If you’re up for a fright, London has some seriously spooky ghost tours and haunted places to explore, and when better to visit than October to get that full Halloween experience?
Those willing to lean into their fears will be rewarded with a city crawling with gruesome stories and apparent ghostly sightings. Here are our favorites.
Hop on a Ghost Bus Tour
For the ride of your life, jump aboard the UK’s only comedy-horror theater sightseeing experience on wheels. Running numerous haunted tours of London every day, go on an eerie journey taking in the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament.
Actors and on-board technical trickery provide the perfect atmosphere as you hear about chilling tales of royal executions, devious spirits, murder, and haunting in the capital. You’ll be in good company too - the likes of Johnny Depp, Whoopi Goldberg and Amanda Holden have all been entertained on the tour.
Where? The tour starts from Northumberland Avenue near Trafalgar Square.
Image credit: Getty Images, Charles Bowman. Image location: Hampton Court Palace
Historic hauntings at Hampton Court Palace
Discover the former home of Henry VIII and its many phantoms. Stories persist that at least two of Henry VIII’s six wives haunt the palace - his beloved third wife Jane Seymour who died after giving birth in 1537 and his fifth wife Catherine Howard who was executed for adultery in 1542.
There have been numerous sightings around the palace of Sybil Penn, also known as the ‘Grey Lady’, who was servant to four Tudor monarchs and wet nurse to Edward VI. Stick around until it gets dark and see if you can spot anything in the shadows.
Where? Take a train from London Waterloo directly to Hampton Court.
Image credit: Getty Images, Tetra Images. Image Location: Tower of London
The Tower of London
There is no other place in London so associated with death and torture than the Tower of London. Famously used as a prison during the 16th and 17th centuries, only seven people were actually executed on Tower Green.
Gossip claims the ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn - one of Henry VIII’s wives - haunts the area close to Tower Green where she was beheaded in 1536 and has even been seen walking the corridors of the tower with her head under her arm!
Where? Just a short walk from Tower Hill station.
The Ten Bells pub
It was at this pub in Spitalfields in 1888 where Jack the Ripper found a woman called Annie Chapman and beckoned her outside, only for her body to be found later nearby Hanbury Street.
Then in 1996 the pub’s landlord claimed The Ten Bells had been taken over by Chapman’s ghost, who is said to haunt the vicinity with reports of objects moving on their own and gusts of wind randomly blowing through the pub. Pop in for a pint if you’re brave enough.
Where? Walking distance from Liverpool Street Station.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park is home to a burial ground for pets behind Victoria Gate Lodge that is sometimes open to the public for special tours. Dating back to the 1880s, the pet cemetery contains the remains of more than 1,000 animals with many in graves marked with tiny headstones. The garden graveyard is also close to Tyburn, the site of thousands of executions over the centuries.
Where? Not far from London Paddington station.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Andrea Pucci. Image Location: Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
The burial place of Karl Marx and Douglas Adam, Highgate Cemetery was once a fashionable place to be laid to rest that slipped into decline after World War II. Rumor claims a man whose car broke down nearby saw an apparition with red eyes glaring at him through the gates, while another man spoke of being knocked off his feet by a creature who appeared to have glided down from the cemetery walls only to vanish when a car’s headlights shone on it.
Where? Catch a bus from Finsbury Park station.
The Bow Bells pub
Nicknamed the ‘phantom flusher’, this ghost is said to flush the toilet in the ladies’ bathroom when it's in use. In 1974 the spirit was asked to show itself during a seance to get rid of it, causing the door to the bathroom to be slammed shut so hard that panes of glass shattered. Possibly the scariest trip to a toilet you’ll ever make.
Where? Ride the tube from West Ham to Bow Road and walk.
Looking to book train tickets?
Download the Trainline app and discover just how easy it is to book quick and convenient train tickets to any of these destinations. And if you're looking for London nightlife but without the spooks, check out our articles on London's theatrical West End and trendy East End.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, pytyCzech
