These Are The Most Haunted Villages In The Cotswolds

It’s officially Halloween season, and if you feel like getting in the spirit, why not pay a visit to some of the spookiest spots in the UK? Here are some of the most haunted places in the Cotswolds – and the best places to stay if you want to check them out – all courtesy of Bolthole Retreats, an independent holiday home booking agency. 

The Most Haunted Places In The Cotswolds (& How To Visit Them)

Prestbury, Cheltenham

Boasting more than a dozen ghost sightings, Prestbury is widely regarded as England’s most haunted village. Head to St Mary’s Churchyard to catch a glimpse of the infamous Black Abbott, or wander down Mill Street to try and sense the shadowy presence of the Headless Horseman – the ghost of a rider who was beheaded after the Roundheads of Prestbury were interrogated.

The Granary At Hunt Court

Where To Stay: The Granary at Hunt Court, a two-bedroom cottage set within a 25-acre farm. The well-known Devil’s Chimney trail is just a few miles away – perfect for a Halloween hike. 

Sudeley Castle

Katharine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife, is buried at Sudeley Castle, and it’s believed that her ghost now roams the grounds. Visitors have also reported sightings of a spectral figure, said to be the spirit of a formidable Edwardian housekeeper named Janet, who lived in a nearby cottage in the 1950s.

Oliver Cromwell Cottage

Where To Stay: Princess Elizabeth Cottage and Oliver Cromwell Cottage, two regal escapes nestled within the Sudeley Castle estate. The historic town of Winchcombe is only a short walk away, too.

Woodchester Mansion, Nympesfield

This Grade I listed, unfinished Gothic mansion is said to be rife with paranormal activity. Loud bangs, eerie cries and ghostly footsteps have all been reported by visitors, and ghosts including a young girl, an American airman and even a floating head are all believed to inhabit the house.

Cotswold Way Cottage

Where To Stay: Walkley Wood Cottage and Cotswold Way Cottage, which both provide a cosy retreat to which you can retire after a chilling ghost tour at at the Mansion. 

The Ancient Ram Inn, Wotton-under-Edge

Believed to have been constructed on the site of an ancient Pagan burial ground, this Grade II* listed former pub might just be one of the most haunted buildings in England. (It’s so chilling that many locals apparently avoid walking past it after dark.) Step inside and you can expect creaking floorboards, mysterious shadows and distant screams, with a particularly horrifying aura reported from the ghost-filled Bishop’s Room upstairs.

Christmas Cottage

Where To Stay: The joyful Christmas Cottage serves as a peaceful base from which to explore the horrors of the Ancient Ram Inn – if you dare.

Minster Lovell Hall, Witney

Tucked away in the Evenlode valley beside the River Windrush, the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall have inspired numerous ghostly legends. It’s thought that Lord Francis Lovell – an ally of King Richard III during the War of the Roses – went into hiding in a secret room on the estate after a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Stoke Field. His skeleton is said to have been discovered in 1718, but his spirit still wanders the grounds.

Where To Stay: Lovell Cottage, a charming three-bedroom rental located just a stone’s throw from Minster Lovell Hall.