Haunted Hotels in Lower Slaughter

Ettington Park Hotel, housed in an impressive neo-Gothic mansion, used to be a Roman villa during antiquity, a nursing home during the 1930s and many more before it got destroyed in a fire in 1979 and completely renovated to become the hotel it is today. The ghost of Lady Emma, a former governess, is a regular visitor and is often seen wearing a long white dress before she disappears in the walls. Other ghosts include a monk and two young boys who drowned in the nearby river in the 1800s.

The historic Holt Hotel carries a rather gruesome history, since its then owners were murdered in 1754 by Claude Duval. Today, many guests have reported seeing the ghost of the highwayman Claude Duval wandering around the premises. Duval was the leader of a notorious gang of highwaymen and was responsible for many murders. Some guests have also said that they heard heavy footsteps in the corridors or felt like they were being watched in their rooms. One guest in particular said he felt his bed vibrate fiercely, while the landlord has also heard voices coming from the attic.

The Ragged Cot Inn is around since the 17th century and carries a rather gruesome history. In 1760, the drunken landlord wanted to rob a passing coach. When his wife, holding their baby in her arms, tried to stop him, she fell from the stairs and both she and the baby met their tragic end. The landlord put their bodies in a trunk and they say that when the police came to arrest him, he saw the ghosts of his wife and their baby ascending the stairs like always. Their ghosts have remained on the premises ever since.

Oxford Castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1071 and was later turned into a Victorian prison before becoming the luxury boutique hotel that it is today, and it is believed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the United Kingdom. Mary Blandy was hanged at this castle in 1752 after poisoning her father with arsenic and her spirit is said to still wander around its premises. During the Victorian period when it served as a prison, the castle housed some of Britain's most notorious criminals and the barred windows and dungeons are just some of the reminders. Guests have reported seeing ghosts of prisoners, white-robed monks, as well as a mysterious white mist and spooky footsteps.