, view it as a fanciful ghost story with little factual basis, attributing its popularity to the pub's morbid history.
The tale of the ghostly dog complements Lincoln's Halloween festivities. The castle is hosting "spooky stories or eerie tales" in its former prison, adding to the city's broader "Big Spook" event, which features inflatable monsters, a pumpkin patch, and other seasonal attractions.
