The time has come to return to the first location we hired out. The Valiant Soldier, a pub that dates back to the 1700s now left as it is when the doors closed for the final time in 1965. Driving along dark and windy roads, fields either side, the rain trying to dampen our feelings of excitement but at the same time, a nervous feeling started to become present. 

 

We drove through the small town of Buckfastleigh, a narrow street with shops , cafes and a few bars and not much else. At the bottom, stands the Valient Soldier, white walls with green door frame and window sills, a very different look to the other buildings. Greeted by caretaker, we crossed over the threshold and into what was orignally a bike shop. 

 

The door was locked, the caretaker left and equipment set up in areas of reported activity, 1940s music playing in the bar to set the mood,  a tour of the two buildings to get a feel of the atmosphere and we were ready to begin our investigation in the past.

 

We let fate decide what team went were, two pieces of paper, one with the word Valiant, the other with the word Bike Shop. Fate had decided and the teams headed to their areas. 

 

A room, dedicated to the history of Buckfastleigh, a room filled with personal artifacts from work items to military belongings, all encased in wooden cases with plastic windows. Large original stocks, the first thing you see when entering the room became our main focus for communication.

 A cat ball was placed on the stocks, everyone stood still in the room, the floor boards trying their hardest to break the silence. We asked if there is any one associated with the stocks, maybe the craftsman that made them or a unfortunate person, locked up for any wrong doing, then…

 

… a loud tap, a sound like someone had banged on the plastic windows of the display cases. A loose floorboard? A team member bumping into the display case? All this was tried and tested but to our surprise the noise couldn’t be recurated. Was this a spirit trying to communicate?

 

News came from the other team of their attempt to connect with the other side. The females entered the lady’s parlour, a room where men weren’t allowed, and then men of the team headed to the bar opposite. The lady’s parlour, a voice from beyond? A voice sighing? Annoyed with people trying to communicate?

 With the team ready to end the first hour in the Valient, they collected their feelings and thoughts and began to make their way towards the door...cat ball flashed…no one near…was this the spirit of the female that sighed? Happy they were leaving, or wanted them to stay?

 

Time, a valuable assest, and our first hour had passed, it was time to regroup with the others.

 

Both teams swapped locations, the team that investigated the Valiant first, now investigates the Garage building, with the ogther team investigating the Valiant. 

 

We start with the team investigating the Buckfastleigh Museum and landing. They started investigating the Musuem, again the sound of tapping heard from the corner of the room, the same sound as the first team. This was the only activity witnessed in this room, so they moved into the landing. What they heard here, took them by suprises, never experiencing this on any investigation………a male sighing, followed by NO!

 

This was heard in the room and captured on audio. This ended any futher evidence.

 

We make our way to the team now investigating the Valiant Soldier, straight away the unexplained took us by surprise. A pendulum was placed, hanging from a headphone stand, placed on top of the bar, the pendulum settled, settled on a angle towards the back of the bar, no drafts were felt, no constant movement on the pendulum, it held rigid for a few minutes before returning to the middle. 

 

The females of the group went into the lounge, to try and connect with any past owners or customers. Using dowsing rods, a name beginning with R was provided with the crossing of the rods. Could this be a member of the Roberts family that owned the pub. After a short while the female joined the males in the bar, who didn’t gain much evidence of the paranormal. 

 

We decided to try glass work using a half pint glass and using the table as a board with the words, YES, NO, MAYBE AND GOODBYE, on bits of paper. Even before we started to try and connect with the past, we all heard a whistle, a whistle that sounded like a owner calling their dog. This was confirmed through the glass, even though it was very weak, the glass moved to YES when asked if you are the male that people sense with your dog. At this very movement of the glass moving, two members of the team, sat next to each other, felt what they both described as a dog brushing past their lower part of their legs.

 

Both teams met up and lone vigils were conducted, the night fell still, the echos of the past faded away and we steped back into the present.