Nothing screams Halloween like a building with a haunted past and fortunately, London has many. If the past two years haven’t already scared the living daylights out of you and you’re after a seriously spooky supernatural sighting, here are 20 haunted places in London and near London that won’t disappoint! From children’s hospitals and pubs to the Tower of London itself, this list has it all. Just a thought: It might be a good idea to let your friends and family know you love them beforehand, you know, just in case…
1. The Langham Hotel, Marylebone
You may not want to live the suite life after hearing this terrifying tale at this haunted hotel. The Langham was Europe’s first Grand Hotel and it completely stunned European royalty when it opened in 1895. It was one of the first to feature air conditioning, electric lights and hydraulic lifts, and therefore garnered a lot of attention. It somehow became increasingly popular after poltergeist activity began taking place in the hotel. Rumour has it room 333 was the centre of all activity, and many brave souls travelled far and wide to encounter the spectres. Apparently, a man dressed in Victorian clothing has an affinity with the room, while other ghouls prefers the corridors. Each to their own…
📍1C Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B 1JA.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
2. City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Manor Park
Most cemeteries are terrifying in their own right but the City of London Cemetery may just come in first place. Aside from the towering tombstones and gaudy angel statues, this cemetery also had their fair share of supernatural sightings. For example, from the mid 1970’s dozens of people have complained of a brilliant orange light emerging from inside one of the tombstones! Investigators have attempted to find a light source outside of the graveyard to explain the occurrence but their efforts were to no avail. Lord knows what is going on in that grave…
📍Aldersbrook Road, Manor Park, E12 5DQ.
🚇 Nearest station is Manor Park.
3. The Spaniard’s Inn, Hampstead
One of our favourite haunted places in London here. This 16th-century boozer is one of the oldest pubs in London and Charles Dickens himself, no less, was a regular! This Hampstead pub is always buzzing but many are unaware of its chilling past. The legend goes that co-owners Francesco and Juan Porero fought over the affection of a woman and Juan was murdered as a result. He was buried in the garden of the Inn and his ghost has supposedly haunted the building ever since. So be careful when you tuck into your fish and chips or Sunday roast, you might have an unexpected dinner guest. Heck – even the highwayman Dick Turpin is supposed to make his presence known here too!
📍Spaniards Road, Hampstead, NW3 7JJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Golders Green.
4. 50 Berkeley Square, Mayfair
Supposedly the most haunted place in London, the townhouse at 50 Berkeley Square was once home to PM George Canning. However, it was a Mr Meyers who is said to have haunted the building. The story goes that after being jilted by his fiancé, he became a recluse, locked himself inside the attic and only left to wonder the halls at night by candlelight. He lived this way until died and had quite an impact on those to come. A number of subsequent tenants reported a putrid smell in the halls, the presence of an ominous spirit and many claimed to actually witness Mr Meyers roaming at night.
📍50 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, W1J 5BA.
🚇 Nearest stations are Bond Street and Green Park.
5. Tower of London, Tower Hill
This 900-year old fortress is the first place that comes to mind when we think of haunted London. Could it possibly be due to the thousands of executions linked to the Tower? Or perhaps it’s the ten ghosts that have been spotted roaming the halls over the years, including Anne Boleyn herself? Either way Tower Of London is a seriously spooky venue and for those brave enough to venture inside, you’re in for a real (trick or) treat.
One of the most historically famous tales of murder and foul play associated with the building is the story of the Princes in the Tower. The royal brothers Edward V and Richard Shrewsbury were locked in the tower by Richard III and left to die, as a plot to seize the throne. The ghosts of the murdered boys are thought to wander the fortress looking for revenge. Let’s just hope they don’t find you during your visit. There’s even supposedly the ghost of Margaret Pole, The Countess of Salisbury, whose execution in 1541 supposedly took eleven blows of the axe. Yikes!
📍The Tower of London, St Katherine’s & Wapping, EC3N 4AB.
🚇 Nearest station is Tower Hill.
6. Greenwich Foot Tunnel, Greenwich
Ever wondered what it would feel like to star in a horror movie? Head to the Greenwich foot tunnel and you’ll soon find out. This creepy cast iron tunnel runs beneath the River Thames and connects the Isle of Dogs to Greenwich. It opened in 1902 and has served as a spooktacular way to cross the river ever since. Although there are no known (official) ghosts pacing this tunnel, you definitely wouldn’t want to find yourself here alone. The tunnel is 370-meters long with unbearably dim lighting, leaky ceilings and echoes of footsteps that could easily be mistaken for the grim reaper. Don’t say we didn’t warn you…
📍The Isle of Dogs / Greenwich, SE10 9HT.
