The Restless Soldier: Echoes of Battle and Execution

While Charlotte’s sorrowful presence dominates the paranormal narrative at Hamlet Hotels Maidstone, guests and staff report encounters with a distinctly different entity—a restless male presence whose manifestations suggest a connection to the violent history that unfolded on these very grounds centuries ago.

Historical Context: A Landscape Scarred by Violence

The land surrounding what is now Hamlet Hotels Maidstone has witnessed more than its share of human suffering and violent death, creating the perfect conditions for residual hauntings. The most significant event was the Battle of Maidstone on June 1, 1648, during the Second English Civil War.

The Battle of Maidstone, 1648

The battle was a pivotal engagement in the Kentish uprising led by George Goring, Earl of Norwich, who had assembled over 7,000 Royalist forces on nearby Penenden Heath in May 1648. When Sir Thomas Fairfax’s Parliamentary army of 4,000 veteran troops approached Maidstone, the confrontation was inevitable.

The fighting was particularly brutal and personal. After Fairfax’s forces crossed the River Medway at East Farleigh Bridge, early skirmishes began on Penenden Heath itself—the very area visible from the hotel grounds. The battle then moved into Maidstone proper, where it became a savage street-by-street, “inch by inch” urban warfare that lasted throughout the day in heavy rain.

Contemporary accounts describe fierce resistance at every Royalist barricade as the defenders retreated through Gabriel’s Hill and Week Street before making their final stand in St Faith’s Churchyard. The fighting continued past midnight during a violent thunderstorm, with approximately 1,300 Royalist prisoners eventually held in All Saints Church.

The County Gallows at Penenden Heath

The area’s dark history extends beyond battlefield casualties. Edward Hasted, in his authoritative 1798 “History of Kent,” documented that Penenden Heath served as the county’s primary execution site from the Anglo-Saxon period through the early 19th century. Hasted specifically noted: “on a conspicuous hill on the opposite side of the heath, though in Maidstone parish, is the gallows, for the public execution of criminals condemned at the assizes.”

Archaeological evidence and historical records confirm that executions took place at Penenden Heath from medieval times through 1830, when the last public hanging occurred. The site witnessed not only common criminals but also those executed for witchcraft between the 12th and 17th centuries. In 1652, six women convicted of witchcraft were “adjudged to be hanged, at the common place of Execution” on the heath.

The etymology of Penenden itself may derive from the Saxon “pinian,” meaning “to punish,” suggesting the site’s association with executions predates even the Norman Conquest.

The Haunting Manifestations

Unlike Charlotte’s specific, interactive presence, this male entity manifests as what paranormal investigators classify as a residual haunting—psychic impressions left by traumatic events that replay like echoes in the environment.

Atmospheric Disturbances

The most commonly reported phenomenon is an overwhelming sense of masculine presence accompanied by an oppressive, heavy atmosphere. Guests describe feeling suddenly anxious or watched when walking through certain corridors, particularly those in the older sections of the building that face toward Penenden Heath.

Hotel staff have noted that these sensations are most pronounced during early morning hours (between 2:00 and 4:00 AM) and seem to follow specific routes through the building—always moving from the grounds-facing windows toward the main staircase, as if someone were checking defensive positions or seeking higher ground.

Auditory Phenomena

The most disturbing reports involve sounds that seem to emanate from the hotel grounds or just beyond the windows. Guests staying in rooms overlooking the direction of Penenden Heath have reported:

• Faint but distinct sounds of marching or heavy footsteps on gravel
• Occasional shouts or cries that sound distant but urgent
• What some describe as the clash of metal on metal, reminiscent of sword fighting
• Rare instances of what witnesses interpret as choking or gasping sounds

These auditory manifestations typically last only a few seconds and are most commonly reported during stormy weather—perhaps echoing the thunderstorm conditions during the final hours of the Battle of Maidstone.

Physical Manifestations

Staff members working late shifts report the sensation of someone walking the corridors when the hotel is otherwise quiet. Security personnel conducting night rounds have occasionally reported:

• Footsteps that seem to pace back and forth in empty hallways
• The distinct sound of heavy boots on wooden floors, particularly near the main staircase
• Doors opening and closing in unoccupied areas
• Cold spots that move through corridors, suggesting the passage of an unseen presence

Historical Speculation: Who Might This Be?

Given the historical context, several theories emerge about the identity of this restless spirit:

A Royalist Soldier

The most compelling theory suggests this could be the residual presence of a Royalist soldier who fell during the Battle of Maidstone. Many of the King’s forces were not professional soldiers but “cavaliers, citizens, seamen and watermen” who acquitted themselves bravely against Fairfax’s veteran Parliamentary troops.

The pattern of manifestations—moving from outer areas toward defensible positions—could represent the final movements of a wounded or dying soldier seeking shelter or trying to regroup with retreating comrades.

An Executed Criminal

Alternatively, the presence might be connected to someone executed at the nearby Penenden Heath gallows. The choking sounds occasionally reported could be residual echoes of a hanging, while the restless pacing might represent the condemned’s final anxious moments.

The 1798 execution of James Coigly, a United Irishman hanged for treason at Penenden Heath, is particularly well-documented. His case was highly controversial, as he maintained his innocence and died without final absolution. Such circumstances often feature in accounts of restless spirits unable to find peace.

A Victim of the Witch Trials

The six women executed for witchcraft in 1652 were not the only victims of such persecution in the area. Male “wizards” and accomplices were also occasionally prosecuted, and the location’s association with such traumatic executions might have left psychic imprints.

Contemporary Encounters

Modern witnesses describe encounters that align remarkably well with historical accounts of battlefield trauma and execution-related hauntings:

Guest Account (2019): “I was staying in Room 12 and kept hearing what sounded like someone pacing in the corridor outside. When I looked, there was no one there, but I could swear I heard heavy breathing and the creak of leather. The feeling was so unsettling that I requested a different room.”

Staff Member Report (2021): “During the early hours of June 1st [anniversary of the Battle of Maidstone], several of us working the night shift heard what sounded like distant shouting coming from the direction of the heath. It lasted about ten minutes and then just stopped. We’ve learned not to investigate those sounds anymore.”

Paranormal Investigator Notes (2020): “EVP recordings captured what appears to be a male voice saying something that sounds like ‘the King’ or ‘for the King.’ The audio quality makes it difficult to be certain, but the tone suggests urgency or distress.”

The Ongoing Mystery

This unidentified male presence represents the collective trauma of a landscape that has witnessed centuries of violence, from medieval executions through Civil War battles. Unlike Charlotte, whose story has become personalised through decades of encounters, this entity remains anonymous—perhaps because it represents not a single individual but the psychic residue of multiple traumatic events.

The manifestations serve as stark reminders that beneath the peaceful exterior of this Kentish countryside lies a history written in blood and tears. Whether the spirit is that of a fallen Cavalier, an executed criminal, or simply the echo of collective human suffering, its presence adds a darker dimension to the hotel’s paranormal tapestry.

For guests sensitive to such phenomena, the experience serves as a direct connection to one of the most turbulent periods in English history—a time when the very ground beneath the hotel witnessed the clash of armies and the final moments of those who paid the ultimate price for their convictions, whether political or simply criminal.