Summer is a great time of year to travel and explore the UK -there are lots of great things to do and see all over the country – even if your interests are a little unconventional, and you want to explore the many haunted places around the UK then there are plenty of places to choose from if you want to do a bit of ghost hunting over the summer! Here are some ideas for you…
Head up to Northumberland, a beautiful part of the country with a spooky castle. With a long and often violent history, like many castles Chillingham is renowned for being haunted. There have been many reports of ghost sightings here and photographs have even been captured of spirits within the castle, which helps to add more interest to the spooky reputation of the place. There are also tours you can go on that are specifically related to the ghostly activities in the castle.
Nestled in the beautiful Cotswold countryside, is the Ancient Ram Inn, in Wotton under edge is another renowned place for ghostly goings on. If you are holidaying in the local area at somewhere like this spa breaks Stroud based hotel https://hatherleymanor.com/the-spa/spa-breaks-cotswolds/stroud/ then this is definitely a place that is worth a visit if you are interested in the paranormal. Many spirits have been reported here, including a cavalier and a woman hanging from a ceiling.
Of course, London is a popular tourist destination and with a long history it is also somewhere that has many ghost stories. The Tower of London is one of the most famous haunted locations in London – with a very bloody history it is no surprise that it has lots of ghostly residents including Anne Boleyn who was beheaded at the tower in 1536.
Haunted spots to try in Leicestershire
Leicestershire has a reputation for ghostly tales. The Angel Hotel in Market Harborough is said to have more than one resident spirit. Soldiers stayed there during the Napoleonic wars, and a member of staff has reported seeing a soldier in uniform from that period. Others have described a figure passing through the wall where the stable block once stood.
Belgrave Hall in Leicester is another favourite. In 1998, security cameras caught a misty figure outside a window, and visitors have reported a woman in Victorian clothing on the staircase, along with footsteps on empty upper floors and unexplained cooking smells.
At the ruins of Grace Dieu Priory, a medieval nunnery, a white lady is often reported, said to be its founder Roesia de Verdun, whose remains were disturbed in the early 19th century. Abbey Pumping Station, now a science and technology museum, is said to be haunted by engineer Robert Richardson, who fell to his death from scaffolding in August 1890.
Ghost stories from the streets of Bath
Bath draws visitors for its spa waters, shops and nightlife, but it also has a darker side. Just outside the city, a stretch of road known as Sally in the Woods is avoided by many locals. It has seen several unexplained fatal accidents, tales of witchcraft linger, and some say a girl once locked in the nearby tower of Browns Folly still wanders along the road. Locals even claim the birds there do not sing.
The Garrick’s Head pub, next to the Theatre Royal, is said to be haunted by a grey lady in 18th century dress with feathers in her hair. She is blamed for loud knocking in the pub, and witnesses describe a sudden chill and the scent of jasmine.
In Queen Square, the Francis Hotel, which spreads across seven townhouses, is said to be home to the ghost of a former housekeeper. Guests report tapping noises, and one claimed their hot water bottle was thrown across the room.
Haunted corners of London
Any city as old as London is bound to have its ghost stories, and its history of plague, the Great Fire and public executions has left plenty behind. The Tower of London is the obvious place to start. It held prisoners for centuries, and staff and visitors have reported sightings of Lady Jane Grey, Henry VI and Guy Fawkes. Anne Boleyn, beheaded at the Tower, is said to walk its grounds with her head under her arm and to gaze from the window of the room where she awaited execution.
The Spaniards Inn in Hampstead dates from 1585. Dickens mentioned it in The Pickwick Papers, and Keats is said to have written Ode to a Nightingale nearby. Highwayman Dick Turpin reputedly planned his robberies there, and his ghost has been seen on horseback, along with a mysterious woman in white.
In Mile End, the Ragged School Museum occupies a Victorian school for poor children that opened in 1877. Visitors and paranormal investigators have reported orbs, screams, laughter and even poltergeist activity.