The Lamb and Flag

Tucked away in a narrow alley off Covent Garden, The Lamb and Flag has stood since 1623 and earned the nickname “The Bucket of Blood” due to the brutal bare-knuckle boxing matches that took place on its upper floor during the 18th and 19th centuries. The ghost of a boxer who died from injuries sustained in an illegal match is said to haunt the building, with witnesses reporting the sound of fists hitting flesh, grunts of exertion, and the jeering of spectators coming from the upper rooms when they are completely empty. The apparition of a bloodied man in boxing stance has been seen on the stairs, his face battered and swollen, before he vanishes mid-punch. Staff have reported finding furniture inexplicably rearranged in circular patterns as if creating a makeshift boxing ring, despite no one having moved anything.

The pub’s most famous ghost is connected to one of literature’s dark moments, in December 1679, poet John Dryden was brutally attacked in the alley outside the pub by thugs hired by the Earl of Rochester. Though Dryden survived the assault, the trauma of the event seems to have left a supernatural imprint. Witnesses have reported seeing a figure matching Dryden’s description stumbling through the pub clutching his head, blood appearing on his clothing before he fades from view. The sound of running feet and violent struggles has been heard in the alley outside, and some patrons have reported feeling suddenly terrified and under attack when standing in the area where the assault took place, experiencing phantom pain and the sensation of being struck by invisible assailants.

The narrow, ancient structure of The Lamb and Flag creates an atmosphere conducive to paranormal activity, with creaking floorboards, low ceilings, and winding staircases that seem to twist through time itself. Staff and patrons have reported seeing shadow figures moving through the building, glasses sliding across tables on their own, and the persistent feeling of being watched by hostile presences. The pub’s cellar is particularly active, with reports of bottles moving, unexplained cold spots, and the overwhelming sensation that someone is standing directly behind you even when you’re alone. During quiet periods, the sounds of a rowdy 18th-century crowd can be heard, complete with laughter, arguments, and the unmistakable atmosphere of violence barely contained, as if the brutal history of the Bucket of Blood continues to play out in spectral form night after night.