// Property


Through The Keyhole


Halloween house hunting


Amanda MacCaw explores the lovely Idsall House in Prestbury and discovers some interesting Halloween-related hearsay and rumour about the ancient village.


What’s not to like about Prestbury? It’s just moments from Cheltenham, but retains its proper village status; it’s as pretty as a picture with its timber framed buildings and honey coloured stone; and there are a satisfactory three village pubs, a useful selection of local shops, and an impressive church. The village is noted for its significant local history and to this day has a real community and living feel. Lying at the foot of the Cotswold Escarpment, some of the most beautiful walking and riding countryside can be found virtually on the doorstep.


Within the main high street, life centres around a butcher, pharmacy, post office and well-stocked village shop. Prestbury firmly retains its status as a prevalent Cotswold village which provides a perfect balance of town and country living. Whilst this thriving parish offers excellent day to day amenities, Cheltenham is a mere three miles away and offers cosmopolitan living and more than its fair share of world-renowned schools including


Dean Close, Cheltenham College and The Cheltenham Ladies’ College. There are excellent restaurants, shopping and theatres along with a clutch of highly-acclaimed festivals including jazz, literature, food and of course horse racing.


But as we are in October and Halloween is around the corner, it would be wrong to omit that one of Prestbury’s many claims to fame is its reputation as England’s most haunted village. The Black Abbot is apparently regularly spotted hanging out (as you would expect) in the vicinity of the church; the Charging Horseman (and his white horse), are said to frequent Shaw Green Lane at the gallop; and the ghost of a beheaded royal despatch rider makes frequent appearances in Mill Street.


Several houses in the village are reputed to have their own personal ghosts, but I’m glad to report that the elegant Idsall House, on the market with Kingsley Evans, isn’t one of them.


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