The word ‘Trooper’, from the Latin “troppus” means a flock. Its first use was in 1640, to describe a soldier who was part of a group of cavalry. This pub has history from the 17th century and it was a major stopover for coaches on the main road to London. It is appropriate that a soldier should haunt it from the First World War. Witnesses see him within the building dressed in a khaki tunic and riding breeches. Others have seen him riding a ghostly horse in fields opposite the pub. In Old English, the village was Forcansfeld. It means, “open land frequented by frogs”.