A bartender in Sheffield claims to have caught a photo of a ghostly man smoking a pipe on camera at the Old Queens Head pub. 

Julie Page from Sheffield was working a closing shift one evening when she saw the shadow in the dining room, which is known to be the oldest part of the pub. 

She said: “I’ve seen doors open and close by themselves and I often hear noises coming from the dining area when nothing’s going on in there. It honestly doesn’t bother me because I know it wouldn’t hurt me”. 

The pub is said to be the oldest building in Sheffield, built in 1475. It’s been inhabited by numerous affluent members of society including the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury (who kept Mary Queen of Scots imprisoned in Sheffield). It was later used as an almshouse, providing housing and care to people with limited funds who needed it. 

The building opened as a pub in the 1800s and underwent a refurbishment in 1993. 

Lisa Yates, the current manager of the Old Queens Head claims to be used to the paranormal by now, after 30 years working in the pub industry. 

She said: “Back in the day, pulling pints was a dangerous occupation. The barrels weren’t as small as they are now, there’s always been deaths in cellars and you expect a few spirits. 

“I’ve been in this pub three weeks and have met a lovely female ghost who likes to pull hair. I was cleaning down one night a few chairs moved across the room. I basically just said, if you’re gonna move the furniture, put them on the tables because that will save me a job. 

“When I’m in the pub on my own on a late night or an early morning I’ve just felt someone tugging at my hair and trying to pull my ponytail out. 

“I always believed in the paranormal. It’s one of the reasons I took this pub on in the first place. Some of the older pubs I’ve managed before had not so nice ghosts, others were lovely. I’ve had one that would throw knives across the kitchen. It’s not nice when things like that happen but it is what it is when you work in the pub trade.”

Ms Yates claims she came out of retirement to take this pub on, due to her fascination with all things ghosty. 

“I’ve been told that I died when I had my son, and because of that I was told by a medium that I have a foot in that world and that’s why I can sense them now. 

“It’s always something that fascinated me, I’ve been in the trade for 30 years so its been something I’ve always encountered anyway.”

Various ghost tours and walks are known to make a stop at the Old Queens Head, delving into its history further. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the spooky history of Sheffield, book onto a ghost tour or have a read of some paranormal investigation hot spots.