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Leeds' most haunted pub's award success
Landlord Martin Lockett knows all about serving spirits – he runs one of the most haunted pubs in Leeds.
But that hasn't stopped the Abbey Inn, in Newlay, near Bramley, carving out a reputation as a heavenly place for a pint.
The one-time MORTUARY has just been named Community Pub of the Year by the Leeds branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).
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And Martin, 43, is convinced the Abbey's success is partly down to its spooky collection of paranormal regulars.
He said: "The ghostly goings-on all add to the atmosphere, there's no doubt about that.
"Some people get a bit nervous occasionally, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest – and I live here!"
At least four ghosts are reputed to frequent the Abbey, which lies on Pollard Lane, between the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
The ghoulish line-up includes a grey lady, a man with a Guy Fawkes-style hat and a mysterious cloaked figure.
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Martin has yet to see any of them since becoming landlord last summer – but he has heard a girl's giggling coming from a deserted cellar.
There are also reports from years gone by of taps that won't turn off and bar stools moving around by themselves.
A pub has stood on the Abbey's site since at least 1834 – but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it doubled as the local mortuary.
During that period, the slab where bodies were laid out was in a back room now occupied by a pool table.
Martin believes the building may have been chosen as a mortuary because of the number of suicide victims who were pulled from the nearby canal and river.
Today the pub maintains its place at the heart of the Newlay community in less grisly fashion.
It acts as a meeting place for groups and societies, holds regular beer festivals and musical evenings and raises large amounts of money for charity.
Good causes which have benefited from its efforts in recent times include St George's Crypt in Leeds, the British Heart Foundation and Sport Relief.
"I'm chuffed to bits that Camra has recognised us," said Martin. "It's nice to know people are taking notice of what we are trying to do."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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