Terrifying, isn’t it?
This building is allegedly one of the most haunted buildings in the sceptred isles of the United Kingdom.
This is where I propose our stalwart archivists are based to take up their investigations. Littledean is a far cry from London…
Littledean Hall (grid reference SO672130) is a country house in the village of Littledean, Gloucestershire, England. It has been described as one of the most haunted houses in England and is thought to be the oldest house in the United Kingdom which is still occupied. Saxon and Celtic remains have been uncovered in the cellars. Part of the house is designated an SSSI as it is a proven breeding roost for the Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum).
Architecture and History
Originally a Saxon hall, then a church, it was then converted to a Norman hall, complete with a crypt and undercroft. Testing has shown that these remains date back to the 5th century. However, when records began of the house in 1080, it had evolved into a substantial medieval manor house which was eventually replaced with a Jacobean house in 1612.
The hall has seven bedrooms, a coach house, a dining room, sitting and drawing rooms, a stable, living room and cellar. The sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa) which line the driveway are at least 500 years old and the remains of a Roman road have been found underneath the drive itself.
The Roman temple site in the outer grounds has the in situ and restored foundation remains of the largest rural Roman temple known in Britain. In 2023 a large grant was awarded to York University by The Leverhulme Trust to study the unique corpus of around 200 stone carved heads recovered through archaeological excavations since 2016, referred to in PAST, the Newsletter of The Prehistoric Society as “a corpus unique in the British Isles and unparalleled in Europe”.
In 2007 the building suffered damage after lightning struck nearby and in 2008 the owners of the hall were ordered to rebuild a section of wall they had knocked down. The wall was deemed to be a Grade II listed building alongside the main hall.
About the Property
Dean Hall is an ancient and historic Grade II* listed English country house, surrounded by over four acres of parkland and gardens, to which guests have complete access.
Dean Hall Apartment has its own separate entrance. It is on the first floor of the South East wing and accessed up some steep stairs, with banisters on both sides. Dean Hall Apartment provides very spacious and well presented luxury accommodation and has deservedly been awarded 4 stars Gold by Visit England.
This wonderful property is steeped in history and was the site of Civil War skirmishes in the 1660s. Within a few minutes’ walk from the Hall, you reach the breathtaking Forest of Dean which has enough paths for a lifetime of discovery.
The Hall itself is approached through beautiful cast iron gates, down a long drive that is flanked by millions of mauve crocuses in early spring and massive sweet chestnut trees along the drive that are over 350 years old.
South facing, light and extremely spacious, covering approx 1200 sq ft, the interior of the apartment has been refurbished to an exceptionally high standard. The sitting room is bathed in sunlight in the summer. In the autumn, winter and early spring months, it is very warm and cosy and has a log burner, with a starter pack of logs, kindling and firelighters provided. Dean Hall provides a comfortable and relaxing base for a holiday in this unspoilt part of Gloucestershire. With two separate bathrooms, this is an ideal property for two couples. You will not be disappointed.
Guests have the shared use of the beautiful and extensive grounds surrounding the house. There are numerous places to sit and enjoy the grounds and relax with a drink or over a meal. For the more energetic, there is a lawn tennis court that can also be used for a game of croquet. The owners provide racquets and mallets, but keen tennis players may wish to bring their own racquets.
Guests are invited to help themselves to the fruit and vegetables that are in season from the orchard, soft fruit area and large vegetable patch. The Welcome Pack that awaits guests includes homemade marmalade, jams, and scones or cake. Basic essentials such as tea, coffee, sugar, butter, milk and cooking oil are provided as a starter pack.
Dean Hall is central to many outdoor activities and has a barn for bike, canoe and kayak storage. A bonus is the heated boot room in which guests can hang any wet clothing and walking boots to dry.
This apartment is a fantastic location with plenty of opportunities for walking and cycling through the Forest of Dean or watersports at the River Severn. If you’re looking for historic sites, then take a trip to the Welsh Border castles and the historic cities of Gloucester and the Cotswolds. Newnham on Severn has a quaint Georgian village which provides local shopping and two pubs.
No children under the age of 12 years
This apartment occupies Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire which is a fantastic location for sport enthusiasts with plenty of opportunities for walking and cycling through the Forest of Dean or watersports at the River Severn. If you’re looking for historic sites, then take a trip to the Welsh Border castles and the historic cities of Gloucester and the Cotswolds. Newnham on Severn has a quaint Georgian village which provides local shopping.
Accommodation
All first floor: 1 x double bed plus large ensuite shower room with Matki shower and WC, 1 x superking size double bedroom (zip/link can be 2 x singles on request) plus ensuite with underfloor heating, WC and basin.
Family bathroom with shower attachment to bath and underfloor heating.
Cloakroom with WC and basin.
Living room.
Kitchen with dining area.
Central heating with wood burning stove in the living room.
Double oven, washing machine, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, microwave.
TV, DVD, WiFi.
Fuel and power for apartment included in the rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Cobbled courtyard with garden table.
Shared use of owners’ extensive grounds with four acres of parkland and gardens including lawn tennis court and croquet lawn.
Off road parking.
Please note a starter pack for log fire included.
Please Note: The apartment is accessed up some steep stairs, with banisters on both sides.
Bike, canoe and kayak storage facilities available.
Heated boot room for clothes and boot drying.
Extensive forest and cycle trails on the doorstep.
