The 10 most haunted places in London
Ghosts are definitely real. We’ve already established that. But where does the average ghost hang out these days? Well, everywhere it seems. London has a lot of history to live through. A lot of good stuff. Some … not so good. So it’s probably no surprise that the capital has its fair share of supposedly haunted places. So where are you safe? Or for those with a bold conviction, where aren’t you? I thought I’d compile a list of London’s haunted places. Ten of them, to be exact. So read on to discover some of the 10 most haunted places in London.
Liverpool Street Station
Yes, one of the city’s biggest transport hubs has its own creepy goings-on. Workers at the station have reported seeing a man in work overalls waiting on the Central Line platform … after the station had already closed. Who is he …. or more importantly, who was he? Where was he going, and how did he get here?
Moreover, not long ago, a mass grave was discovered under the station, filled with those who had succumbed to the plague. And if plague pits are anything like Native American burial grounds in Stephen King novels, best not to bring dead pets to Liverpool Street Station. Why you’d do it anyway is another matter entirely, but you’ve been warned.
Bruce Castle
Well, there was a murder at Bruce Castle … In the 17th century. Lady Constantina Lucy, the mistress of the castle, threw herself and her son off the top of the castle a long time ago. Apparently, because her husband was a real creep who kept her locked away. Rumor has it that you can still see the haunted face of Lady Lucy staring pensively from the balcony of the castle. Perhaps she is questioning her actions. Or maybe … maybe she doesn’t even remember. There are no reports of sightings of her son. I can well imagine that he would have a few choice words ready for his mother, given the gruesome circumstances of her passing. Bruce Castle still stands in jolly Tottenham, if you dare try to see the ghost. Or the museum it has now become.
Clink Prison
Yes, who would have thought that an old, renovated prison would be ground zero for creepy things? The Clink is rather infamous as one of the most brutal prisons of the Middle Ages. Prisoners were often beaten and died of starvation, all at the behest of the church. I don’t have to tell you how miserable it must have been to be alive back then. Plague. Evil prisons. No Love Island. A living nightmare.
Though it’s been closed for some 300 years, visitors swear they see the ghostly apparitions of guards and inmates, including a woman trying to remove her shackles. Nope. Nope. I like living a lot. I’d rather sit this visit out. But you should go! Now you know how haunted London can be.
Room 333, Langham Hotel
Who doesn’t love a nice haunted hotel room? Well, room 333 of the Langham Hotel* is anything but haunted. Several ghosts have been spotted in the room, not only by aspiring ghost hunters but by even more skeptics. journalists, too. Those who dare to face these ghosts need only book the room and drive to Marylebone to visit this wonderful historic hotel. I don’t think I’ll be staying here anytime soon, but you certainly have nerves of steel. Right?
The Tombs Under London Bridge
Another place in London, another plague. Yes, a whole lot of people succumbed to the bubonic plague back then, and as usual, all the bodies were thrown into mass graves because life was just so much fun back then. The graves under London Bridge are part of the London Bridge Experience. The experience itself is an informative and disturbing journey through thousands of years of bloody conflict and betrayal that took place in and around the bridge. But the tombs, well … they’re only for the most daring of those who do the London Bridge Experience.
Shadows have been seen moving from room to room down there, and Emily, a young woman, is often spotted wandering around as well. What’s even creepier, though, is that some visitors have actually complained that one of the actors on the tour just stared at them and didn’t engage in anything. Well, that’s not one of the actors. That was Emilie.
Ten Bells Pub
This one might ring a bell, as it used to be called The Jack the Ripper*. Yes, we’re talking about good ol’ Jack now. In the ’90s, the landlord claimed that Annie Chapman’s ghost had possessed the pub. For those who don’t know, Annie Chapman was one of the Ripper’s victims. People have also claimed to see ghosts within its walls and have experienced poltergeist activity. Tables were flying, chairs were moving. Maybe there’s something in the barrels. Or maybe, maybe there is something more sinister going on. So if you feel like having a beer while trying some ghosts or other spooky shenanigans, pay The Ten Bells Pub a visit.
If you want to know more about Jack the Ripper and the Terror Autumn of 1888, click here.
Ragged School Museum
Of course, there’s also a haunted London school. What did you think? Today it’s a museum where children from poorer communities in East London used to be educated. Visitors today can learn a lot about the education system of the time. It may be tedious, but museum visitors have heard screams and creepy children’s laughter echoing through the halls of the building. And if there’s one thing creepier than an old school, it’s one full of ghost children.
Highgate Cemetery
Who would have thought that a cemetery, a place where people are buried, would ever have creepy paranormal activity? Well, Highgate Cemetary has some spooky games up its sleeve.
In the 70s, a creepy man was discovered by locals wandering the area. A local magician named Sean Manchester, in his eternal wisdom, decided that the figure had to be a vampire. Why would a vampire be hanging around a graveyard? Don’t they like to drink blood? But on the night of the hunt, Mr. Manchester disappeared, never to be seen again … Instead, no vampire was found. Because vampires have no reason to hang out in graveyards. But do you know what is in graveyards? Ghosts. Especially the ghost of Karl Marx, who is buried in Highgate. Just don’t share any of your wealth with him. He loves to share wealth.
Queens House
The reputation of this house precedes it. Greenwich’s Queen’s House is the setting for one of Britain’s most famous ghost photos. A retired Canadian minister loved the staircase so much that he decided to take a photo of it. Little did he know that while developing the film, he would discover two ghostly apparitions climbing the stairs. The priest and his wife swear that no one else was with them when the photo was taken. So who are these two? Who knows … Do you know? No. Neither do I. Why don’t you go and ask them yourself? Afraid?
The Tower of London
Last but not least is the Tower of London*. For almost a thousand years the Tower of London was a prison. Probably one of the most notorious in the world. People lost their heads. Lots of people. People you may have heard of, like Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII’s second and most famous wife was beheaded in the Tower in 1536. People still see her wandering around holding her severed head by her side. Others have seen and heard all manner of prisoners within the walls. Wailing. Wandering. Like ghosts do. Why don’t you try it out and see for yourself?
Happy Halloween.
