Once a grand castle house and a cherished Gloucester landmark, Prestbury House stood proud during the English Civil War. The town was a Royalist stronghold and yet was occupied by Roundheads who took refuge in the mansion. They knew that word would be sent to the King to send reinforcements so the soldiers tied a rope to each side of the Burgage, a well-used highway in and out of the area. As the king's rider galloped away, the rope caught him and dragged him from the horse. The soldiers set upon him and killed him before any word could get out. Ever since this horrible night, the barely visible phantom of the horseman has been spotted on its fateful ride. Perhaps the desire to warn the king was so strong that even in death, the spirit of the intention cannot be laid to rest. In more recent times, during repairs of some old roadside buildings in 1901, a skeleton with an arrow in its ribs was discovered hidden. It's believed this unburied dead person also is the cause of hauntings. Many more ghosts have been spotted in the hotel itself, with 18th Century rowdy crowds manifesting at unusual times. Visitors to the local church might come across the visible apparition of the "Black Abbot". There are so many various ghost stories associated with Prestbury that some claim it to be the most haunted area in Gloucestershire.
Fantastic Britain: Myths And LegendsWritten by Rowan Blair Colver Categories
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