Author: Sarah Stook. Sarah is a writer for Elections Daily, The Mallard and other publications. She enjoys history, reading and fashion.

Britain is home to a wealth of allegedly haunted locations, ranging from castles and palaces to homes and inns. Some of us believe in ghosts, whilst others are sceptical. Whatever the case, we’ve long been fascinated by the idea of the dead lingering along with the living. I’ve collated twenty of the most haunted places in Britain as we approach Halloween. Are you a believer or a sceptic?

THE HOME OF WITCHES’ PAST

Pendle Hill, Lancashire

James VI/ I was fascinated by witchcraft, even blaming it for the difficult journey his bride, Anne of Denmark, had in reaching him. Scotland became a hub of witch trials during and after his reign, but England did not escape them either. In 1612, eight women and two men were hanged for witchcraft.

Their restless spirits are said to remain in the area. Visitors have spotted mysterious figures, heard disembodied voices and felt intense anger, with one Ouija board session producing a random yellow tooth at the centre of the table. Paranormal investigators have reported making contact with ghostly children and those who sadly ended their own lives.

Visitors are welcome to explore the area.

THE BLOOD WON’T WASH AWAY

Samlesbury Hall, Lancashire

Dating all the way back to the 14th century, Samlesbury Hall in Preston is a popular events venue. Visitors may also be interested in the roughly thirteen ghosts that reside in the Lancashire building. One of the most popular ghosts is the White Lady, said to be Dorothy Southworth. Her family were Catholics; however, she fell in love with a member of the Anglican de Houghton family. Her family wasn’t particularly happy about this so on the day of the wedding, her brothers killed her lover. She was then sent away to a convent. Believers think she haunts her former dwelling, mourning her love. Allegedly, there is also a ghost of a priest who was decapitated by soldiers. His blood stains can never be cleaned off…

The hall is open every day apart from Saturdays.

BRITAIN’S MOST HAUNTED PUB

Ancient Ram Inn, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire

Once a pub, the Ancient Ram Inn in Wotton-under-Edge, dating back to the 12th century, is said to be the most haunted building in Britain. It had a history of Satanic activity as well as ghoulish murders.

There are ghosts and paranormal beings galore at the inn. They include:

• An incubus and succubus
• A murdered woman in the attic hanging from the ceiling, who appeared to the owner’s daughter as Elizabeth
• Evil monks
• The cries of a baby
• A human-sized white mist
• The ghost of a murdered man
• A witch burned at the stake
• A centurion
• Demonic energy
• Finally, a friendly Cavalier Spaniel

The long-time owner, John Humphries, experienced paranormal activity, including being dragged across his room. Despite this, he remained at the inn until his death in 2017. Now, Humphries’ daughter Caroline runs overnight ghost tours.

UNTIMELY DEATH OF THOSE WHO REMAIN

The Tower of London, London

The 11th-century Tower of London had a long history of residencies, executions, untimely deaths, imprisonments and disappearances.

As a result, several ghosts haunt the famous location. They include:

• A headless Anne Boleyn, who was beheaded at the Tower of London, leading a procession
• A huge bear
• Lady Arbella Stuart, a potential heir to Elizabeth I, was imprisoned after marrying without James I’s consent and is believed to have been murdered there
• A White Lady
• The Princes in the Tower, who disappeared whilst ‘staying’ there in around 1483
• A malevolent ghost who possesses Henry VIII’s armour
• Henry VI, the deposed king who is widely believed to have been murdered there
• A screaming Guy Fawkes, who was tortured there 
• A screaming Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, who was executed there
• Lady Jane Grey and her husband Lord Guildford Dudley who were executed there
• German Spy Josef Jakobs, who was executed there
• Sir Walter Raleigh, who was twice imprisoned there
• A Faceless Woman
• A Monk

The Tower of London is a popular tourist attraction.

HENRY VIII’S HAUNTED HOME

Hampton Court Palace, London

Henry VIII first took up residence at Hampton Court Palace in 1529, and it soon became his favoured home.

Two of Henry VIII’s unfortunate wives are said to remain there. Jane Seymour died there in 1537 after giving birth to Henry’s long-awaited male heir. She was said to have appeared on the Silverstick Stairs on the 12th of October 1537. The second is Catherine Howard. She was executed for adultery in 1542 but had been arrested at Hampton Court Palace. When this happened, the teenage Catherine ran free of her guards and ran down the halls, screaming and begging for mercy. She never reached Henry, who was praying and was dragged away. It’s said that she repeats this action in the afterlife and can be seen and heard doing so.

Other ghosts include the ‘Grey Lady’ Sybil Penn, the nursemaid of Edward VI and Elizabeth I, and a mysterious ‘Skeletor’ figure.