🚇 Nearest station is Cutty Sark.
7. Hyde Park Pet Cemetery, Hyde Park
You thought human ghosts were bad? Just you wait. The Secret Pet Cemetery of Hyde Park dates back to the 1880s and houses the remains of over 300 pets. The ghastly graveyard is filled with tiny headstones and the spirits of animals supposedly looking for affection a la Pet Cemetery – it’s a big fat no from me.
📍Victoria Gate Lodge, W2 2LU.
🚇 Nearest station is Paddington.
8. The Ten Bells, Spitalfields
The Ten Bells, formerly known as The Jack the Ripper, has a horrifying past. In 1888, Annie Chapman was murdered and mutilated by London’s most notorious serial killer – Jack the Ripper. In 1996, the pub’s landlord claimed that the building had been taken over by her ghost and has been haunted ever since. If that’s not terrifying enough, ghostly activity has been reported by the staff over the years, including numerous sightings of an elderly man in Victorian clothing walking the halls – and some staff members say they’ve even been shoved down the stairs. Maybe they just really fancied a pint?
📍84 Commercial Street, Spitalfields, E1 6LY.
🚇 Nearest station is Liverpool Street.
9. Bank Underground Station, Bank
Bank Underground Station is an undoubtedly scary place. Ever tried to change platforms in the middle of rush hour? Utterly terrifying. And apparently it’s past is even more harrowing (if that’s possible). From the late 1800s, there have been numerous sightings of a tall figure dressed in black, working its way through the tunnels. Turns out she has a name, The Black Nun, and legend has it she is mourning her executed brother who used to work at the former bank. Can we blame really her? Family comes first after all.
📍Princes Street, EC3V 3LA.
🚇 Nearest station is Bank.
10. Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, Hackney
After the cholera outbreak in 1866, Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital opened in East London to treat hundreds of children and adolescents with the disease. The hospital is no longer functioning, but the abandoned building looks as if it has come straight out of an episode of American Horror Story. Perhaps haunted by the ghosts of its young patients, this hospital is certainly enough to keep you awake at night.
📍Charles Hayward, Goldsmiths Row, E2 8FU.
🚇 Nearest station is Cambridge Heath.
SEE ALSO: This Scary Map Of London Reveal’s Our City’s Horrible Past
11. Bleeding Heart Yard, Farringdon
Bleeding Heart Yard may look harmless, but looks can be deceiving – it’s one of the capital’s most haunted places. Back in 1626 the mutilated body of socialite Lady Elizabeth Hatton was found strewn across the courtyard. Her limbs were completely detached from her body and her heart was supposedly still beating, hence the name. Crikey! They say Lady Elizabeth still haunts the place where she died all these years later, which is enough to send chills down anybody’s spine.
📍Bleeding Heart Yard, EC1N 8SJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Farringdon.
12. The Flask, Highgate
As well as boasting a gorgeous roasting fireplace, this north London pub is home to a few creepier tenants. Not one but two spectres are thought to haunt The Flask. Apparently a young Spanish barmaid who hanged herself haunts the seating area, whilst a male ghoul sporting a Cavalier uniform lingers around the bar – it looks like all the bases are covered here! To make matters even worse, the pub’s committee room is where one of the first-ever autopsies took place. Enter at your own risk.
📍77 Highgate West Hill, Highgate, N6 6BU.
🚇 Nearest station is Highgate.
13. Highgate Cemetery, Highgate
And one more cemetery for luck! Highgate Cemetery is notoriously one of the most haunted graveyards in Britain. If that’s not enough to give you nightmares, the half-buried gothic tombstones and headless angel statues may do the trick. It is also home to famous figures like Karl Marx and Douglas Adams, as well as a tall, sinister ghoul with bright red eyes that wonders the cemetery at night. There have even been reported encounters with vampires! Think I’ll be sitting this one out…
📍Swain’s lane, Highgate, N6 6PJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Highgate.
14. The Old Queen’s Head, Islington
Billing itself as ‘North London’s finest boozer’, Islington’s Old Queen’s Head is also one of the prettiest pubs around. With sculptures and plinths on show behind the bar and ornately-detailed walls, it’s an absolutely gorgeous place to unwind or party the night away at their many, regular events – including karaoke nights, gigs and even neon life-drawing! And while it’s pretty as a picture, there is a bit of a dark side to this Islington-based boozer. Rumour has it that this spot is haunted by both a woman and a young girl dressed in Tudor clothing. The girl has apparently been running ahead of people up the stairs, crying and slamming the pub’s doors. So just your average Friday night then…
📍 44 Essex Road, N1 8LN.
