Some people want pumpkin-spice lattes and a fancy-dress party for Halloween. Others would much rather curl up somewhere old, dark and faintly unsettling, with a fire going and the wind doing its thing outside. If you’re in the second camp, this one’s for you.
Booking site Coolstays has pulled together its most atmospheric, Gothic properties, signing off with a cheeky “Stay if you dare…” We’ve picked through them and dug into the stories behind the walls. Expect a preserved ruin, a converted church, a home built for pigeons, a stone tower and a Victorian gatehouse in the pines.
Prices below are starting rates, so check your dates early. Halloween is only three weeks away.
1. Croft Lodge Studio, Herefordshire
A ruin, frozen in time
This is the one that stopped me scrolling. Croft Lodge Studio is a crumbling old cottage that nobody tidied up. The architects wrapped it in a contemporary corrugated-metal shell and left the old fabric exactly where it was, including the timber, the ivy and even the birds’ nests. Inside, you’re sleeping within the ruin itself.
It’s a slightly eerie, completely beautiful idea. As architects Kate Darby and David Connor explained to Dezeen: “The strategy was not to renovate or repair the 300-year-old listed building, but to preserve it perfectly.”
In 2017 the project won a RIBA West Midlands Regional Award and the Architects’ Journal Small Projects Award. It sits amid 1,450 acres of National Trust land, so a misty morning walk is practically compulsory. Wood-burning stoves keep things cosy once the light goes.
There are two bedrooms and a wet room, and dogs can come too. Coolstays says it’s best suited to adults and children aged 10 and over.
Sleeps: 4 | Price: from £190 a night | Book: Coolstays
2. The Gothic Church, Mendip Hills, Somerset
Stained glass, vaulted ceilings and a hot tub
If you’re rounding up a coven (sorry, a group of friends) for Halloween, this is the place. The Gothic Church is the former St John’s Church in East Horrington, a Grade II listed 19th-century building about two miles from Wells. It has soaring vaulted ceilings, original stained glass and views out towards Glastonbury Tor, which has to be one of the most mystical skylines in England.
Owners Maggie and Glenn bought it in 2021 as a restoration project. Its stained-glass windows had been damaged before they took it on. “We wanted the church to restore its place in the community,” Glenn told the Somerset County Gazette. “We want to make sure we preserve people’s abilities to really enjoy this place.”
There’s a long kitchen built for feasting and a covered hot tub for after-dark soaks. Six bedrooms and three bathrooms sleep 14. Children and pets are welcome, though the listing advises keeping a close eye on little ones around the stairs and full-height windows.
The owners’ site quotes from £800 a night, with a two-night minimum, and that includes cleaning, bedding and towels. Coolstays quotes from £900 a night, so compare both before you book.
Sleeps: 14 | Price: from £800 a night | Book: Coolstays or direct
3. Dovecot Cottage, Edinburgh
A bedroom full of nesting boxes
Edinburgh does gloomy, gothic romance better than almost anywhere, and Dovecot Cottage is a deliciously odd way to experience it. This stone cottage, centuries old, was once a home for pigeons. Its tower bedroom still has the original nesting boxes lining the walls, now softly illuminated, so you fall asleep surrounded by hundreds of little stone alcoves. Creepy or charming? A bit of both, which is exactly the point.
The cottage has its own walled garden and an old cavern beneath part of the floor. It’s also only about a 15-minute walk from the city centre, so you can spend the evening on a ghost tour of the Old Town and stroll back afterwards.
It’s a one-bedroom, one-bathroom hideaway for two, which makes it a lovely pick for couples. There are no pets and no children under 12. Parking is for one car, but not long or high vehicles, and Edinburgh’s 5% visitor levy is included in the price.
Sleeps: 2 | Price: from £190 a night | Book: Coolstays
4. The Church Tower, Perthshire
High above Crieff, looking out to the Highlands
How about a stone tower for something a little more grown-up? The Church Tower in Crieff is a restored historic tower with arched windows. Views stretch over the town towards the Highlands, and there’s a balcony to take them in with a hot drink on a chilly autumn morning.
Inside, the interiors are design-led rather than dusty, so you get the drama of the architecture without the draughts. A welcome breakfast hamper with food from Ballintaggart Farm is a lovely touch. The tower is five minutes from Crieff town centre and about an hour from both Edinburgh and Glasgow, according to the operators.
There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms, which makes it a strong pick for families or two couples. One warning: there are a lot of stairs, and the listing says it isn’t suitable for guests with mobility issues.
Sleeps: 6 | Price: from £400 a night | Book: Coolstays
5. Tower O’Ess, Aberdeenshire
A Victorian gatehouse guarding the glen
The most remote stay on the list is my pick for a properly romantic Halloween. Tower O’Ess is a listed Victorian gatehouse on the River Tanar, standing guard over the Glen Tanar Estate among ancient Scots pines in the Cairngorms.
The Glen Tanar Estate dates the tower to 1871 to 1873 and says it became a working gatehouse in 1918. It’s Category B listed, designed by architect George Truefitt and built for Sir William Cunliffe Brooks.
Today it’s a hideaway for two, with a wood-burning stove, a super-king bed and a double-ended roll-top bath. Outside, there’s a hot tub where you can sit beneath the pines as the dark draws in. Bliss.
You’ll need a car to get here. The estate says the tower doesn’t accommodate babies or children, and guests cannot access the rooftop. Coolstays describes it as dog-friendly, so your four-legged familiar can come along. Note that it’s priced by the week rather than the night.
Sleeps: 2 | Price: from £1,270 a week | Book: Coolstays
