Woodchester Mansion is an unfinished gothic mansion with a reputation for being one of the most haunted places in the United Kingdom.
History of Woodchester Mansion
The history of Woodchester Mansion dates back to Roman times, with records of a Roman settlement and a large Roman villa in the area.
The manor of Woodchester passed through a series of owners in the Middle Ages before it was bought by the Huntley family of Frocester in 1564.
The Huntleys enclosed the valley with a wall and built a hunting lodge at the western end in 1612.
William Leigh, a Catholic convert, purchased the estate in 1845 and began construction on the Woodchester Mansion you see today in the mid-1850s.
Construction work stopped in the 1870s due to a reported lack of funds, and the owner William Leigh passed away in 1873 without realizing the dream of completing this spectacular gothic home.
Leigh’s surviving family decided not to continue with the construction, and building work stopped, leaving the mansion abandoned and frozen in time.
Ghost sightings at Woodchester Mansion
Though nobody has ever lived in this beautiful mansion, it is considered haunted and home to at least eight spirits.
The ghost of an older woman believed to be the ghost of a woman who used to work in the house in the 19th century, has been seen in the place and the grounds.
She has been known to grab unsuspecting female visitors in the car park, and her voice has also been heard calling out in the darkness on the long, graveled driveway leading to the mansion.
Visitors who have encountered this particular spirit have reported an icy blast or cold spot before being touched by unseen hands.
There have also been reports of ghosts in military uniform, and their presence is often picked up by mediums who have visited the property.
History suggests a good reason for their presence, as Woodchester and the surrounding parkland were used as a camp for Canadian and American troops during the Second World War.
Many of those troops tragically lost their lives during a D-Day training exercise, and their spirits still haunt the mansion and the lake where they drowned.
Could the American airmen be the cause of the 1940s music that is heard echoing through the abandoned corridors of this spectacular home?
There have also been reports of a man in the chapel, a female on the upper floors, a horseman on the grounds, and the ghost of a stonemason who is said to throw stones at unsuspecting visitors.
The most frightening of all reported spirits is, without question, the demonic entity in the cellar. This evil presence has been described as dwarf and unfortunate witnesses have reported feeling a sense of dread in this area.
Woodchester Mansion is closed for the winter and reopens on Friday, 31st March 2023. Paranormal groups also investigate the building regularly. You can book a ghost hunt with Haunted Happenings.
Address: Woodchester Mansion, Nympsfield, Stonehouse GL10 3TS
Haunted locations nearby
The county of Gloucestershire is home to some other haunted locations.
The most well-known is The Ancient Ram Inn. It’s just six miles down the road and is considered to be one most haunted locations in the world.
It is haunted by many spirits, including a witch, a monk, a piper, and a sex demon – with a local priest once labeling the Inn as the “most evil place” he had ever visited.
It’s also worth a trip to nearby Berkeley Castle, which is said to be haunted by the ghost of King Edward II!
You can also read about haunted locations further afield in our collection of Haunted places in the UK here.