🚇 Nearest station is Essex Road.
15. West Norwood Cemetery Catacombs, West Norwood
Now when it gets to haunted places in London, you couldn’t really get creepier than this one. The West Norwood Catacombs is a network of subterranean vaults and dark passages which are the final resting place for around 90 different souls who died back in the Victorian era. As you can imagine, it’s a fairly creepy place which is rarely open to the public – it is a burial place after all. The cemetery however, which is a part of London’s ‘Magnificent Seven’, is open to the public for occasional guided walking tours, and there are numerous spooky-looking Grade I and Grade II-listed structures, tombs and mausoleums here. You can find out more here.
📍 Norwood Road, West Norwood, London, SE27 9JU.
🚇 Nearest station is West Norwood.
16. Bruce Castle, Tottenham
So the name of this 16th Century, Grade I-listed former manor house is a bit of a cheat – it’s not technically a castle. However, it’s one of the two largest and most important Tudor houses remaining in the Greater London area, and it’s absolutely magnificent it has to be said. Dating back to the time of Robert the Bruce, the house and museum is surrounded by 20 acres of parkland and is rumoured to be haunted by Lady Constantina Lucy who met her grizzly end here back in 1680. Stuck in a loveless marriage, she was locked away in a tiny room under the clock tower by her husband Lord Coleraine. Driven mad by the noise, she managed to escape and then sadly hurled herself off the balcony to her demise.
📍Lordship Lane, London, N17 8NU.
🚇 Nearest station is Bruce Grove.
And now for some haunted places near London:
17. Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court
The magnificent, Grade I-listed Hampton Court Palace was created back in the early 1500’s and was home to Britain’s monarchs for well over 200 years, until it was opened to the public back in the early 19th century. Notably, the palace was home to all-round bad egg Henry VIII, who quite liked playing tennis here, in-between executing or divorcing his wives etc. One of those wives, poor Catherine Howard who had her noggin chopped off back in 1542, is believed to scream her way down the aptly-named ‘Haunted Gallery’ at night. There’s also been sightings of ‘The Grey Lady’ and a shadowy man in a mask too. Yikes! No wonder this is one of the UK’s most haunted places then.
📍Hampton Court Way, Molesey, East Molesey, KT8 9AU.
🚇 Nearest station is Hampton Court.
18. Epping Forest, Theydon Bois
A north-east London forest that spreads well into Essex, Epping Forest boasts over 6,000 acres of space to explore and it’s one of the haunted places near London for sure. It makes up Greater London’s largest open space and makes for the perfect spot to unwind and get away from the hustle and bustle of the Big Smoke. It’s got a rich history too as it dates all the way back to the Iron Age, which means that plenty of ghosts, ghouls and spectres are believed to reside here. It’s actually billed as the ‘UK’s most haunted forest’, and there’s rumours of headless bikers, poltergeists, notorious highwaymen and even Boudicca herself haunting this vast and shadowy spot.
📍You’ll find Epping Forest at CM16 in Essex.
🚇 Nearest stations are Loughton and Theydon Bois.
19. Hindhead Commons, Surrey
Another spooky spot here, Hindhead Commons and the Devil’s Punch Bowl in Surrey are home to wildlife-rich heathland, Europe’s largest spring-eroded valley and Gibbet’s Hill – the second highest spot in the county. While all that sounds lovely, it’s also supposedly the spot where a sailor who was brutally murdered by three highwaymen – who were then hanged from a gibbet on – yep, you guessed it – Gibbet’s Hill. Since then, rumours of haunting spectres and shadowy figures have become commonplace. Maybe one to avoid when darkness falls perhaps…
📍London Road, Hindhead, GU26 6AG.
🚇 Nearest station is Haslemere.
20. Pluckley, Kent
Rounding off this list of the most haunted places near London is the quaint and picturesque village of Pluckley in Kent. You actually may have heard of this one, as it’s named in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the ‘most haunted village in England’ with twelve ‘official’ ghosts! These include the phantom of an elderly woman, a screaming man, a ‘red lady’, a schoolmaster who hanged himself and a shadowy figure who is believed to be a highwayman who was run through with a sword at *ahem* ‘Fright Corner’. Luckily, there’s a pub called ‘The Black Horse’ where you can relax with a pint and some tasty grub. Oh, wait – that’s supposedly haunted too!
📍The St., Pluckley, Ashford, Kent, TN27 0QS
🚇 Nearest station is Charing though we’d recommend driving to this one.
So there you have it – a roundup of 20 of the most haunted places in and near London. So if you’re wanting to up the fear factor this Halloween, then you now know where to head! Just don’t go when darkness falls…