Dean Hall Coach House & Cellar SSSI
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Example - Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum)
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 Location within Gloucestershire
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| Area of Search | Gloucestershire |
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| Grid reference | SO672130 |
| Coordinates | 51°48′54″N 2°28′35″W / 51.815113°N 2.47649°WCoordinates: 51°48′54″N 2°28′35″W / 51.815113°N 2.47649°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 0.02 hectare |
| Notification | 1988 |
| Natural England website | |
Littledean Hall (grid reference SO672130) is a country house in the village of Littledean, Gloucestershire, England. It is reputedly one of the most haunted houses in England and is thought to be the oldest house in the United Kingdom which is still occupied. Saxon and Celtic remains have been uncovered in the cellars. Part of the house is designated an SSSI as it is a proven breeding roost for the Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum).
Originally a Saxon hall, then a church, it was then converted to a Norman hall, complete with a crypt and undercroft. Testing has shown that these remains date back to the 5th century. However, when records began of the house in 1080, it had evolved into a substantial medieval manor house which was eventually replaced with a Jacobean house in 1612.
The hall has seven bedrooms, a coach house, a dining room, sitting and drawing rooms, a stable, living room and cellar. The estate covers four acres. The sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa) which line the driveway are at least 500 years old and the remains of a Roman road have been found underneath the drive itself.
In 2007 the building suffered damage after lightning struck nearby and in 2008 the owners of the hall were ordered to rebuild a section of wall they had knocked down. The wall was deemed to be a Grade II listed building alongside the main hall.
There are at least three distinct tales which are said to have led to hauntings at Littledean Hall. The first is the deaths of Colonel Congreve and Colonel Wigmore, who both died when the Kings garrison met with roundheads in the dining room. It is reported that visitors can still see the bloodstains where they fell.
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