The Bear Hotel is a hotel in

Woodstock, Oxfordshire Woodstock is a market town and civil parish, north-west of Oxford in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 3,100. Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is next to Wo ...

, located opposite

The Oxfordshire Museum The Oxfordshire Museum (also known as Oxfordshire County Museum) is in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, located in Fletcher's House, Park Street, opposite the Bear Hotel. It is a regional museum covering the county of Oxfordshire. The museum is ...

, not far from

Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace (pronounced ) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non- episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, on ...

. It is one of England's original 13th-century

coaching inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of tra ...

s and has stone walls, oak beams, open fireplaces and an ivy facade. The hotel has 53 bedrooms and its restaurant has 2 A.A. Rosettes and 2 RAC Dining Awards. It is run by MacDonald Hotels and Resorts. Notable guests include Richard Burton and

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

who stayed at the hotel on many occasions in the Marlboro suite.

Local legend

At least two of the bedrooms in the hotel are said to be haunted; room 16 is said to be haunted by a female ghost who turns lights on and off. Guests have reported their possessions being moved on many occasions in one of the rooms. Also, employees are said to avoid being alone in the kitchen and the cellar at night.

References

External links

Official site
* Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century Coaching inns Hotels in Oxfordshire Grade II* listed pubs in Oxfordshire Reportedly haunted locations in South East England Restaurants in Oxfordshire {{UK-hotel-struct-stub