The Blacksmiths Arms, one of the most haunted pubs in Britain, this was going to be a good one and my ghost deflowering would take place, there would be no doubts.
The Blacksmiths Arms, Brampton - The ghost of Maggie Stobart is still said to exist in the pub to ensure that all is well and the pub is being maintained. According to reports, when she manifests she is dressed in Victorian clothing and usually has a smile on her face – but not always.
Source
This was always in my mind when visiting the abandoned, but in fantastic condition ‘The Blacksmiths’ Arms’, in Staffordshire. What I had misjudged was that it was the wrong ‘Arms’ and this was a regular boozer without even a sniff of Maggie.
Yet, I am sure I spotted something about this one, and ghosts. Could it be that ALL 'The Blacksmiths Arms' in this country are truly haunted?
It was those freaky paranormal idiots again, must be…
For a simple pub that’s very much rural and out of the way, this ‘The Blacksmiths’ Arms’ appears very popular within the Urban Exploring community and it must be ticked off.
I have the ‘haunted’ excuse for my visit and the fact it was close by to the dismal Marchington Barracks and the forthcoming non-existent, ‘Red Nova Farm’ which we never managed to find, due to bollocks information provided.
I can’t find a build date for this ‘The Blacksmiths’ Arms’. It is built squarely in the middle of a small village and would once have been the central community. In 2009 a vehicle collided with the pub causing extensive damage. It was re-opened in 2011 later and finally closed its doors in 2012.
A Google image (below) shows the damage done in 2009 and workmen trying to repair everything. This was the start of the fall. It must have been a Juggernaut, not a car that crashed into it.
‘All this way and the fucking place is sealed?’
I was getting exasperated. We had checked the back and there was no way in, besides possibly the roof.
@anidiotexplores being more flexible than me, attempted to scale it, managed to climb on a section, and found nothing.
The both of us started to leave, brooding, sulky, and glum barely noticing another section of a hugely overgrown path so much that beyond it was not visible.
One of us had the curiosity to have a final check before leaving and there it was. A door with a hole, just about large enough to crawl through, even fat-boy me.
We crawled through the hole and entered a bare room. This was downstairs and looked to never be a public area.
Finding the bar was easy, though I couldn't tell you what is written on the dusty sign. It looks written in some other weird language.
Everything was quite bare but in astonishingly great condition. While 'The Blacksmiths' Arms' was suffering from a lack of dusting, it had held up well considering it was TEN years since it was operational.
The scores look like the last ever game of Darts played. This is a pub game, predominantly played by gut-spilling oversized males with huge bellies. They tend to weigh you before allowing you to play. Too skinny and you are banned.
'Marstons', it says on the 2009 image. This means the beer is more restricted and limited to that brewery. Free Houses are the best, having no such restrictions.
Serving Britvic is an art it seems, and one needs detailed instructions on how to deliver it effectively.
A much-underused notice board, it looked virtually new.
You would never have guessed that lots of delicious, tasty, jaw-dropping food came from here, would you?
Those coffee prices do seem a little on the high side. You must consider these are 2012 prices, and not today’s.
The Stodges, on the other hand, appear to be a decent deal. A slice of Black Forest Gateaux would have gone down nicely.
THREE courses for £12.95. Now that is a cracking deal, if only I could manage to eat that much.
I did squeeze it but no lemon was forthcoming.
It is probably safe to say that nobody had entered via the front door in around, erm… 10 years? If the owners do visit, it must be the back entrance.
I hear that many explorers have failed to get into 'The Blacksmiths' Arms'. I do wonder if they missed the 'hole' or if it is constantly getting sealed again.
A little mindless graffiti but the rural location has mostly saved it from the hordes of dickheads.
It's a little chalky underfoot. I was at this point, looking around for those non-existent spirits and was quite alone as @anidiotexplores had gone upstairs.
Had this been an early access point for desperate explorers who were longing to see decaying spider webs and the like? I think not.
A few items of cutlery remained, as well as a decent amount of malt vinegar. We Brits like it on our chips you see.
Wishful thinking if you assume any of these contains alcoholic content. They were in the public section and for decorative purposes only.
From the olden days when you could get two pub meals for £10; Ham and Eggs, Fish and Chips, how I do miss those days.
£3 for a pint? Not a chance of that now, it’s more like double!
The styling and architecture of 'The Blacksmiths' Arms' was homely. In its day this would have been a wonderful stop-over so long as the locals were not in the same mindset as 'The Slaughtered Lamb' ones.
The upper areas were sparse and empty, besides the huge CRT TV. In 2012, this would have been dated and nobody wanted to carry the thing out. At a guess, I would say it probably still works.
Billowing wallpaper, but what do you expect when it's freezing inside, yes it was chilly.
