The ghost of a Cavalier solider which haunts a village pub and sightings of phantom black dogs are two of the legends featuring in a fundraising ghost walk later this month.

Dilton Marsh’s annual ghost walk will start at the village’s 300-year-old Prince of Wales pub, which has been the location of several spooky sightings.

The walk will raise money for the village carnival being held in the summer.

Organiser Trina Murphy, 44, who grew up in the village, said 90 people took part in last year’s walk and she is hoping for a similar turnout this year.

“We do have quite a lot of ghosts here. I would say there are reports of a dozen main ghosts and we talk about those and visit a haunted cottage in the High Street.

“One of the new additions is the old school buildings in High Street which are now rented houses. One person has said they have felt the presence of small children around the house.

“A lot of the cottages in the village are weaver’s cottages so are very old. There are also quite a few former pubs which we visit including the Weavers Arms which is now a house, as is the Masons Arms.”

Former Matravers School pupil Miss Murphy, who has an eight-year-old daughter called Jasmine, said her tour will also cover sightings of phantom black dogs and the man in black, who wears black leather boots and coat and a wide-brimmed hat as he staggers along High Street towards the Prince of Wales pub, vanishing as he heads towards the pub.

She added: “I have seen him walking down the High Street. He looks like a highwayman. He just swaggers along.”

Alan Packman, who has been landlord at the Prince of Wales pub for 19 years, said he has heard strange noises in the pub and heard the legend of the man in black, who some people have said is a Cavalier soldier.

“During the night the downstairs toilet door opens and closes when there is noone around.

“A number of customers have also seen a Cavalier walking into the pub - it’s not just customers but people walking down the road.

“I haven’t seen anything but I have heard the door going often enough.”

Mr Packman’s previous pub The Red Lion, in Arlingham, Gloucester, was also haunted.

The Dilton Marsh ghost walk starts at 8pm on March 19 at the Prince of Wales pub and is £3 for adults. No children allowed.