It’s that time of year again. Halloween is upon us and you know what that means – witches, devils, zombies and ghosts will be roaming the streets, trick or treating their nervous neighbours and collecting as many sweets as they can.

But amid all this fun and games are some chilling stories of real ghosts – not the type you’d find with white bed sheets over their heads!

Did you know that Prestbury is renowned as the most haunted village in England? Located near the edge of the Cotswolds, there are reports of over a dozen ghosts haunting the area, including the Headless Horseman, The Black Abbot and The White Lady.

Prestbury’s most famous ghost – The Black Abbot – was often seen in the aisle of St. Mary’s Church, but when the church was exorised, he was reported to appear only in the churchyard. He occasionally makes an appearance after funerals, crossing the churchyard and disappearing through a wall in the High Street.

The Charging Horseman has been seen riding his white horse through Shaw Green Lane and The Burgage, typically around Easter and Christmas. Rumour has it he was killed by a Lancastrian arrow in 1471 while on his way to the Edward IV camp during the War of the Roses. In the 20th century, a skeleton with an arrowhead was found in Prestbury – this was thought to be the horseman.

A second ghost rider, named the Headless Horseman, rides through Mill Street and is thought to have been killed in the 17th century. He was a royal dispatch rider travelling from Sudeley Castle to Gloucester, and was knocked off his horse by a thin wire placed across the road. He was then interrogated by The Roundheads of Prestbury before being executed by beheading.

There are many more ghosts that apparently haunt the village, including a young girl playing the spinet in The Sundial Cottage in The Burgage, a Strangler who haunts Cleeves Corner near the church, and horses’ hooves can be heard by Prestbury House Hotel and The Plough Inn.

There are many ghost walks organised across the county that will take you on a spooky journey where you may even experience some paranormal activity yourself!
Hopefully this hasn’t scared you too much and you can still enjoy your Halloween celebrations, whatever they may be.