Strap in for some horror-stricken properties with disturbing histories and permanent spiritual residents.
The United Kingdom has plenty of notoriously haunted places. After all, it has a rich history, is dotted with rickety old mansions, abandoned castles, eerie cemeteries and aaah–mazing myths and legends that will make your hair stand on end.
Whether you’re hiking in Wales or swanning around in rural Kent villages, you’re bound to run into some, um, uninvited guests. And we’re not talking about the friendly Casper kind. Ready for a list of hell-raising places in the UK? Cue the music.
Glasgow Cathedral, Glasgow
Creeping to the top of our creep list is a Victorian cemetery that sits beside Glasgow Cathedral. The story goes that in 1954 a group of schoolboys hunted the Cathedral grounds after they believed a vampire killed two of their friends. They even had stakes at the ready.
According to local myth, there were sightings of Jenny wi’ the ‘airn teeth (or ‘Jenny with the iron teeth’), described as a 7-foot monster with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. While the police broke up the boys’ search, this urban legend had already taken flight. Today, you can join regular walking tours of the site to tread in their footsteps.
It’s also a stone’s throw away from Glasgow Necropolis, so you could get two scares in one.
Pendle Hill, Lancashire
Looming over hamlets and farmland in rural Lancashire, Pendle Hill is well known for its ghostly goings-on. In the 17th century, 12 local women known as the Pendle witches, were accused of murdering 10 people. During the trials at Lancaster Castle, 10 were found guilty of witchcraft and were hanged at Pendle Hill. Some say the hill is where their restless spirits wander, while others have seen the witches actively haunt the villages that lie in the hill’s shadow, striking out for revenge. With possible witchy wrongdoings, the area is a mecca at Halloween for those in search of communicating with the spirits.
The Skirrid Mountain Inn, Wales
Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble. The 900-year-old inn at the heart of the Brecon Beacons is said to have inspired the writings of Shakespeare himself. Today, it’s also a popular place to stop and fuel up mid-hike. But as home to several active ghosts, this inn isn’t for the faint-hearted. It sits on what was an executioner’s ground with the ghosts of victims who were hanged there roaming the inn come nightfall.
Pluckley Village, Kent
With an official title of Britain’s Most Haunted Village, you can expect Pluckley to have some chilling ties with the paranormal. The local forestland is called the Screaming Woods where, as it sounds, you can hear the cries of former residents who got lost in the woods. Fright Corner is where one highwayman held up his last carriage before being murdered by a spear.
Other spooky apparitions include the ghost of a woman who accidentally set herself on fire and a mischievous poltergeist who roams the school’s halls. The number of ghostly sightings go on. Visit if you dare.
Newsham Park Hospital, Liverpool
This abandoned Grade II listed building started life as an orphanage, where there were reports of cruel and inhumane punishments. In the attic, there is a low row of ‘naughty cupboards’ where misbehaving children would be shut away in the dark and held in solitary confinement.
After numbers began dwindling in the orphanage, it closed and became a mental asylum in 1951 before shutting its spooky doors for good in 1997. It now lies abandoned, though visitors claim to hear spirits and report sightings of ghostly nurses and little boys. This building has all the makings of the next Hollywood horror film.
Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon
Berry Pomeroy Castle’s history is shrouded in mystery as the shell of what was once a great building is all that’s left. Apart from an on-site café, the castle is eerily empty. A 15th-century abandoned ruin among the woods? Classic ghost-spotting territory.
Two female ghosts haunt the castle. Numerous spine-chilling sightings include that of Margaret Pomeroy, the White Lady, who suffered a torturous death in the dungeons. The same dungeons she reportedly haunts today. The Blue Lady is known for luring in passers-by only for them to fall to their death.
Visitors to the castle claim to experience a deep feeling of dread upon entering, while some see strange lights and hear screams.
Ancient Ram Inn, Gloucestershire
Often touted as one of the most haunted inns in Britain, this Grade II listed structure is gorgeous on the inside but comes with a rotten history. It’s supposedly home to 20 different ghosts, was built on a pagan burial ground where child sacrifices took place, and one of the ghosts is reportedly an incubus. If you’re brave enough, you can stay at The Ancient Ram Inn and risk a night of terror and torment.
Witching you a Happy Halloween
Do you have a paranormal bucket list? These locations will fit in nicely. When you’re ready to explore areas for your next haunt, take a look at the latest sold house prices* in the area, and book a devilishly good house valuation to find out how much your home is worth.