Some holes are strictly off-limits, such as this filled with bricks and mortar. It’s often better to find another hole.
We exited and hoped the angry locals would not start hassling us for simply taking external snaps. These people in villages are remarkably protective and have been known to call the cops for the smallest of reasons.
I noted the mailbox attached to the pub and figured it is still used. This is how important these central drinking establishments used to be. The postman doesn’t have to be an explorer to collect the mail, as it does open from the outside.
As if seeing a premonition… we left quickly after a mob of locals were starting to gather at one end of the village complete with pitchforks and broken hoes, shaking their fists and screaming some indecipherable 'hillbilly’ language in our direction.
Do you like posting your Urbex content and photography for FREE on Facebook and YouTube? I like to get some form of reward for my work and every time I create I do just that. Take a look at The Urbex Community on HIVE.
If you want to keep creating for FREE then ignore what you are reading. If you want to be like me and gain something other than BUGGER ALL for your work then click here and learn about posting on the HIVE blockchain.
If you found this article so invigorating that you are now a positively googly-eyed, drooling lunatic with dripping saliva or even if you liked it just a bit, then please upvote, comment, rehive, engage me or all of these things.
Tis in bloody good nick overall. It is a refreshing change when they haven't been spunked on fire and the like.
My heart leapt when I saw all those bottles although being tied to Marstons I doubt there would have been anything good in em
That wine would have been guzzled by explorers before us of not empty, they would have been laid out for days on the chalky carpet with massive hangovers.
you escaped with out the willies being put up you.
I have actually seen Maggie Stobbart... she drives a fucking big truck
Is that the one you had over the sugar in Kwiksave?
No, that was the delicious Mary O'Dwyer!
Wow, this one was in a lot better shape than I would have expected from the outside. It was virtually untouched. Not even an attempt at torching. Very nice! Sorry you didn't happen upon any ghosts.
Yes, far too rural for much of that mindless activity. The boys don't tend to have cars and are restricted to the more urban areas. The ghosts, I'm still waiting to see.
Ah, okay, that makes sense I guess. It's nice to see one or two that aren't totally charred out from time to time!
They are uncommon, this was a nice relic, and almost unspoilt.
Thats an old squirter for sure, they got lemon carb diet drinks all on the same button now.
Yeah, todays squirters are more efficient than the ancient types. A three-in-one.
Best I could make of your mystery sign is "Horseshoe Bun", with the e and n changed to some degree, maybe even on purpose. I was figuring there may be some artist, food or sport association, but I couldn't find anything. There are a style of buns called horseshoe, there's a horseshoe sandwich, and even a horseshoe bun hairpin, but nothing that makes me believe I found a proper clue. The number 1 above it also seems suspicious, as to some sort of importance or rank.
Nice explore - great to see its still in great condition after so long closed up.
Very decent looking place still. I can definitely see someone pulling up and throwing back a beer in that place a few years back.
It could be recovered and fixed up, that's more than I can say for most of them.
Maybe a post urban ex retirement gig?
Very cool building! I like the layout, and it's in remarkably good condition all-in-all.
Here, it's almost the opposite for rural locations as it seems to be there: we get more mindless graffiti and shit on (and I assume in) abandoned places.
You would need a car, and bands of idiots would attract attention. This is why we attend ninja special classes on a regular basis 😀
It's surprising that the glass bottles and such are all still intact and that no has stolen the beer glasses.
Beer glasses are not in demand on the used market it seems. If they were and I was a thief I would be very rich by now.
Haha that's true. I didn't think of the hygiene aspect of it 😆
Surprising that someone didn't smash them then
Yes, they seem quite immune from vandalism. A strange one..that.
I worked at somewhere like that I know how those delicious, tasty, jaw-dropping foods were cooked and came from there :)
Don't tell me, I would never eat at another pub again!
Words can't describe how helpful this was! ❤ You have captured things so beautifully! ♥️
Good stuff slobberchops, learnt something new today 🙌🏼
This is very nice
The bar looks so good too
Every picture there is lovely
You really did a great job exploring every nook and cranny with wonderful clear photographs. This is pleasing to the eyes.
Can I save this photographs for possible paintings.
Sure, but please credit me if there are public.
Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
This is so interesting, I’m so happy you both let your curiosity get the best of you when you saw the small door. You tend to see more things.
I wonder why the folks around are so protective.
This is a nice piece.
This was a close one, we almost left. Going back later was not an option. It's too far away.
Ohh that’s true
Lol. Did that last part really happen? I mean the pitchforks and all that medieval delights?
Of course, Britain's rural spots are jam-packed with bumkin farmers that attack on sight.
Wow. That's dreadful. A really adventurous thing you do here.