Gawsworth is a village a few miles south of Macclesfield built around one of the finest timber-framed halls in the county. The hall, the church, and the old rectory stand within a short distance of each other, forming a group of medieval and post-medieval buildings that has survived largely intact and in remarkably good condition.

The hall and its grounds have accumulated haunting accounts across several centuries of occupation. The church adds to that tradition, and the concentration of old buildings in a small area gives Gawsworth a depth of ghost lore unusual for a village of its size.