The Chagford Cavalier: Sydney Godolphin’s Eternal Watch

In the granite halls of The Three Crowns, where shadows dance between flickering flames and ancient oak beams creak with the weight of centuries, dwells the most distinguished of Devon’s supernatural residents. Sydney Godolphin, known affectionately as the Chagford Cavalier, has maintained his vigil for nearly four hundred years, his tragic death during the English Civil War forever binding his noble spirit to the very stones where he breathed his last.

A Life Cut Short in Service to Crown

Sydney Godolphin was born into privilege and promise on 14 January 1610, baptised in the Cornish parish of Breage as the second son of Sir William Godolphin of the ancient and respected Godolphin estate. Tragedy struck early when both parents died before his third birthday, leaving the young Sidney orphaned but well-provided for, inheriting his mother’s Norfolk estates that afforded him independence and the finest education money could buy.

At Exeter College, Oxford, from 1624 to 1627, Godolphin distinguished himself not through martial prowess but through the genteel arts of poetry and scholarship. He was a man of letters in the truest sense, moving in the sophisticated circles of 17th-century court society and becoming part of the Great Tew circle, a celebrated collection of writers and poets gathered around Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland. His companions included the political theorist Thomas Hobbes, who would later honour the Godolphin family by dedicating his masterwork Leviathan to Sydney’s elder brother Francis.

By 1628, the young Godolphin had entered Parliament as Member for Helston, a position he maintained through successive parliaments, becoming known for his unwavering loyalty to the Crown. When tensions between King Charles I and Parliament reached breaking point, Godolphin stood among the 59 MPs branded as “betrayers of their country” for voting against the Bill of Attainder that would condemn the Earl of Strafford to death. His principled stance marked him as a true Royalist, committed to his beliefs even as the nation slid inexorably towards civil war.

The Fatal Morning at Chagford

February 8, 1643, dawned cold and bright across the Dartmoor landscape, but it would prove to be Sydney Godolphin’s final sunrise. The previous evening, a body of Parliamentary forces had sought overnight billeting in the prosperous stannary town of Chagford, with officers and men taking refuge in Whyddon House—the very building now known as The Three Crowns. Unknown to these Parliamentary soldiers, their presence had been detected by Royalist scouts, and a force of cavalier horse and dragoons was moving through the darkness towards an dawn ambush.

At 33, Godolphin was an unlikely warrior. His commanding officer later described him as “as absolute a piece of virtue as ever our nation bred”—a gentle soul more suited to penning romantic poetry than wielding a sword. He had refused an officer’s commission, preferring to serve as a common trooper in Sir Ralph Hopton’s Western Royalist army, though his counsel was valued highly despite his lack of military experience. His presence in the scouting party led by John Berkeley that fateful morning spoke to his courage, if not his combat skills.

As the Parliamentary forces prepared to depart Chagford at daybreak, the Royalist ambush was sprung. What followed was described variously as a fierce battle or a brief skirmish, but the outcome was tragically decisive. The fighting focused around the large stone porch of Whyddon House, where musket balls flew thick and fast. In the chaos of combat, Sydney Godolphin took a mortal wound—reportedly shot in the buttocks or just above the knee, depending on the account—a seemingly inglorious end for such a distinguished gentleman.

The young poet-warrior was carried to the granite porch where he now eternally manifests, his life ebbing away on the cold stone floor as infection set in from the musket ball lodged in his body. He died the following morning, on 9 February 1643, his brief military career lasting mere weeks but ending in the ultimate sacrifice for his Royalist beliefs. His body was taken to Okehampton, where he was buried in All Saints Church on 10 February, but his spirit had already chosen to remain where honour demanded he fall.

The Eternal Cavalier’s Manifestations

Nearly four centuries have passed since Sydney Godolphin drew his final breath on that granite porch, yet his presence remains as tangible today as it was to the first witnesses who encountered his spirit in the days following his death. His manifestations have been so consistent and well-documented that he has become one of Devon’s most celebrated supernatural residents, his appearances characterised by dignity, sadness, and an almost tangible sense of nobility that befits his gentle nature in life.

Witnesses invariably describe encountering a distinguished figure dressed in the flamboyant military costume of a 17th-century cavalier. His uniform is reported as being impeccably detailed—full military dress complete with the distinctive plumed hat that marks his rank and allegiance. Sometimes he appears with a melancholy expression, as if still processing the sudden transition from life to death, while on other occasions witnesses report him smiling broadly before vanishing, suggesting a spirit at peace with his sacrifice for the Royalist cause.

The stone porch where Godolphin died remains his primary manifestation point, where countless visitors have observed him standing in silent contemplation, often in broad daylight. However, his appearances are by no means confined to this single location. Hotel staff and guests regularly encounter the cavalier throughout the building’s corridors and public spaces, his figure instantly recognisable by the period costume and aristocratic bearing that marked him in life.

Perhaps most remarkably, Godolphin has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to pass through The Three Crowns’ exceptionally thick Dartmoor granite walls—a feat that impresses even seasoned paranormal investigators. One chef reported being startled when the cavalier walked directly through a closed door into the bar area, while guests have described him materialising in their rooms before disappearing through solid stone walls. His mastery over these physical barriers suggests a spirit completely at home in his eternal residence, moving through the building as freely in death as he might have in life.

Hotel staff have become so accustomed to Godolphin’s presence that encountering him has become almost routine, though his appearances never fail to generate that characteristic hair-raising sensation that marks genuine supernatural encounters. One former landlord, despite claiming not to believe in ghosts, was converted when he encountered the cavalier silhouetted in white during a midnight walk through the corridors, describing how the sight made his hair stand on end with shock and recognition.

The Poet-Warrior’s Legacy

Sydney Godolphin’s haunting of The Three Crowns represents more than mere supernatural activity—it stands as a poignant reminder of the human cost of England’s civil war and the nobility of those who died for their convictions. His presence transforms the hotel from a simple historic building into a living museum where guests can connect with one of history’s most compelling figures, a man who exemplified the cavalier ideals of honour, loyalty, and gentle breeding.

Contemporary accounts from the Earl of Clarendon and other notable figures of the period consistently praised Godolphin’s character, describing him as a man of exceptional virtue whose death represented a genuine loss to the nation. Thomas Hobbes’s decision to honour the Godolphin family in his dedication of Leviathan speaks to the respect in which they were held by the intellectual elite of the age.

The fact that Sydney Godolphin’s spirit has chosen to remain at The Three Crowns, rather than moving on to whatever lies beyond, suggests an unfinished business or profound attachment to the place where he made his final stand. His gentle manifestations—never threatening or malevolent—indicate a spirit at peace with his fate but unwilling to abandon his post. Like a supernatural sentinel, he continues his watch over the granite halls where duty called him to make the ultimate sacrifice, ensuring that his story of courage, poetry, and unwavering loyalty will never be forgotten.

For those fortunate enough to encounter the Chagford Cavalier during their stay at The Three Crowns, the experience represents a rare privilege—a direct connection with one of English history’s most noble spirits, whose presence enriches our understanding of both the past and the enduring nature of honour in the face of impossible odds.