If you’re into all things haunted and mysterious, then you’ve landed in the right place. The UK is filled to the brim with abandoned and downright spooky spots that remain unexplainable…to this day. Mystery enthusiasts: just like you, we’re all about indulging our weird and unusual interests, so we’ve created this bucket list of haunted places in the UK that you absolutely need to visit:
Hunt vampires in Glasgow
This Victorian cemetery on a hill beside Glasgow Cathedral is on the top of our creep list. In 1954, a group of schoolboys stalked the Glasgow Cathedral cemetery looking for the vampire that allegedly killed two of their friends. These little vampire hunters were even armed with stakes. Was the vampire real? Well, according to local myth, Jenny wi’ the ‘airn teeth (or Jenny with the iron teeth), was a real vampire-like hag who supposedly roamed Glasgow and preyed on young boys. If you want to visit the necropolis yourself, you can stay the night at the haunted Cathedral House Hotel.
Walk through an abandoned 80’s theme park
Camelot Theme Park opened in the early ‘80s and stayed open for thirty years. When it closed, it was left abandoned: nature is slowly reclaiming it, the rides are coated with rust, and the whole place has a tinge of apocalypse vibes. If you’re daring enough, you can explore this frankly terrifying place that’s been ripped straight out of a nightmare (fitting since its rollercoaster was actually named Knightmare). The once-sparkling fake castle walls are now crumbling and ruined and weeds have wrapped their tendrils around old, broken, lifeless rides. You can see all this for yourself if you’ve got the nerve for it! To make it even easier for you, the Cleopatras at Park Hall Hotel sits just outside.
Explore the Guiness Book of Records’ most haunted village
We hear of a lot of haunted houses, but haunted villages? They’re a rarity. But Pluckley in Kent is one of them. It’s even in the Guiness Book of Records for its unique status. No less than twelve ghosts are said to haunt its houses, pubs, and streets. One of these ghosts is referred to as The Red Lady (even in death people are polite to her) who haunts the local churchyard. It’s said that she has a white dog with her, so at least she’s not lonely. There’s also the hanging ghost of an old schoolmaster, a woman who is said to have poisoned herself over lost love, and even a phantom horse and carriage! If you fancy trying to hunt down these ghosts over a weekend, you can stay at Pluckley Pad B&B and dine at the ominously-named Black Horse, a traditional English pub.
Take a tour of Berkyn Bull Manor: a spooky abandoned mansion
Looking at photos of Berkyn Bull Manor, it’s easy to convince yourself that it’s not real, that these are just stills from a movie set. But, I assure you, it’s all real. The house was said to have been visited by John Milton in the 17th century. Since then, it was fixed up and lived in until the final owner died in 1987. Risk venturing inside and you’ll find a library full of abandoned, dusty books, crooked and broken stairs, a collapsed upstairs corridor, and even a small pipe organ that feels like it surely must have been added to intentionally frighten trespassers (it wasn’t). There are open newspapers left on the desk next to bundles of paper tied up with string, and even a tiny old TV from the 1940s. If you need time to recover after venturing inside, you can get some food and pints at the nearby Crown and Kitchen pub.
Dabble in witchcraft at Pendle Hill
The story of the Pendle witches are to England what the Salem witch trials are to the US. They occurred in 1612 after twelve residents of Pendle Hill were accused of murdering ten people using witchcraft. Since then, the hill has been a place of excitement. TV shows have visited the area and every Hallowe’en, young people climb the hill in what has become a local tradition. You too can wander this historic hill to your heart’s content, and when you’re done, you can shop the Witches Galore gift shop, grab a coffee at the Clarion House Cafe, and stay the night at The Rookery.
Hunt werewolves in Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase is a thickly wooded area in the West Midlands. It’s been given attention by people that have supposedly spied UFOs flying overhead, and even sightings of a ghostly woman dubbed The Lady of the Chase. But the strangest story of all hit the newspapers in 2007. According to sources, the locals of a nearby village were terrorised by werewolves living and hiding in Cannock Chase for the past thirty years. Supposedly, this all began in 1975 when a local lad made a deal with the devil to trade his soul for the power to transform into a werewolf. Things could, admittedly, get quite dull in rural England back in the ‘70s, so we can’t blame him completely. If you head out werewolf hunting in Cannock Chase, you can get yourself a well-earned pint at the local pub, simply known as Chase.
Wade beneath ancient alien spacecrafts
If you ever wondered what it would look like if the alien crafts from War of the Worlds landed at sea, then just visit the Maunsell Forts (or Red Sands Forts), because this spot is pretty much just that. These eerie metal monsters were once defence towers built to protect the UK during World War II. Now, they’re creepy, rusted metal beasts that loom over the sea watching you from across the water. If you want to see them for yourself, head to Southend-on-Sea and stay at the Shoeburyness Hotel. You can also get a few drinks nearby at the aptly-named Old Garrison.
Sleep in a haunted Inn
Often touted as not only one of the most haunted inns in Britain, but arguably the most haunted place in all the British Isles. This Grade II listed structure is almost a thousand years old, and in that time it has existed as a house, a pub, and an inn. There are mountains of folklore and dark history surrounding this place. Its former owner, John Humphries, who died in 2017, and his daughter Carole, have been interviewed by newspapers and visited by ghost hunters. And not once have they shied away from the ghostly tales of The Ancient Ram Inn. It is supposedly home to twenty different ghosts, was built on a pagan burial ground where child sacrifices took place, and one of the ghosts is reported to be an incubus. You can stay at The Ancient Ram Inn and risk being haunted, frightened, and attacked by the incubus for just £25 a night. What a bargain!
Chill with ghosts on a haunted mountain
This 900-year-old inn at the heart of Wales’ Brecon Beacons is said to have inspired the writings of Shakespeare himself. Today, the inn is a popular place to stop and fuel up during a hike across the Brecon Beacons, as well as a cosy place to rest. If you can brave the ghosts, that is (cue the thunder and laughter). But, before we get to the ghosts, there’s also an interesting legend surrounding the area. According to local lore, at the moment of Jesus’ crucifixion 3,210 miles away, the mountain shuddered, roared, and broke in two (despite people in the UK not having ever heard of Jesus at this point). As for the ghosts, Skirrid Mountain Inn was once used as an executioner’s ground and so the ghosts of victims who were hanged there are said to still roam the inn at night. If you stay at the inn, you can also spend the evening getting drinks at the bar and some locally-sourced food for dinner.
Hunt spirits in a haunted castle
Britain’s most haunted castle has stood ominously for a thousand years, originally built by the Normans. You can find it in Gloucester, suspiciously close to The Ancient Ram Inn. Some of the ghostly occurrences in the castle include the sounds of a crying baby, humming, scratching, and even shadows that block the doorways and exits! Some people that have stayed at the castle have even reported the sensation of being pinned to their beds, unable to move. If you want to take part in a ghost hunt at St Briavels Castle, you can!