The ghost of Charles I in the Cotswolds
Two Cotswold houses tell stories of the king who lost his head. Here is what the record says, and where the legend takes over.
· 4 minute read
Two Cotswold houses tell stories of Charles I: one of a night he is said to have spent there, the other of his ghost.
The Court House, Painswick
The Court House at Painswick was rebuilt in 1604 for Thomas Gardener and is listed Grade I (opens in a new tab). It has a panelled room known as King Charles's bedroom. In 1643, after the failed siege of Gloucester, Royalist troops camped on Painswick Beacon, and tradition says the king stayed at the house and held court there; the Victoria County History (opens in a new tab) doubts that this is where its name comes from. Ghost stories of the king and his men are told of the house too, but we have found no published source for them. It is a private home, seen from Hale Lane and the churchyard.
Chavenage
Chavenage, near Tetbury, was rebuilt by Edward Stephens and finished by 1576. Around Christmas 1648 Henry Ireton, Cromwell's son-in-law, visited Colonel Nathaniel Stephens, an MP who had raised a regiment for Parliament, to win his support for putting the king on trial. The family's history (opens in a new tab) says they sat up all night and Stephens reluctantly agreed.
Then the legend begins. His daughter Abigail is said to have cursed him, and when he died a few months later his hearse was driven by a headless coachman, the ghost of the king, who came again for later heads of the family. The Lowsley-Williams family has owned the house since 1891.
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Visiting
Chavenage opens only by reservation. When we checked in October 2026, the house's notice of 11 August 2026 said filming commitments left little chance to tour; group visits were £12 a head for groups of 21 or more, and a single visitor could join a booked group. Check its site before planning a visit. The Court House at Painswick is a private home and is not open; it is seen from Hale Lane and St Mary's churchyard.
Mentioned in this story
The places, sights and walks in this story, each with a page of its own: what it is, when to go and how to get there.
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Painswick Beacon
Sight · Hill fort or barrow · Painswick
Places to stay near Painswick
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Barn Cottage, Painswick
Self-catering · Painswick
A three-bedroom barn conversion in Painswick, sleeping six in en suite rooms, with off-road parking, an enclosed courtyard and dogs welcome.
Dog-friendly
Verified Nov 2026
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Stable Cottage, Painswick
Self-catering · Painswick
A two-bedroom barn conversion in Painswick sleeping four, with a private garden and a petanque piste, dogs welcome.
Dog-friendly
Verified Nov 2026
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The Falcon Inn
Inn · Painswick
A family-run inn with eleven rooms on New Street, Painswick, established in 1828 and under new owners since February 2026, with dogs welcome throughout.
Dog-friendly · Wedding venues
Verified Oct 2026
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