Hampton Court Palace is open to the public.

A TERRIFYING HOME

Borley Rectory, Essex

Borley Rectory was a home built on the site of an old monastery.

One of the earliest and most prominent sightings was of a nun. According to local lore, years earlier, a nun and a monk had fallen in love and absconded from the monastery. They were caught, and the monk was hanged on the gallows. Meanwhile, the nun was sealed into the walls whilst still alive. Her ghost haunted the place. Later residents were haunted by malevolent poltergeists who threw them around the place. Other ghosts include a little boy. Unusual sounds can be heard.

It was burnt to the ground in 1939 before being demolished in 1944. Even so, the hauntings still apparently occur.

You can visit the churchyard.

THE VILLAGE OF SCREAMS

Pluckley Village, Kent

Pluckley is a small village in Kent not far from Ashford. It’s known for being the filming location of ‘The Darling Buds of May.’

But it has a more sinister reputation as well. Eerie screams are said to echo from Dering Woods at night. Other ghostly figures include:

• A bricklayer who fell to death and whose screams can still be heard
• A highwayman
• A schoolmaster who hanged himself
• Horse-Drawn Coach
• White Lady
• Lady of Rose Court
• A woman who drowned in the stream

Pluckley is open to visitors who have lots of courage.

IT’S ALWAYS CHILLING AT CHILLINGHAM

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland

Chillingham Castle finished in the 14th century, has been long visited by the wealthy and royalty.

One of the most famous ghosts is the ‘Radiant Boy,’ a child draped in blue clothes who haunts the Pink Room. The bones of a boy were found during renovations in the 20th century, wrapped in blue cloth and with fingernails that indicated he’d try to claw his way out. There’s also the Grey Lady, the ghost of Lady Mary Berkeley, whose husband left her for her own sister Henrietta. Other ghosts include a little girl, and one might hear disembodied voices.

You can visit the castle and stay over.

DRACULA’S HAUNT

Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire

Whitby Abbey dates back to the 7th Century but was dissolved under Henry VIII. It is famously mentioned in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Several ghosts allegedly haunt Whitby Abbey, mainly of the religious kind. St. Hilda, the founder of Whitby Abbey, reportedly appears at an upper window, praying. Another nun who remains here in the afterlife is Constance De Beverly. She tried to elope with a knight but was caught, and instead entombed alive in the walls. Her ghost can be heard pleading. Whitby itself is also full of ghosts.

You can visit Whitby Abbey.

SMUGGLERS BEWARE

Jamaica Inn, Cornwall 

Famed for its smuggling, Jamaica Inn inspired the famous book by Daphne du Maurier and song by Tori Amos.

Visitors may see a ghostly man in a hat, voices speaking in the Cornish tongue, a drinker who was apparently lured onto the moor and murdered, unexplained footsteps, the weeping of a lost mother and child, and the malevolent spirit of a smuggler. Bodmin Moor, on which Jamaica Inn is located, is reportedly extremely haunted.

One can visit the Jamaica Inn.

GHOSTLY TUDOR RUINS

Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon

Berry Pomeroy Castle was built in the late 15th century, and given to Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, brother of Jane Seymour and Lord Protector for his nephew Edward VI.

The most famous ghost is that of the Blue Lady, whose child was reportedly killed by her or her father, who raped her and sired the baby. She is said to lure visitors to the tower, where they will be plunged to their death. There’s also the White Lady, Grey Lady, a Cavalier and strange voices among other things.

The castle is open for exploration.

CATCH SIGHT OF ANNE BOLEYN

Blickling Hall, Norwich

The current Blickling Hall was built in 1616 on the grounds of an old Tudor building that had been the birthplace of Anne Boleyn and her siblings.

It seems that Anne Boleyn’s ghost gets around. Every year on the date of her execution, the 19th of May, a headless Anne arrives in a carriage with ghostly horses and a similarly headless horseman. She heads into the house and wanders around the place until sunrise. Her father Thomas is said to wander around, clutching his head under his arm. Other ghosts at Blickling include Sir John Fastolfe, the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Falstaff character.

You can visit the house.

SEE THE WHITE LADY

Corfe Castle, Dorset

Corfe Castle goes all the way back to the 10th century and is the site of the murder of Edward the Martyr. During the English Civil War, the brave Mary Bankes defended it from a siege by Parliamentarians.

Ghosts include a terrifying but harmless headless White Lady.

HAUNTING HISTORY

Cardiff Castle, Wales

Cardiff Castle goes all the way back to the 11th century, built by the Normans. It’s one of the centres of Welsh history and has seen many famous battles.

