[Written By: Charlie Clarke]
Welcome back boils and ghouls, it’s time for the second of our Spook-Tober Blog Posts! This time around we thought we would share with you some of the ‘Most Haunted Places in the UK’ to perhaps inspire some spooktacular road trips for the most wonderful time of the year.
Pendle Hill, Lancashire
This is a favourite haunt for a lot of ghost hunters, especially around Halloween due to its history surrounding the 17th Century witchcraft hysteria in England. It is said that Pendle Hill is the home to the restless spirits of witches who were found guilty of murder and subsequently buried there. There are many a story of supernatural encounters in the area and some have even reported feeling like they are being strangled by invisible hands! If you’re feeling brave you might want to take part in one of the many ghost walks or even overnight ghost hunts that take place in the area, but if you’re not one for the chills there are lots of beautiful walking routes for some less spooky daytime hikes.
Aston Hall, Birmingham
Built in the Jacobean period Aston Hall was inhabited at one time by a ruthless landowner, Sir Thomas Holte, and his family. A terrible man, he is said to have murdered his cook, but one cruel story stands out. When one of his daughters (Mary Holte) tried to run away with a servant (Dick) she’d fallen in love with, Thomas imprisoned her in the house for over 16 years in a cell. Dick was accused of stealing which led to him hanging himself shortly after. The have been many reported sightings of Mary, known now as the ‘The Grey Lady,’ the ghost of the housekeeper known as ‘The Green Lady’ and also the ghost of the servant boy Dick. You might also spot the odd Royalist soldiers from when the Hall was hit with a cannonball in the English Civil War. There have been sightings of a woman floating above the lake, wailing into the night, alongside the apparition of a young victorian girl holding a baby wrapped in a shawl. You can easily book a visit to Aston Hall as it is now owned by Birmingham’s Museum’s Trust.
Whitby Abbey, Whitby
Whitby is the perfect setting for a Haunted Abbey, what with its gorgeous gothic vibe and Dracula’s history, so of course we weren’t surprised to learn of the Abbey’s spooky past. According to the stories a young nun haunts the Abbey after she died when she was bricked into a wall when she broke her vows. There have also been sightings of a ghostly hearse with headless horses and driver by St Mary’s Church right next to the Abbey. Of course you can always just pop along and see where Dracula made land on his voyage from Transylvania, if you have the guts of course!
Alton Towers, Staffordshire
So Alton Towers is probably best known for its rollercoasters and thrill rides, but did you also know that it has its fair share of Spirits and Ghost Stories as well? The most famous probably being the tale for it’s ride Hex; the Earl of Shrewsbury was reportedly cursed by a beggar woman he refused to help one stormy night. She told him that for every branch of the old oak tree that stood by the Towers that fell, a member of his family would die. Sure enough a branch fell and a member of the family died, so the Earl chained up the rest of the branches, this became the legendary ‘Chained Oak.’ There have been many reported sightings of ghosts throughout the Tower ruins and the grounds throughout the years, although at this time of year you’re probably more likely to see scare actors running around the Towers than ghosts!
284 Green Street, Enfield, London
The home of the infamous Enfield poltergeist. In 1977 two of Peggy Hodgson‘s children reported hearing knocking sounds on the walls, demonic voices, toys being thrown across the room and Peggy even saw the children levitating. This was widely covered by the press, including reports from neighbours, police and psychics – all saying that they too saw furniture moving, one of the daughters levitating and objects being thrown across the room. The claims ended in 1979. The haunting has been a huge part of popular culture ever since, inspiring BBC’s Ghostwatch in 1992, but you horror fans will probably know the story of the Enfield poltergeist best from The Conjuring 2.
So there you go, some of the UKs Most Haunted Places to visit, but this list only scratches the surface of the ghostly goings on on our fair shores. Would you go and visit them? Have you encountered any ghosts or visited any haunted buildings? Let us know in the comments, you know we’d love to hear from you!
Stay safe and keep it creepy!
Team Superfreak.
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