The Christopher Inn was a famous hostelry in St Albans, Hertfordshire (UK) since the late 16th century; however, its good reputation waned by the 19th century as it became one of city’s most notorious pubs. One visible remaining part of the former building is found tucked away along French Row and features a carved bracket shaped as a woman with caprine legs and cloven hooves. She also has goat’s horns curling from her head and wings on her back. This succubus is considered by local lore to be the signpost of a medieval brothel. In the 19th century a victualler (a person licensed to sell alcohol) at the St Christopher Inn was charged with running a brothel and pleaded guilty to unlawfully keeping a disorderly house in 1862.
Photos taken during the Weird Tour of St Albans conducted by the organisers of The Urban Weird Conference hosted at the University of Hertfordshire, 6–7 April, 2018.
Model generated in 3DF Zephyr Free and posted on Walpurgisnacht 2018.
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