Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxford-castle-amp-prison-oxford"><a aria-label="Oxford Castle &amp; Prison (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oxford Castle &amp; Prison</a>, Oxford</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/OxfordCastle.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-175238" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/OxfordCastle.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/OxfordCastle-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/OxfordCastle-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/OxfordCastle-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>No surprises that Oxford Castle has a long and rich history of hauntings, which is precisely why you can book to host your own ghost hunt around the haunted crypt and <a href="https://www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk/venue-hire/ghost-hunts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">STAY THE NIGHT</a> should you like that kind of thing. The Spooky Tours run from 25 to 31 Oct and include areas usually off-limits &#8211; like the punishment cells (eek!). Book in <a href="https://www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk/events/event/spooky-tours/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> &#8211; although you might think twice when you learn that while conducting a séance in the 1970s, a group of ghost hunters seemingly summoned a presence so malign, a priest had to be brought in to rectify the mess. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-minster-lovell-hall-nr-witney"><a aria-label="Minster Lovell Hall (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/minster-lovell-hall-and-dovecote/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minster Lovell Hall</a>, nr Witney</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="306" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Minster-Lovell-Hall-720x306.jpg" alt="Minster Lovell Hall" class="wp-image-109709" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Minster-Lovell-Hall-720x306.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Minster-Lovell-Hall-300x128.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Minster-Lovell-Hall-150x64.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Minster-Lovell-Hall-900x383.jpg 900w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Minster-Lovell-Hall.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>Originally built around 1440, this ruined manor house just a few miles northwest of Oxford city centre was once home to Francis Lovell, a Yorkist who just happened to pick the wrong side when it mattered the most. Folklore has it that after the Battle of Bosworth, he hid in a secret room in the house, giving a faithful servant the only key to the door in order to supply food and water. But the servant perished soon after, leaving the master to his fate. Fast forward 200 years and some 18th Century builders found a skeleton locked in a vault under the stairs. Francis is said to still hover around the long-abandoned site.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chenies-manor-nr-little-chalfont"><a aria-label="Chenies Manor (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.cheniesmanorhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chenies Manor</a>, nr Little Chalfont</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="461" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/rear-view-house-720x461.jpg" alt="Chenies Manor" class="wp-image-93633" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/rear-view-house-720x461.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/rear-view-house-150x96.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/rear-view-house-300x192.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/rear-view-house.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chenies Manor </figcaption></figure>



<p>Chenies Manor is just plain spooky. Even wandering outside, you can feel the age of it bearing down on you. What we know is that Henry VIII stayed here with Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard — at different times, presumably. And it was a hotbed of action during the Civil War. So it’s not clear who the footsteps with one foot dragging behind them belong to: Henry with his gammy leg, or an injured Civil War soldier. The house is open for tours on Mondays and Tuesdays, between 2pm and 5pm. We wouldn&#8217;t want to stay after dark either. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-missenden-abbey-great-missenden"><a aria-label="Missenden Abbey (opens in a new tab)" href="https://missendenabbey.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Missenden Abbey</a>, Great Missenden</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="477" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Missenden-Abbey-720x477.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-109711" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Missenden-Abbey-720x477.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Missenden-Abbey-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Missenden-Abbey-150x99.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Missenden-Abbey-793x525.jpg 793w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Missenden-Abbey.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>Now a wedding venue and conference centre, Missenden Abbey was once a wealthy Benedictine monastery where the residents were said to have lived a life far removed from obedience, poverty, and chastity. Little wonder some have said the ‘Black Monk’, who is said to walk along the river and occasionally amble down into town by way of the George Inn, is perhaps a wayward brother atoning for his sins. There&#8217;s a circular walk around the Abbey so you have every chance of spotting the disgraced ghost.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mausoleum-west-wycombe"><a aria-label="The Mausoleum and West Wycombe Hill (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/west-wycombe-park-village-and-hill" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Mausoleum</a>, West Wycombe</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="387" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/West-Wycombe-Mausoleum-720x387.jpg" alt="West Wycombe Hill" class="wp-image-109712" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/West-Wycombe-Mausoleum-720x387.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/West-Wycombe-Mausoleum-300x161.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/West-Wycombe-Mausoleum-150x81.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/West-Wycombe-Mausoleum-900x483.jpg 900w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/West-Wycombe-Mausoleum.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>Ah, that rascal Sir Francis Dashwood. You know the score: boozing with his pals in the Golden Ball set atop the St Lawrence church tower before wreaking havoc with the local girls. It would appear his antics haven’t changed much in the past 300 years. In 1995, a group of teenage girls decided to camp near the hill, only to be woken up by animal-like screaming, flashing lights and then the sound of someone charging up the hill on a white horse. He didn’t have a head so it was hard to identify him, but the blame has landed on Dashwood’s ghostly door. The National Trust owns the land now, so you can walk around the hill and accompanying church and mausoleum for a very reasonable fee.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-burford-priory-burford"><a aria-label="Burford Priory (opens in a new tab)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burford_Priory" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Burford Priory</a>, Burford</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="667" height="500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Burford-Priory-667x500.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-109710" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Burford-Priory-667x500.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Burford-Priory-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Burford-Priory-150x113.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Burford-Priory-700x525.jpg 700w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/Burford-Priory.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /></figure>



