20 Most Horrifying and Haunted Places in London

haunted places in london

Updated On: November 08, 2023 by   ConnollyCoveConnollyCove

There are many haunted places in London. It is one of the world’s most iconic and glamorous cities, with historical buildings, castles, museums, parks, and bustling streets.

London is approximately 2,000 years old. Throughout its history, the city streets witnessed many incredible, breathtaking, and bizarre events, not to mention frightening ones. After dark, some cultural heritage monuments appear eerie and haunted, echoing spooky stories and creating unsettling sensations. The Tower of London is the most well-known of these haunted places, but many others exist.

Here we present some strange and mysterious stories associated with London’s most horrifying haunted places. Before we begin, make sure you have a brave heart!

1. Westminster Abbey

haunted places in london
Westminster Abbey in London, England

Westminster Abbey is a must-see attraction in London as it is a 1000-year-old historical church located west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the “burial site” of several kings, queens, and artists. It was formerly named the Collegiate Church of St. Peter.

Three ghosts are said to haunt Westminster Abbey. According to some witnesses, Father Benedictus is said to have been seen floating around the cloisters. He might be haunting the Abbey because of his unexpected and brutal death; he was a robbery victim. This is believed to have left him unaware that he was dead. Some tourists claimed he reportedly spoke about the Abbey for 20 minutes before disappearing into a wall.

Two guards reported seeing a ghost of a lady dressed in red. The legend says her husband beheaded her and threw her into the lake. Consequently, she was witnessed more than once walking along the lake, searching for her head. Besides these two ghosts, the statue of Daniel Pulteney haunts the south cloisters. He was reported turning the pages of the stone book he holds. 

2. Tower Of London

haunted places in london
Tower of London

This historical castle is officially His Majesty’s Royal Palace and is famous for being among the scariest haunted places in London. It is located on the River Thames’ banks. The Tower of London served as a prison for those the Royal Family particularly despised from 1100 to 1952. In most cases, prisoners, including known figures, were beheaded. One famous figure that haunts the place is Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife. She is claimed to be seen walking with her head tucked under her arm.

People reported seeing the ghost of Arbella Stuart, who was kept under house arrest after the imprisonment of her husband, William Seymour. Her health worsened during her captivity, and she died in the tower. Besides the poor noblewoman, many ghosts are thought to reside within the tower walls. On different occasions, visitors and staff have reported hearing voices and glimpsing apparitions in this eerie place. 

3. Hyde Park

haunted places in london
Two Hundred Years Old Aristocracy Pets Cemetery in Hyde Park, London

Famed as one of London’s largest Royal Parks, Hyde Park covers 142 hectares. The ghosts of this park might not be your typical —human— ghosts. Though once considered cute, the pets that haunt the place can be pretty creepy.
More than 300 miniature headstones of ghostly animals purportedly long for affection in this eerie pet graveyard, so be careful before petting a random dog around the area!

4. Bruce Castle Museum

Bruce Castle is located in the north London town of Tottenham and was initially known as the ‘Lordship House.’ Today, it serves as a museum displaying archives from the London Borough of Haringey as well as the history and heritage of London. The castle is filled with numerous sinister stories that have inspired claims of paranormal activity and ghostly sightings.

Bruce Castle was the residence of Lady Constantina Lucy, who was married to Henry Hare. He locked his wife away in a small room under the clock tower (a not-so-good marriage!). Because she was angry about her horrible captivity, Lady Constantina Lucy leapt off the balcony with her infant, tragically killing both of them.

5. St Bartholomew’s Hospital

St Bartholomew’s Hospital, also known as St Bart’s Hospital, was built in 1123 in Smithfield in the City of London. The hospital’s past still haunts its present. The restless souls of individuals who passed away in the hospital reside within the walls of this spooky place, making it one of the most famous haunted places in London.

One of the famous ghosts that haunt the place is that of a nurse who was murdered in the “coffin lift.” Some paranormal activities have been reported, such as the lights going out. Some doctors claimed to be taken down to the dark basement by the lift. Others witnessed a figure of a little boy crying for his mom in the hospital halls.

6. Spaniards Inn

The Spaniards Inn is one of London’s oldest and most renowned pubs at the far end of Hampstead Heath. It is said that Dick Turpin was born there, where he later kept his horse Black Bess and stashed his loot. Neighbours have reported hearing clip-clop sounds and neighs in the parking lot.

But not only that! It is believed that two landlords who shared a love for the same woman engaged in a duel to end it, and the ghost of the losing landlord is claimed to still be there today. Some people also claimed to witness a woman in white wandering in the garden.

7. Old Queen’s Head Pub

It’s a classic London pub with live music and a spot for the city’s nightlife dwellers to get a drink and enjoy themselves with friends. Sir Walter Raleigh allegedly had a connection to the Old Queen’s Head and formerly owned the pub, according to legend. Many people claim to see his figure in the bar area roaming, but then he disappears into thin air.

The staff also reported paranormal activities like slamming doors and breaking glasses which they relate to a little girl walking up and down the stairs. Others witnessed a woman dressed in Tudor clothes on the first Sunday of every month.

8. Greenwich Foot Tunnel

haunted places in london
Greenwich Foot Tunnel beneath the River Thames

Greenwich Foot Tunnel is one of London’s most eerie and haunted locations. It is a 370-metre subway that runs beneath the River Thames from the Isle of Dogs to Greenwich. It makes it possible for employees living north of the river to get directly to London’s docklands without needing to board a ferry.

Many people have mentioned feeling uneasy in the dark underground passageway, and others claim they felt followed across the tunnel. Other witnesses saw an elderly couple here as well, dressed in Victorian attire and suddenly disappearing into thin air.

