Cheltenham Ghosts

Gloucestershire belongs among one of the most haunted counties and Cheltenham has its fair share of ghosts.

Cheltenham boasts to be the location of the best authenticated ghost story on the files of the Society for Psychical Research. The so-called “Cheltenham ghost” was first investigated by Frederic Myers. In April, 1882, Captain Despard with his invalid wife and six children moved into a house known as Garden Reach (also known as St. Anne’s in Pittville Circus Road). The house had been empty for years, and there were reports of its being haunted. The house was built by Henry Swinhoe in 1860. Rose, the captain's daughter, saw the ghost first -a figure of a tall lady, dressed in black. Altogether 17 people saw the ghost - members of the family, friends, or staff within the house. It tended to follow the same route, going down the stairs, into the drawing room, standing behind the couch for a while, then moving along the corridor to the garden door, and disappearing.

The haunting was at its height between 1884 and 1886. After that, the figure was seen less often and it gradually became less distinct in outline. The figure was believed to be Mrs Imogen Swinhoe, Henry Swinhoe’s second wife, who was reputedly driven to alcoholism by her alcoholic husband. The apparition of a woman resembling St. Anne’s ghost was seen in 1958 and 1961 in now demolished Cotswold Lodge, situated opposite St. Anne’s in Pittville Circus Road and also in 1970 outside St. Anne’s by a passing motorist. In 1985 the figure was seen at the back of the building.

Another haunted building in Cheltenham is the Everyman Theatre. Music can be heard from on the stage. This has been reported by several people including one of the theatres longest inhabitants; a technician who’s been there for over 20 years. The music is most often heard by people near the main auditorium doors in the Foyer. A figure has been seen standing in the circle/upper circle of the auditorium.

The house of Captain Thomas Hardy in Victoria Walk is reputedly haunted, though by who it is unclear. Tapping can be heard at the cellar of Suffolks Arms public house and in Hotel de la Bere in Southam which used to be a girls’ school a nanny who worked for the school hanged herself in her bedroom, and now walks along the corridors checking rooms to ensure her charges are asleep.

Leckhampton Inn had a haunting manifestation in 1997 when an old man and his terrier dog who frequented this old coaching inn appeared to landlord Andy Hobbs so clearly that he asked the man what he wanted to drink. The landlord was later shown a picture of a man long dead, who he identified as the disappearing customer.

Prestbury in the north west Cheltenham has a number of resident ghosts and it actually is the most haunted village in Gloucestershire, haunted by ghosts such as the Headless Horseman, The White Lady and the Black Abbot, who roams the local churchyard. You can find more information on Prestbury ghosts in the article on our website.

Have you ever seen any ghosts in Cheltenham? Have you heard any unusual noises which you were sure were out of ordinary? Let us know on community@cheltenham4u.co.uk or leave a comment on our blog. If you are interested in the paranormal, ghosts, hauntings, UFOs and related phenomena, why don’t you come along to the meetings of The Myers Paranormal Society, which meets every second Tuesday of the month in the Cotswold Inn, Portland Street.