10 Most Haunted Places In Gloucestershire

The Cheltenham Haunting took place in a large house called Garden Reach on Pitville Circus Road in Cheltenham between 1882 and 1886. The original occupants were the Swinhoes. Henry Swinhoe died in 1876, and his wife, Imogen, died two years later, and it's believed to be her ghost that haunts the house and its grounds in the form of a full apparition and the sound of footsteps.

One of the Despards' six daughters, Rosina, was the first to witness the apparition in the house when she was 19. She described an encounter with the figure of a tall woman dressed in soft black woollen material, holding a handkerchief to her face with her right hand. Her face was never clearly visible, but she was said to be wearing a bonnet. The apparition was eventually spotted by several other family members but died down after 1889.

However, there have been sporadic reports of sightings throughout the decades, up until the 1980s. The last recorded report of a sighting of the apparition was in 1985, when two people witnessed a woman of the same description moving along a footpath that would have once been within the grounds of the house, which by this time had been converted into flats. They were taken aback by the woman's strange, out-of-time clothing.

Chavenage House, near Tetbury, is enveloped in the haunting legend of Colonel Nathaniel Stephens, linked to the English Civil War. The legend tells of a spectral black coach, driven by a headless coachman, appearing at the house upon Nathaniel's death. According to the story, Nathaniel's ghost climbed into the coach, which then sped away, presumably as retribution for his involvement in the execution of King Charles I. This event is said to have been witnessed by every owner of Chavenage since then, accompanied by ghostly happenings and cold chills.

The house, built in 1576, became a significant location during the Civil War. Colonel Stephens, initially hesitant to support the execution of King Charles I, was eventually persuaded by Henry Ireton, a leading Parliamentarian and son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell. Stephens' decision, however, was met with fury by his daughter, Abigail, upon her return. She cursed her father, leading to his untimely illness and death. Following his death, the legend of the spectral coach emerged, symbolizing his betrayal of the King.

Chavenage House has since been associated with various paranormal occurrences. The room where Cromwell reportedly slept is known for ghostly events, leading to a visitor fleeing in terror. Despite an exorcism, some still feel an unnerving chill in the room. Other sightings include a 'grey lady,' a mysterious lifting of a heavy bed, and a ghostly monk in the chapel. Even the house's dogs seem to react to unseen presences, adding to the eerie atmosphere of this historic house.

The activity reported in the Littledean Jail includes the sighting of the ghost of a little boy called James. It's said that he wanders the cells day and night. His presence has been felt by many visitors, who describe him as a friendly and welcoming spirit. The sounds of children crying have also been reported coming from the cells.

Others have reported seeing menacing shadow figures, hearing unexplained footsteps, and seeing doors slam closed of their own accord. There are reports of the museum's exhibits mysteriously shaking; lights have flickered, and objects on display have been thrown by unseen hands.

Perhaps the jail's most unsettling resident spook is that of a former jailer, who is said to make his presence known by touching visitors, throwing things at them, or even appearing in the form of a sinister apparition.

The Tudor House Hotel in Tewkesbury, dating back to the 16th century, is rich in history and paranormal tales. This black-and-white-timbered hotel, established around 1540, offers 25 en-suite rooms, but it is also known for its long-term spectral residents.

The most well-known ghost is the 'grey lady,' believed to be the spirit of a maid who worked at the hotel. This maid, reportedly mistreated by her mistress, is said to have taken her own life by jumping from a top-floor window. Guests and staff have reported seeing her wandering the corridors, only to vanish upon reaching a doorway. Some also mention a 'woman in white,' although it's unclear if this is another entity or the same as the grey lady.

Another frequent sighting is of a ghostly black Labrador, often seen at the top of the main staircase. This apparition adds to the eerie atmosphere of the hotel.

Additionally, the hotel is said to be haunted by the spirit of a small drummer boy, related to the bloody battles of Tewkesbury. Numerous guests have been awoken by the loud sound of a kettle drum in the night, often attributed to this young drummer's ghost.

The hotel's past as a courtroom in the town, with executions reportedly taking place just outside in the courtyard, further contributes to its haunted reputation. The combination of these various apparitions – the grey lady, the black Labrador, and the drummer boy – makes the Tudor House Hotel a significant site for those interested in the paranormal and historical hauntings.

Berkeley Castle, situated in Gloucestershire, holds a significant place in English history due to its connection to a gruesome event. For over 800 years, it has been under the stewardship of the same family. The castle is most infamously known for the brutal murder of King Edward II in 1327. The king, after being deposed and imprisoned in the castle's dungeons for several months, met a horrific end allegedly involving a red-hot poker. This method of murder, ordered by Queen Isabella, stands out as one of the most shocking royal deaths in English history.

