The English Civil War of the 17th century was a traumatic period. Family members and friends often found themselves on opposing sides, and there was much unhappiness, distress and fear. Perhaps because of this there are many tales connected with this time.

For example, the ghost of Archbishop Laud, a favourite of Charles I, who was executed in 1645, has been seen rolling its head round the library of St John's College, Oxford. St John's has a portrait of Charles I entirely made up from minute quotations from the psalms, with phrases used for eyebrows and entire psalms for his moustache and beard.

Charles I is said to have coveted this and offered the college anything it desired in return for the portrait, but to his dismay the wish was to have the portrait returned.

Lord Saye and Sele of Broughton Castle and his sons fought for Parliament at the first battle of the war at Edgehill, on the Oxfordshire/Warwickshire border in October 1642. The battle was indecisive, but afterwards contemporary pamphlets reported violent apparitions around Edgehill, reprinted in Alfred Beesley's History of Banbury: "... In which place is heard and seene fearfull and strange apparitions of spirits as sounds of drums, trumpets. With the discharging of Canons and Muskies, Carbines, pettronels, to the terrour and amazement of all the fearfull hearers and beholders.... Whose dying grones a second time revives breaking the caverns of the couring earth, and sends both feare and horour round about to terrifie the living with dead souls."

The battle seemed to be refought in the sky, with sound and lights. Men from both sides came to investigate, and discovered that some of the bodies had not been buried properly. After this had been remedied the sounds died down, but the ghostly army is said to reappear on the anniversary of the battle, and police dogs patrolling around Edgehill on that day are said to refuse to go to certain areas.

The Black Boy Inn at Chinnor was said to have a secret staircase which Oliver Cromwell once used to make a quick escape. Prince Rupert was said to have been injured in the village, and soldiers' uniforms and the bones of horses were found under the floorboards in the church, which was used as stables.

On the night of June 4, 1644, King Charles and an army of 6,000 men left Oxford secretly, travelling through Yarnton down Froggledown Lane on their way to Hanborough Bridge. Around the anniversary of the ride the sounds of the army passing have been heard: harness jingling, the clatter of hooves and chatter of the men, but nothing has ever been seen.

The ghost of Charles I, riding in a horse and carriage, is said to haunt the old manor house at Sandford-on-Thames, on the anniversary of his visit there.

Arthur Jones, of Chastleton House, near Banbury, fought for Charles II at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, and fled home afterwards, hotly pursued by Commonwealth soldiers. On hearing their horses in the courtyard, his wife Sarah quickly hid Arthur in a room over the parlour which had its secret entrance hidden by tapestries.

The soldiers hoped they were about to capture the king, but if not, they wanted Arthur Jones. Being tired and hungry from their ride, they quartered themselves in the house, unwittingly choosing to sleep next to the secret room, where a cough from Arthur would have given away his hiding place. Sarah brought a large jug of ale, to which she had secretly added laudanum, which sent them into a deep sleep, so she could extract Arthur, who took the best of the soldiers' horses and fled to safety before they awoke.

Commonwealth Commissioners commandeered Woodstock Manor in 1647, but were terrorised by Royalist Joe Collins who had disguised himself as their secretary Giles Sharp. In The Just Devil of Woodstock, the rector, Thomas Widdowes wrote: "The devil made imaginative use of very simple resources: a little gunpowder tactfully placed; faggots of wood from the famous King's Oak, which the Commissioners had felled as being too monarchical; a black dog, three dozen wooden trenchers, stones and glass from the wreckage, a warming pan, some horses' bones, and a pail or two of green stinking water'. Billets of oak, stones, bones, glass and furniture were flung dangerously about; gunpowder extinguished the candles or exploded in the fire; trenchers rolled horribly', or flew at heads; dogs howled and Something walked like a bear ... Such manifestations struck such panic into Rumpish breasts and the Commissioners ... withdrew to Ewelme."

A civil war soldier fled from a skirmish to a barn near Church Farm, Towersey, but when his horse neighed was discovered and shot. He was buried in the churchyard under large flat, stones. His ghost is seen riding a grey horse between the barn and the graveyard.

Dr Oldys, the vicar of Adderbury, was betrayed to Parliamentary troops, and despite scattering his money along the road to delay his pursuers, he was shot.

Later, it is said, his betrayer fell dead on the same spot.