Bard and lodging in history’s haunt

2:08pm Wednesday 10th October 2007

Most people visit Stratford-upon-Avon to immerse themselves in England's literary heritage - but not TRACEY DAVIES, who went in search of a darker side.

I have come to this pretty little Warwickshire town looking for a scary moment.

When I think of Stratford-upon-Avon, I think of bearded bards in ruffs.

So, on arrival at the birthplace of Britain's most famous literary son, I'm a bit taken aback to see a Falstaff lookalike in Bermuda shorts and a fluorescent singlet shouting Arlene, is this Bill Shakespeare's house?'.

The town is, of course, a tourist hotspot, ever-popular with overseas visitors who come to absorb themselves in our abundant history.

Shakespeare aside, Stratford also has its share of ghoulish tales. Visit the delightfully named Plague Cottage and the infamous Shrieves House to have a taste of a not-so-pretty past at the Falstaff's Experience on Sheep Street.

By day this genuinely haunted' museum is a gruesome attraction which will hold the interest of even the most contemptuous teenager. By the black of night it becomes the starting point for Stratford's heart-trembling ghost tours.

Theatrical guides will take you to the dark depths of the town's ghostly underworld and guarantee to spook you as you tour the dusky streets.

Our weekend starts at the most haunted hotel in Britain', according to the AA guide to Great Britain. Ettington Park Hotel is an imposing mansion house in the village of Alderminster, six miles outside Stratford.

This stony-faced, neo-Gothic pile, with its wild and decadent past, looks almost alien in Warwickshire's lush green surroundings.

Driving up the exceedingly long and crunchy driveway we reach the house, with its tall turrets and menacing gargoyles, as the darkening weather closes in. This daunting exterior was the backdrop for 1963 horror flick The Haunting but, once inside, the reception is warm and homely and the ultra-friendly staff attend to our every need.

The interior is a shrine to opulence, with curiosities and antiques in every nook. It's grand yet cosy, and you could spend a week here pottering among the artefacts and paintings.

We are staying in the delightful Stour suite, which hasviews of the grounds and of Ettington's romantic Norman chapel. To access our room we have to walk the notoriously spooky Stour corridor, which is apparently graced by the ghosts of two perished children, a monk and the Grey Lady.

Waking at 2am I peek through the drapes of the four-poster bed in search of spectres, to be met with infinite quiet, rather than that of rampant ghouls tap-dancing in the halls.

Unsettling thoughts trip through my mind but thankfully the bed is very comfortable and I fall to sleep in moments.

The food at Ettington Park is worth braving any spooks for. After cocktails in the library we take to the elegant Oak Room to dine on hot smoked salmon, Swiss cheese soufflés and an impressive trilogy of Scottish beef. The exceptional food complements the sophisticated dining room.

Back in town the sun bounces, sparkling, off the rippling waterways. By the Royal Shakespeare Company's theatre, the River Avon meets Stratford canal. Nearby Bancroft Gardens host street entertainers performing daredevil stunts, as children play on the immaculate lawns.

In Stratford you're never far away from a Hathaway tea rooms or an As You Like It coffee bar. So, whether you opt for a cultural or an ethereal visit, Stratford-upon-Avon offers the perfect, quintessentially English mini-break, complete with haunted house!

Editor's Choice