Brandon Hill has been public ground since at least 1533, when the Bristol corporation recognised it as open to the public and used by washerwomen for drying clothes.
Bristol24/7 repeats the story of Jim Falkner, an 18th century drummer boy who deserted his post, was marched from the hill and shot. His ghost is said to be responsible for the muffled sound of a drum heard on winter nights. Another listing, on hauntedplaces.org, simply says a drummer boy ghost is reported here and that locals sometimes hear his drumming at night.
There is no regiment, date or record of the execution in any of the sources found, and the name Falkner appears only in the Bristol24/7 version. The drummer boy is a common ghost type in Britain, so the tale may be generic. It is kept as a traditional local ghost story with no verification.
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