<p>Restored as a family home by TV exec Elisabeth Murdoch and her then-husband Matthew Freud before their 2014 divorce, Burford Priory is built on the site of a 13th-century hospital. A little brown monk is said to wander the place, along with a gamekeeper replete with blunderbuss, and there&#8217;s allegedly a poltergeist residing in one of the building’s unused rooms. It&#8217;s now the home of Freud and new love Sheherazade Goldsmith, who&#8217;s sprucing up the gardens. Seeing as you’re unlikely to be admitted entrance unless you&#8217;re in the Chipping Norton set&#8217;s inner circle, you’ll just have to peer through the bushes from the road. No, not creepy at all.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-crown-amersham"><a aria-label="The Crown, Amersham (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.thecrownamersham.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Crown</a>, Amersham</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/TheCrown.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-175250" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/TheCrown.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/TheCrown-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/TheCrown-400x266.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>This old coaching inn is apparently home to five ghosts, two of which were obtained when a recent extension was built. One has a habit of shouting, “GET OUT NOW!”, which is an unusual hotel wake-up call to say the very least. Meanwhile, over in Room 16, it&#8217;s said a Victorian housekeeper likes to tuck young men into bed. It’s actually rather charming. Don’t fancy staying the night? Well, the bar is delightful and the food is great, so don’t let the ghouls upstairs put you off.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-trout-inn-wolvercote"><a aria-label="The Trout Inn (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.thetroutoxford.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Trout Inn</a>, Wolvercote</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="660" height="500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/09/The-Trout-Inn-660x500.jpg" alt="Trout Inn" class="wp-image-109151" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/09/The-Trout-Inn-660x500.jpg 660w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/09/The-Trout-Inn-300x227.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/09/The-Trout-Inn-150x114.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/09/The-Trout-Inn-693x525.jpg 693w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/09/The-Trout-Inn.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px" /></figure>



<p>Rosamund the Fair was presumably very beautiful. She also lived in Godstowe Nunnery, over the river from Wolvercote, and was the mistress of Henry II. Legend has it that Henry’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, discovered the affair and gave Rosamund the choice of a dagger or a cup of poison to end her life. Now her ghost roams this friendly local pub seeking revenge for her violent murder. Or perhaps more realistically, Henry ended the affair and Rosamund retired to the monastery as shamed women did in those days. Still, worth popping in for a glass of vino and some chips while you ghost hunt.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dinton-castle-aylesbury-vale"><a href="https://www.dintoncastle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dinton Castle</a>, Aylesbury Vale</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="480" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/02/Dinton-Castle-720x480.jpg" alt="Dinton Folly" class="wp-image-102247" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/02/Dinton-Castle-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/02/Dinton-Castle-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/02/Dinton-Castle-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/02/Dinton-Castle.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>This 18th-century folly featured on <em>Grand Designs</em>. While the architect did a splendid job turning ‘Dinton Castle’ into a useful family home, it would seem he wasn’t able to dispel the rumours that John Mayne, a Roundhead hermit who lived nearby after being stripped of all wealth by Charles II, roams the walls. Many ghost-hunting troops have claimed to have picked up signs of supernatural activity, and there’s a public footpath through the grounds if you want to try to see him yourself.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-former-red-cross-memorial-hospital-taplow"><a aria-label="The Former Red Cross Memorial Hospital (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.crcmh.com/abandonment.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Former Red Cross Memorial Hospital</a>, Taplow</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="701" height="500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/The-Former-Red-Cross-Memorial-Hospital-Taplow-701x500.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-109713" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/The-Former-Red-Cross-Memorial-Hospital-Taplow-701x500.jpg 701w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/The-Former-Red-Cross-Memorial-Hospital-Taplow-300x214.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/The-Former-Red-Cross-Memorial-Hospital-Taplow-150x107.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/The-Former-Red-Cross-Memorial-Hospital-Taplow-736x525.jpg 736w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/The-Former-Red-Cross-Memorial-Hospital-Taplow.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px" /></figure>



<p>This one is super creepy. Although now a new-build estate for the over-55s, the land under ‘Cliveden Village’ used to be where the Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital was based. Not only was it where many maimed Canadian servicemen met their end after being brought back from the First World War trenches, it&#8217;s also where a winged black beast called ‘The Flincher’ is said to have terrorised anyone who trespassed the abandoned, rot-lined corridors after the hospital was left to the elements in the late-Eighties. For the sake of the retirees, let’s hope The Flincher disappeared along with the original building. Walk the surrounding woods if you dare.</p>


Haunted houses! Head here for a ghost hunt – if you dare

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