The Dolphin Inn, a quaint watering hole nestled in the heart of Botley, was more than just a place for a pint in 1980. It was a stage for the supernatural, a realm where the echoes of the past mingled with the clinking of glasses.

The air was thick with whispers of the paranormal, not about the spirits distilled behind the bar, but about the spectral presence that seemed to haunt the very fabric of the building.

Strange occurrences, inexplicable noises, and eerie apparitions had transformed the inn into a hotbed of ghostly activity.

The Pearson family, the inn's proprietors at the time, were at the forefront of this spectral saga.

David and Nora, the husband-and-wife duo, had unwittingly become the guardians of a secret history, a tale woven with threads of the past.

The first inklings of the supernatural began to emerge shortly after their arrival from Hertfordshire.

The once-quiet inn was now a canvas for the unseen, a stage for a ghostly performance that would unfold night after night.

The prominent spectre was believed to be a Cavalier, a relic of a bygone era when the site had served as a military depot.

This gallant figure, cloaked in shadows, would materialise in the dimly lit corridors, his footsteps echoing through the building.

Nora, the brave and curious soul, was the most frequent witness to these ghostly encounters. She recounted tales of shadowy figures darting through rooms, of inexplicable noises emanating from the cellar, and of a chilling presence that seemed to linger in the dining room.

One particularly harrowing night, a loud crash erupted from the cellar. The staff and patrons, startled by the sudden disturbance, rushed to investigate.

To their astonishment, they found no physical evidence of the commotion, no broken bottles or overturned crates. Yet, the eerie silence that followed was punctuated by the unmistakable sound of footsteps, as if the ghostly Cavalier was making his grand exit.

The Pearsons, despite the unsettling nature of these occurrences, remained resolute.

They believed that the spectral visitor was a benevolent spirit, a guardian of the inn, rather than a malevolent force. To ward off any negative energy, Nora placed a crucifix in the haunted corridor, a symbol of protection against the unknown.

The Dolphin Inn, with its haunted history and ghostly tales, became a beacon for the curious and the brave. It was a place where the veil between the living and the dead was thin, a place where the supernatural could manifest in the most unexpected ways. And so, the legend of the Botley Cavalier lived on, a reminder of the inn's past.