Each year, on the anniversary of King Edward II's death, it is claimed that his agonizing screams echo throughout Berkeley Castle. The room where this violent incident supposedly took place is now accessible to the public. This aspect of the castle's history contributes to its haunted reputation.

Adding to the castle's eerie lore, in 2018, drone footage appeared in local news that some believed to have captured the ghost of a horseback rider moving through the courtyard of Berkeley Castle. This sighting further enhances the castle's reputation as a location steeped in paranormal activity and historical intrigue.

There have been many mysterious sightings of an old miner underground here, the miners knew him as "th'old mon." In 1973, while filming for a television series called 'The Jensen Code,' technicians needed to take electrical cables deeper into the mine to power their cameras and lights. It turned out that they did not have enough cable to reach the place they wanted. Their difficulty was miraculously overcome however, when an old miner appeared and suggested a more difficult but shorter route for the cables, this alternative route proved ideal. The technicians went to thank the old fellow, but he had gone; no one knew who he was. Visitors walking through the mine today have reported feeling as if someone is watching them.

St. Briavels Castle, located in the Forest of Dean and dating back to around 1100, is renowned for its haunting history. The Solar Room, once occupied by King John, is often filled with the sound of a crying baby, especially poignant after the discovery of a mummified infant during renovations. The Castle Keep Area is known for sightings of a knight in full armor who disappears suddenly, adding to the castle's eerie ambiance.

Other notable areas include the Hanging Room, where strange noises and a dark mass have been reported, and the Prison Room, notorious for poltergeist activity and unexplained growling sounds. The Chaplains Room and the Constables Room are both sites of frequent paranormal occurrences, with guests experiencing mysterious touches and feelings of strangulation.

The Oubliette Room, with its infamous 'Scary Bed,' and the State Apartment, where footsteps and a ghostly young girl in white have been seen, further contribute to the castle's haunted reputation. Overall, St. Briavels Castle presents a myriad of ghostly tales and experiences, making it a fascinating location for those interested in the paranormal.

HM Prison Gloucester in the West of England opened in 1791 to house some of the UK's most notorious criminals. In the prison's early days, over 100 executions were carried out, and the prisoners bodies were buried within the prison, to this day, not all have been found.

Many visitors claim the prison is haunted by a woman called Jenny. It is said she was murdered in the 15th century on the land where the prison was later built. Now her spirit roams that land in search of her killer, her ghost is said to have been seen by many prisoners and guards.

In 1969, a group of inmates conducted a séance in cell 25 of A Wing in an attempt to contact the ghost of Jenny and got more than they bargained for when books and even a flowerpot were thrown around the cell by a supernatural force.

This wasn't the last time the inmates saw Jenny, just a few days later, her disembodied hand appeared to the convict inhabiting cell 25, it pointed directly at him before vanishing as suddenly as it appeared, earning cell 25 the reputation of being the most haunted part of the 200-year-old building.

Staff and prisoners have reported hearing knocks and bangs throughout the prison's buildings, as well as slamming doors and shadowy figures, which have mostly been sighted in C Wing, a newer part of the prison that was built in the 1970s.

Woodchester Mansion is an unfinished, Gothic revival house in Woodchester Park near Nympsfield. It was abandoned by its builders in the middle of construction, leaving behind a building that appears complete from the outside but has floors, plaster, and whole rooms missing inside.

The house has been featured in many paranormal investigation television shows, including 'Most Haunted Live', 'Hauntings', 'Scariest Places On Earth', and 'Ghost Hunters International'.

Bangs and knocking sounds have been heard in the building, and poltergeist activity such as stones being thrown has been witnessed by guests. In 2005, a local paranormal group spent the night in the mansion and captured what appeared to be a hooded apparition on CCTV.

The Ancient Ram Inn is a Grade II-listed building in Wotton-under-Edge. The pub has been investigated by many paranormal researchers, including the television shows 'Ghost Adventures' and 'Most Haunted'. The building is no longer open as a pub but welcomes thousands of ghost hunters to paranormal events each year.

Some of the most commonly reported activity includes highly localised cold spots, temperature drops, and unexplained icy blasts of air. There's also activity in the form of light anomalies seen with the naked eye and caught on camera. Doors are said to slam on their own, footsteps are frequently heard, furniture is heard sliding around, and mysterious knocking is witnessed.