From Cromwell’s Spymaster to Haunted Hotel: The History of The Cromwell in Stevenage

Standing in the heart of Stevenage, The Cromwell Hotel carries within its walls a connection to one of the most turbulent periods in English history. The foundation stone, dated 1667 and still visible in the fireplace of Cromwell’s Bar, marks the beginning of a story that stretches across three and a half centuries.

Origins

The land upon which The Cromwell stands was once part of a farming estate with direct ties to the highest levels of government during the English Commonwealth. John Thurloe, the man who served as Secretary of State and chief spymaster to Oliver Cromwell himself, owned the farmhouse that would eventually become this hotel.

Thurloe was no ordinary civil servant. He ran an extensive intelligence network across Europe, intercepting foreign correspondence and maintaining a web of informants that kept the Protectorate informed of threats both domestic and international. His position made him one of the most powerful men in England during the 1650s. When the monarchy was restored in 1660, Thurloe’s intimate knowledge of state secrets proved valuable enough to spare him from execution - he was briefly imprisoned but ultimately pardoned.

The foundation stone of 1667 suggests construction or significant renovation occurred just a year before Thurloe’s death in 1668. Whether he commissioned this work or whether it was undertaken by subsequent owners remains unclear, but the timing places the building firmly within the aftermath of the Restoration period.

Through the Centuries

Following Thurloe’s death, the estate passed through various hands. The agricultural landscape of Hertfordshire supported the property’s function as a working farmhouse for generations. Stevenage itself remained a modest market town, its position on the Great North Road making it a natural stopping point for travellers between London and the north.

The 19th century brought changes to the region. The railway arrived, and Stevenage’s role as a coaching stop diminished even as its population slowly grew. The old farmhouse would have witnessed the transformation of the surrounding countryside from purely agricultural land to something more suburban in character.

The pivotal transformation came in 1925 when the property was converted into The Cromwell Hotel. The choice of name was deliberate - a nod to the building’s connection to John Thurloe and, through him, to Oliver Cromwell himself. This conversion marked the beginning of the building’s current incarnation, though the bones of the structure remained those of its 17th-century origins.

Notable Guests and Events

The hotel’s specific guest registers from its early decades have not been publicly documented, but its location ensured steady traffic. Stevenage occupied a strategic position, and the hotel served both commercial travellers and those seeking accommodation away from London.

The designation of Stevenage as Britain’s first New Town in 1946 brought dramatic change to the area. While the new development expanded around it, The Cromwell maintained its identity as a link to the old town’s history. The contrast between the modernist planning of New Stevenage and the 17th-century fabric of the hotel became increasingly striking as the decades passed.

The Dark History

John Thurloe’s profession invites speculation about what activities might have occurred on this land during his ownership. As England’s chief spymaster, he oversaw interrogations, managed networks of informants, and handled matters of state security that often ended badly for those deemed enemies of the Commonwealth. Whether any of this dark work extended to his Hertfordshire property is unknown, but the association with such a figure lends the building an atmosphere of intrigue.

The transition from private residence to public house to hotel also meant countless lives passing through these rooms over the centuries. Staff members, guests, and visitors have occupied these spaces across generations. In buildings of this age, death was an unremarkable occurrence - people were born, lived, and died within the same walls. Medical emergencies, natural deaths, and the ordinary tragedies of human existence accumulated within the structure over 350 years.

The Rump & Wade bar takes its name from the Rump Parliament and one of its members, suggesting an intentional cultivation of Civil War associations throughout the property. The Naseby Suite references the decisive 1645 battle, while the Fairfax Room honours Thomas Fairfax, the Parliamentary general. These naming conventions reinforce the building’s identity as a repository of 17th-century memory.

Architectural Heritage

The visible foundation stone in Cromwell’s Bar remains the most tangible connection to the building’s origins. Stone fireplaces, exposed beams, and the general layout speak to construction methods of the Stuart period, though subsequent centuries have inevitably brought modifications.

The conversion to a hotel in 1925 required adaptation of domestic spaces for commercial use. Bedrooms were created from former agricultural spaces, bars installed where storage or living quarters once stood. The cellar, essential for both farmhouse storage and hotel operations, represents one of the few spaces that likely maintained consistent use across the building’s entire history.

Room layouts including the Naseby Suite, Fairfax Room, and Bourchier Suite reflect later naming conventions applied to existing spaces. Rooms 112 and 117, referenced in contemporary accounts, occupy positions within the hotel’s expanded footprint.

The Haunted Legacy

Buildings associated with power, secrecy, and political upheaval often acquire reputations for paranormal activity. The Cromwell Hotel sits at an intersection of history and mystery that makes such associations almost inevitable.

The male presence identified during investigations as “David” remains historically unplaceable - no documented owner or resident by that name appears in available records. The female apparition reported by staff has no confirmed historical identity. These gaps between documented history and reported phenomena are characteristic of genuine paranormal investigation - the spirits, if present, do not always align neatly with archival evidence.

What can be stated with certainty is that this building has absorbed over three centuries of human activity. It stood during the Restoration, survived into the Georgian era, adapted through Victorian times, and continues operating today. The walls that once sheltered Cromwell’s spymaster now host guests who report unexplained phenomena in spaces named for Civil War battles and generals.

The Cromwell Hotel does not require embellishment. Its documented history - the connection to Thurloe, the 1667 foundation stone, the transformation through different eras - provides sufficient grounds for its atmospheric reputation.

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Cromwell Hotel stands as a living monument to Hertfordshire’s rich and sometimes dark history.