A new study by scientists claims the ghostly happenings you experience in some of Nottinghamshire's most haunted spots are not the work of spooks and ghouls - but just the environment around you.
Simon Atkinson braved some of Nottingham's oldest caves to see if he can prove the academics wrong.

It takes a lot to make me think twice about a trip to the pub, especially if it's in work time. But even the prospect of a pint made a visit to The Salutation Inn less than welcoming.

Thanks to the bosses' idea of fun, I was going to have to head down into the pub's fifth century cellars - in search of Rosie - the resident ghost.

With nine reported sightings in recent years, there was always a chance myself and the photographer would catch a glimpse of a ghostly five-year-old figure - after whom a barrel of cider in the bar is named.

But descending the dark stone steps, my fear was tempered slightly by some new research. Academics have dared to suggest that - wait for it - there are no such things as ghosts.

Dr Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, and his colleagues carried out tests on two places believed to be haunted - and asked volunteers to make a note of places in the building where they had encountered any unusual experiences.

Many strange experiences were reported - with the location of the 'spooky' feelings often matching areas previously said to be 'haunted'.

But their studies found strongly-related environmental factors, such as the variance in local magnetic fields, size of the rooms, and lighting levels.

And they concluded that, while people were genuinely reporting strange experiences they believe to be 'ghostly', the feeling was caused by the environment and not by any haunting presence.

Summing up the work, Dr Wiseman told the Post: "These findings strongly suggest that hauntings do not represent ghostly activity, but rather people responding unwittingly to normal factors in their surroundings."

Perhaps as you would expect, not all are prepared to roll over to science.

Earlier this month, the Bassetlaw Ghost Research Group spent a night in Nottingham Castle.

Members claimed they saw the ghosts of two German Second World War soldiers, and a former RAF parachutist called Archie Cameron.

Founder David Wharmby said: "It's all very well talking about light and draughts being interpreted as ghosts, but I'd be interested to know how the academics explain away the physical movement of items that we've seen."

Mr Wharmby, whose group visits sites across Notts and Lincs, said: "At one pub in Newton-on-Trent, the table slid 30 feet across the floor.

"On other expeditions, members of our team have been attacked by supernatural figures. How do the conclusions of this research explain that?"

But Nottingham Castle general manager David Green said: "People at the castle spend a lot of time here, day and night, and nobody has seen anything to suggest there are ghosts here."

There's scepticism too over at Wollaton Hall, where the ghost of Lady Middleton is rumoured to haunt room 19.

Pleasley's White Swan Pub is said to be haunted by the ghost of Florence Nightingale and her sister Parthenope.

But landlord Ian Power says he's still waiting for the nurse to pay him a visit. "If Florence Nightingale is here, she hasn't fixed my hernia," he said.

Sadly, or perhaps thankfully, the only creaking I came across was somebody walking on the floor above me to get another pint and what the photographer said was the clunking of camera lenses in his shoulder bag...

Come to think of it, he did look a bit scared...

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