8 spooky and mysterious places to visit in Gloucestershire

If you’re drawn to the mysterious and the spooky then these 8 eerie places to visit in Gloucestershire are sure to appeal. Let’s hope you’re still feeling as brave after you hear the stories associated with them…

Sudeley Castle

The ghost of King Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr, is said to frequent Sudeley Castle. People have claimed to see a tall woman wearing a green Tudor-style dress near the castle nursery, looking out of windows and walking in the gardens.

Even if visitors don’t see her spirit they can still stop by her final resting place, St Mary’s Church within the castle grounds. The ghost of a 19th century housekeeper has also been seen on the stairs, apparently maintaining the role she carried out while living of keeping the male servants away from the sleeping quarters of the housemaids.

Prestbury

Fancy a visit to one of the most haunted villages in England? Tread with care into Prestbury and you may just meet some of its supernatural residents.

The Black Abbot used to be seen walking along the aisle in St. Mary’s Church but, following an exorcism of the aisle, he is now seen in the churchyard, particularly around Easter and Christmas time. A charging horseman on a white horse has been seen passing through Shaw Green Lane and the Burgage, while a headless horseman has reportedly been spotted on Mill Street. The ghost of a young girl who plays the spinet has been sighted and her music heard at the Sundial Cottage too.

Woodchester Mansion

Woodchester Mansion is a spooky uncompleted 19th century Victorian Gothic house that has been linked to several strange sightings, including the ghost of a horseman on the drive, a floating head in one of the bathrooms, a tall man who walks along a corridor near the chapel and the spirit of a young girl on the first-floor stairs.

Visitors have also claimed to have been attacked by ghosts within the house, such as an old woman who grabs female visitors in the dark. Anyone who is brave (or foolish) enough to want to experience the ghosts for themselves can participate in ghost hunts that are held at various dates throughout the year.

Berkeley Castle

One of the most gruesome and horrific murders of a British monarch took place at Berkeley Castle, that of Edward II. The king was deposed by his wife, Queen Isabella, and her lover Roger Mortimer and rumour has it he was then confined to a dungeon filled with disease and a horrible stench due to the carcasses that were thrown into it. The lovers hoped that confinement in the dungeon would kill Edward II but he managed to survive for five months and so the queen ordered his jailors to get rid of him in any way that they saw fit.

The actual circumstances of the king’s eventual death on 21 September 1327 remain controversial. Some historians believe him to have been assassinated, some that he died of natural causes, and some that he did not die at all on this official date and instead escaped the castle to live elsewhere in secret. Though his ghost has not been seen, it has been reported that his screams can be heard in the castle on the anniversary of his death.

Owlpen Manor

Owlpen Manor is a picturesque manor house wrapped in a shroud of mystery. A lucky visitor may spot the ghost of Queen Margaret of Anjou who stayed at the manor while on her way to the battle of Tewkesbury - a battle that did not go favourably for her and her husband and son were killed shortly afterwards. Her spirit is reputed to have been seen at Owlpen wearing a gown trimmed with fur.

Sightings have also been made of a hooded figure known as the Black Monk in the east wing of the manor and the spirit of a sorcerer who practised the black arts has been reported in the attic (possibly the seventh Thomas Daunt who was a former lord of Owlpen Manor).

The Ancient Ram Inn

Fancy a night in one of the most haunted B&Bs in Britain? Well you probably won’t after you’ve stayed there because the Ancient Ram Inn has had many guests fleeing outside in terror.

There is no shortage of scary occurrences that have taken place within the house, including the screams of murdered children (the house is situated on an ancient burial ground), moving furniture and invisible forces pressing up against people. This is certainly not a place for the faint-hearted, so visitors should beware…

Chavenage House

Chavenage House near Tetbury is linked to a number of spooky sightings including a phantom black coach and horses with a headless coachman who comes to collect the ghost of the house’s deceased owner, Nathaniel Stephens. Stephens’s ghost has reportedly been seen climbing into the coach wearing his death shroud. Some believe the headless coachman is King Charles I who came to fetch Stephens’s ghost because he reluctantly agreed to the death of the king.

The figure of a grey lady has reputedly been seen, as well as a phantom monk in the chapel. There is also a dark and oppressive atmosphere within the bedroom that Oliver Cromwell slept in and people who have slept there have reported waking up at night with the distinct feeling that they were not alone.

Charfield Railway

Charfield Railway was the location of a tragic train crash in 1928 where 15 people died. Amongst the wreckage the bodies of what appeared to be 2 children were found, although the bodies were never identified or claimed, even following international enquiries. Theories abound about who these bodies belonged to, with some suggesting they were actually ventriloquist’s dummies, or the bodies of jockeys mistaken for children.

A cross was erected to serve as a memorial of the disaster and from 1929 through to the 1950s a mysterious woman dressed in black was seen to regularly visit the children’s graves. Even spookier, there have been a number of sightings of two ghostly children who have been seen holding hands and walking close to the site of the accident.

Exploring otherworldly goings-on

If you’re intrigued by tales of the supernatural and scary or strange sightings and occurrences these spooky Gloucestershire locations will surely entice you to visit them. However, be warned that even if you’re eager to explore, the ghostly residents might not be so keen…