There are many spooky goings on at Cardiff Castle, including:

• Phantom coach and horses that sail down the gateway
• John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, who walks through walls
• Sophia, Marchioness of Bute- His wife, who is apparently angry that he was buried with his first wife Maria
• Several other female ghosts
• A friendly soldier
• A 3m tall giant

You can visit Cardiff Castle.

BEWARE THE DEVIL

Boleskine House, Scotland

Built in the 18th century, the home had owners that included famous occultist Aleister Crowley and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Even before the home was built and Crowley resided there, the area was known for strange happenings.

It’s said that Crowley summoned many spirits but was unable to banish them all, leading to an opening to the Gates of Hell. That’s some seriously bad energy. Ghosts include a bride and groom who died when their carriage fell off a bridge and the decapitated head of a Jacobite.

The home is closed to visitors.

HOME OF THE MONSTER OF GLAMIS

Glamis Castle, Scotland

Glamis Castle was the home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Mother. Princess Margaret was also born there in 1930. The castle remains under the ownership of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, who is the second cousin once removed of Charles III.

Despite its storied royal history, Glamis Castle is more known for being haunted. The most infamous story is that of the ‘Monster of Glamis.’ It’s said that in 1821, the then-Countess gave birth to a terribly deformed son named Thomas. The Earl, ashamed of this, had the child hidden away in a secret room that was bricked up upon his death. He is said to remain on site. Another famous ghost is that of the Grey Lady Janet Douglas. James V hated the family, as his stepfather had been a Douglas and rather cruel. Years later, he had Janet arrested on charges that everyone knew were false. She was burned at the stake in 1537. Other ghosts include the Earl of Crawford, who was a gambler forced to play cards with the Devil for all eternity and a maid whose tongue was cut out to prevent her from revealing an earl’s secret.

The castle is open to the public.

THE HOME OF THE HIGHLAND GHOST

Stirling Castle, Scotland

Built in the 12th century, Stirling Castle has long been an important part of Scottish and British history. Residents have included Mary, Queen of Scots, Joan Beaufort and Margaret of Denmark.

Its rich history has resulted in ghostly lore. The most famous ghost is that of a Green Lady, whose appearance is indicative of imminent doom. It’s said that she may have been a maidservant who saved Queen Mary on one occasion. Another equally famous entity is the Highland Ghost who is apparently frequently spotted. There’s also a Pink Lady said to have been a survivor of a 1304 siege, as well as phantom footsteps.

You can visit the castle.

THE MASSACRE THAT NEVER LEFT

Glencoe, Scotland

Glencoe is a village in the Scottish Highlands with stunning landscapes and views. In 1692, it was the site of the bloody Glencoe Massacre that saw thirty members of the Clan MacDonald slaughtered by Scottish government forces.

Those who perished in the massacre remain behind in the afterlife. Their screams can be heard and their shadows hide behind rocks, and the victims appear every 13th February, the anniversary of the massacre. There’s also the tale of a witch named Corag who foresaw the massacre.

One can visit the area.

A SPOOKY OLD STREET

Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh

Mary King’s Close is an underground warren that harkens back to the days when people lived and worked centuries before.

It’s one of Scotland’s most notorious spooky spots. One resident reported a ghostly dog, disembodied head, severed arm and child’s ghost. The spirit of the last resident, Andrew Chesney who left in 1902, is said to wander, looking worried. The Black Lady is believed to be Mary King herself. Perhaps the most famous ghost is a little girl named Annie. The story goes that in 1992, a Japanese medium encountered Annie, who was crying, saying she’d lost her family and her favourite doll. The medium brought Annie a doll, setting off a trend for visitors who now do the same. Annie said she wouldn’t bother anyone now, but her original doll had sadly been taken.

It’s easy to visit.

EDINBURGH’S SPOOKY SYMBOL

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Perched atop Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle looks over Scotland’s capital city like a beautiful bird. Castle Rock itself has been used since early civilisation, but the castle was built in the 11th century. It’s been the home of many royals and has served in many other capacities.

Like many on this list, its rich history has birthed many ghostly tales. It’s claimed that Edinburgh Castle is one of the most haunted places in the country. Ghosts include:

• The Grey Lady believed to be Janet Douglas (mentioned earlier) or Mary of Guise, mother of Mary, Queen of Scots
• A prisoner whose escape plan failed, leading to his death
• A piper
• A headless drummer boy
• A black dog
• Prisoners from the Napoleonic War
• A man in a leather apron

Edinburgh Castle is one of the city’s best-loved places.

Have you ever been to any of these places, or witnessed one of their ghosts? Would you be brave enough to spend the night? These ghosts are!