Sorry, no smoking and no pets.
Shop and pub 0.5 miles.
Note: No children under the age of 12 years.
Ghost Tales
Known in the Guinness book of world records as the oldest inhabited house in England, Littledean Hall has a remarkable history. Located in the village of Littledean in The Cotswolds, Littledean Hall as we know it today, in its Jacobean style, was built in 1612 but its history goes back much further. A Saxon Hall stood where the house is now which would have been built for the Lords of Deane, which eventually became a Saxon church and after the Norman invasion it was converted into a Norman Hall with a crypt and undercroft.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, Littledean was part of the estate of Dean, held by William, son of Norman and a castle was built soon afterwards nearby, known as Littledean Camp. The castle was known as Littledean Roman Camp or Roman Camp and was thought to have Roman origins but modern archaeology has shown that it was built in the 11th century, even though Roman masonry has been found on the land and there was a Roman settlement in the area. The outer wall of the castle still remains on high ground which looks over the Severn Valley.
In 1612, the house was purchased by Charles Bridgman and it became known as Littledean Hall by 1628 and later, Dean Hall.
In 1744, 23 year old Charles Pyrke was murdered by a servant. The perpetrator was a black slave, who had been with the family since he was a child. As a child, he was brought up in the household along with Charles and its believed that they were around the same age, as there is a portrait in the dining room of them together when they were children. Charles was the son of Captain Thomas Pyrke who owned a sugar plantation in the West Indies, having a black servant was for some reason fashionable around this time and they were made to wear a silver collar, as can be seen in the painting.
Its believed that Charles had raped his sister and she conceived a child who was hidden behind a secret panel in the Blue Room. When her brother found out, he went into a rage and killed Charles. He ran from the house and was found a few hours later before he was killed for his actions.
The ghost of the slave has been seen on many occasions in the East Wing of the building, walking the corridor outside of his room and the drawing room. People have said that he holds a lighted candle and they’ve also mentioned the silver collar around his neck. He has also had the blame for throwing flowers that have been placed in vases onto the floor. One day, Donald Macer-Wright could smell what seemed like rotting flesh in the dining room. When he investigated, he found that the flowers from the vase had been put on the fire and his dog was growling, cowering away from the area.
The portrait of Charles and the slave which hung over the mantelpiece has been found many times lying on he floor as if it had fallen off. The owners at the time decided to attach a strong chain to the painting but it was found on the next morning as if it had been thrown into the fireplace with its chain mysteriously broken. Eventually, they took the painting down until 1982, when a reproduction was placed in its place and its been there ever since.
When Littledean Hall was used as a Royalist garrison during the English Civil War, Parliamentary soldiers attacked the hall, capturing twenty soldiers in the guardhouse. Colonel Congreve, governor of Newnham, and Colonel Wigmore who were in charge of the garrison, and a few soldiers, surrendered. When one of the Royalist soldiers accidentally fired a pistol, he hit a Roundhead soldier, killing him. The repercussion of this caused both Colonels, Congreve and Wigmore to be put to death by the sword. This happened in front of the fireplace in the Dining Room, where a bloodstain appears on occasions on the same spot where they were killed. Even when the floorboards were sanded, and then planed, the bloodstains still reappeared. Eventually the floorboards were completely replaced but the bloodstains came back. The ghosts of cavaliers have been seen in the dining room and outside the front of the house.
Another entity that has been seen in the Dining Room, is that of a monk who walks across the room and into the Old Library where there’s a priest hole that used to lead to a tunnel below the cellar which lead to the Grange of Flaxley Abbey a quarter of a mile away. The tunnel would have been used by monks to enter and exit the house to give Holy Communion without being seen during the days of the Reformation.
One of the rooms has always been known to be extremely active with paranormal activity that the room was shut for years as no one would stay in it. This is the Blue Bedroom where previous occupants reported that even the atmosphere alone gave a chilling feeling and they would hear the sound of clashing swords, believed to be the site of two brothers who fought a duel over a lady in 1740, both were killed in the fight.
The driveway in front of the house was found to have the foundations of a Roman Road underneath it which may have lead to a nearby Roman Road where the ghosts of a legion have Roman soldiers have been spotted many times over the years.
For around 200 years, the Brayne family occupied the house. During the English Civil War, Richard Brayne, High Sheriff of Gloucester, was living in the house and he was believed to have hid away from the Roundheads and changed his attire, dressing in the gardeners clothes thinking that he wouldn’t be recognised. Its not known if he was captured or killed but the shade of a gardener is often seen sweeping leaves from the driveway.
Other ghosts have been seen around the house too, a lady in a yellow dress is seen walking all over the house and grounds. An elderly couple who visited the hall in the 1980s, were greeted by a lady in a yellow dress as they entered the doorway. They didn’t think it was anything unusual until another one of the visitors watched her disappear right in front of her.
During the Corn Riots in 1769, the people of Jersey were starving as the ruling classes decided to make a profit from the overpriced sale of wheat in which they sold to the French. This same year, a member of the Pyrke family was attacked and killed at Littledean Hall by militia men from Jersey. His ghost has been seen from the outside of the house, through one of the windows this has been witnessed by various visitors, day and night.
As visitors have climbed the front staircase, many have reported suddenly suffering from vertigo. Its believed that a previous occupant had died falling down the stairs.
Littledean Hall has now been sold and isn’t open to the public.