Farmer's Boy Landlady Blames 19th-Century Ghost for Shattering Pint
CCTV footage of a Guinness glass exploding on a bar in Hertfordshire has divided online viewers between supernatural and scientific explanations.
By Fernando Rojas ·
A half-empty pint of Guinness shattered on the bar of a rural pub in England, an event the current owner attributes to a 19th-century ghost rather than a physical cause. The incident occurred at the Farmer's Boy pub in Brickendon, Hertfordshire, and was captured on security cameras.
The Farmer's Boy is a building from the 1800s that has earned a reputation for paranormal activity. Rachel Drury, the 52-year-old landlady who has owned the establishment for two and a half years, said psychics have identified the presence of a former landlady and her child. Drury described these spirits as friendly and non-threatening.
On July 20, a regular customer left his partially finished drink on the bar while he went to the restroom. The glass, which was empty of the customer but full of stout, suddenly collapsed. The footage shows the glass breaking and spilling the dark liquid across the surface without any contact from a person or object.
Drury dismissed the common scientific explanation of thermal shock, where a cold liquid is poured into a warm glass causing it to crack. She noted that the customer is a habitual Guinness drinker who would have rejected a warm pint. "If it had been poured in a hot glass, he would have refused it," Drury said. She added that the customer believes the glass was perfect before it broke.
Drury shared the clip online with a caption asking for public opinion on the event. The video received more than 200,000 views. Comments from viewers were split between those who believed in a supernatural cause and those who cited temperature differences. One user suggested an "Irish ghost" was responsible, while another argued the glass had simply been cleaned and not cooled.
Drury said she has experienced the presence of the spirits during her time at the pub. She recalled a night when she was stressed and felt someone patting her back in bed, only to find the room empty. Staff members who believe in the paranormal have reported seeing a woman standing in the pub after hours. They described the atmosphere as warm and welcoming rather than frightening.
The owner stated that many customers and employees have felt things brush past them or felt heat on their legs. "Whoever it is that is here just wants to be nice," she said. She noted that no one who has worked for her or visited the pub has ever felt unsafe. The pub remains open for business despite the recent viral video.
Drury said she checked the CCTV footage after being informed of the incident. She confirmed the customer was alone in the vicinity when the glass broke. The footage is currently the primary evidence for the event, with no other witnesses present in the frame at the moment of shattering.
