'Disturbances from beyond the grave'
Once known as Bothehall in 1392 this historical building later became Ye Olde Booth Hall in 1939 and now today it holds the name of The Booth Hall which was originally given to the hall instead of the more common name guildhall, this public house is a traditional treat and provides a relaxing atmosphere day or night, fresh home cooked meals are served at the pub daily and the pub is known for it's nightspot popularity.
The locals of Hereford also know about it's on-going ghostly happenings such as bottle's and other bar objects miracously falling off the shelves and the most frequent and by far the most frightening is the unexplainable dark shadows that have been seen in the cellar by staff, locals and legend says it is the work of a ghostly judge who was at the building when it was once a courtroom. For an endless amount of years people were unclear on the exact spot the hall stood but in 1919 a chimney stack fell which exposed the historical medieval roof timbers, the decorative roof had many hammer beams which showed figures of angels facing downwards, and the roof was restored to its natural glory. It is said that that it was built as a first floor hall but unfortunately the ground floor had been lost.
The inside of the pub continues to show its traditional old wooden beamed look and the walls upstairs of the pub are original wood panels and there is an old tunnel in the pub's cellar. The Booth Hall originally had a wider driving way, this was later changed into a passage way which is a right of way and an entrance in to the hall today .Tree dating as supplied the evidence that the building was built sometime between 1454-1492. Unfortunately it is not known when this building first erected as an inn, however there is evidence to suggest that it was an inn in the early 18th century and that the landlord in 1751 was Thomas Willim and from then on it stayed within the family circle up until 1824 when the new landlord who was quite a local celebrity in Hereford at the time was Tom Spring the bare knuckle champion boxer, Tom was also landlord of The Green Man Inn in Fownhope. The Booth was a commercial and agricultural hotel in 1939 and had enough custom to keep all of its 13 rooms full and had enough seating for 150 people.
The Booth Hall has had many uses over the centuries, at the back of the pub and adjoining East Street it was used as Freeman's prison for years and one wooden frame of the building is still standing in the main bar today. Alfred Watkins who was a well known man in Hereford at the time made a record in 1934 that a timber- framed building to the west of the Booth Hall was to be demolished, this is believed to be the building of Freeman’s Prison. The hall was also the place where regular meetings took place by the Mercers Guild and wholesale trades for leather and wool would also take place at the pub. Imprinted inside the walls of this local town is memories and history combined and it really is part of the City's past.