9. Bleeding Heart Yard

Bleeding Heart Yard is a section of cobblestones surrounded by former warehouses where Holborn and Farringdon intersect. The courtyard is named after an antique painting of the Virgin Mary pierced by five swords and is considered one of London’s most haunted locations.

It is claimed that the ghost of Lady Elizabeth Hatton haunts the place. The legend states that she was found dead in the stone courtyard in 1626. The terrifying thing is that her heart was still pumping, and her legs were spread across the ground. Many people today can hear Lady Elizabeth Hatton’s cries for help. 

10. The Langham Hotel

With over 500 rooms and suites, the hotel was initially constructed in 1865. The Langham is considered the most haunted hotel in London as it also conceals a more profound secret within its opulent rooms. Room 333 generates the majority of the eerie activity. Some members of BBC staff reported seeing a figure in the room moving closer towards them with empty eyes.

The hotel is claimed to be haunted by a minimum of five ghosts. One of the spirits is that of a German prince, who is believed to have committed suicide by throwing himself out of the window. People witnessed his ghost moving through the hotel’s walls. Pretty spine-chilling, right?

11. 50 Berkeley Square

50 Berkeley Square, London’s most notorious house, is in Mayfair in Central London and was once home to Prime Minister George Canning until he died in 1827. Thomas Myers was one of the owners who is said to have not left the house after being rejected by his fiancée until he died in the early 1870s. After his death, the house was left deserted until 1884.

Many people reported that a young woman haunts the attic. The legend tells that when this young woman tried to escape from her violent uncle, she ended her life by jumping out of the window. Another ghost of a youngster allegedly murdered by a housekeeper haunts the attic. Finally, the spirit of a young man is said to be locked in the attic, where he was held captive and got his food through a hole in the door.

12. The Ten Bells

haunted places in london
The Ten Bells public house situated at the corner of Commercial Street and Founier Street which is well known for its association with Jack the Ripper

The Ten Bells, one of London’s most well-known haunted pubs, is situated on Commercial Street in Shoreditch. According to legend, the ghost of Annie Chapman, one of Jack the Ripper’s victims, still resides in the bar. The staff also reported regular encounters with a figure of a Victorian man, who is believed to be a landlord that was brutally murdered.

13. Bank Underground Station

haunted places in london
Bank of England. Square and underground station

Bank Underground Station is undeniably terrifying. On 11 January 1941, a bomb was dropped from a German aircraft on Bank Station before exploding, leaving 50 people dead and more than 50 injured. People still report hearing the cries of wounded people.

In the 1790s, the brother of a nun known as Sarah Whitehead was a clerk working in the Bank of England (where the famed station gets its name) and got caught for fraud. Sarah kept going to the Bank Station dressed in black, asking for her brother and mourning him. After her death, people reported witnessing a figure in black roaming the station.

14. Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children

Queen Elizabeth Hospital was built after a cholera pandemic in 19th-century London exposed the poor living circumstances of children. Infant and child mortality rates increased due to inadequate ventilation, sanitation, and hygiene. The hospital served as an Emergency Military Hospital during World War II. Since its closure in 1997, the hospital has been abandoned. People reported some paranormal activities. It is said to be haunted by the spirits of those children who suffered.

15. The Flask

The Flask is one of the oldest pubs in London. The name is derived from the tradition of selling flasks from the pub. It’s a nice, spooky place to visit for Halloween. The legend says that a barmaid’s ghost haunts the place. She committed suicide because the owner of the bar rejected her. Staff and clients report some paranormal activities like moving glasses. A spirit of a man was also witnessed lingering around the bar and vanishing in thin air.

16. Highgate Cemetery

haunted places in london
Tombstones at Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery is at the top of the haunted places in London. Graves were placed between stores and outside pubs due to the high death rate. A significant number of people were buried in shallow graves. The unhygienic conditions in this graveyard were horrible, and diseases spread all over the place.

There have been reports of men doing dark rites while wearing dark robes. The passageways surrounding the graveyard are filled with ghosts and ghouls. Red-eyed demons were allegedly seen peering at people through the barrier.

17. Liverpool Street Station

haunted places in london
The interior of Liverpool Street Station

The station was rumoured to be built on a mass burial ground, so it is among the scariest haunted places in London. A ghostly figure was witnessed in the station in white overalls and holding a box of tools. In 2015, 3000 skeletons of those who died during the Black Death were discovered under the station.

18. The Clink Prison

haunted places in london
The Clink Prison Museum in London, UK

The Clink Prison is well known for its paranormal activity, bizarre incidents, and ghost sightings. The Clink was a tough prison to live in, and before it served as the famed museum known now, torture, beatings, and hangings were common. There have been reports of a shadowy figure pacing around the Bishop’s Room, as well as footsteps and cries emanating from the Oubliette. Some ghost hunters reported witnessing paranormal activity, which horrified everyone who participated in the process.

19. Ragged School Museum

The Ragged School Museum in London is among the most haunted places in the country. The East End’s poorest children were educated in the Ragged School, where they received brutally harsh treatment. The building is still thought to be haunted by the ghosts of these kids.

Many ghost hunters have investigated, and this building leaves no doubt that spirits and ghosts reside within its walls. Visitors have reported experiencing sudden, drastic temperature changes and powerful gusts that feel like an unidentified presence is passing by at night.

20. Theatre Royal Margate

haunted places in london
Theatre Royal Margate, UK

The Theatre Royal is the second-oldest theatre in England and the oldest in Kent. There have been reports of paranormal activity both on stage and backstage. It is claimed that one of the boxes is haunted because a man died after jumping from it during a performance. Another ghost of the actress Sarah Thorne was witnessed, along with a figure of an actor who committed suicide.

Ghosts are undeniably real. That has already been established. If you’re not one of those faint-hearted individuals, pick your next notorious stop from this list!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *