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his place is allegedly the oldest hotel in England, having welcomed visitors to the tiny Wiltshire town since 1220. And according to locals it’s pretty popular with the residents of the graveyard in the next-door abbey, too.

Over the years there have been accounts of glasses smashing against walls for no reason (“it wasn’t me!”), sudden temperature changes in certain parts of the room – and even a chest of drawers being pushed up against a bedroom door while the guest was out. Staff had to grab a ladder and break in through the window.

Delve into the hotel’s history and it turns out that part of the building lies on top of the abbey’s former graveyard. Spooky. Even more so when the owner brought in a group of paranormal investigators, and their machines recorded all sorts of sudden temperature changes and inexplicable movements during the night.

Ghostly going on aside, however, we’re confident you’ll like it here. There are 33 individually designed rooms to choose from, all blending authentic charm with modern creature comforts. And once you’ve had a wander round Malmesbury’s ancient streets, you’ve got the rest of the Cotswolds on your doorstep.