London is a city rich in history. Some buildings and areas come from frightening backgrounds and there are a lot of scary stories about them. It is said that ghosts and apparitions inhabit some of these locations, with reports of sightings to back up the credibility of the places:
Highgate Cemetery
It was first opened in 1839 to aid the need for more burial ground as all of the churches couldn’t cope with the large number of dead that needed proper burial. It quickly became a fashionable area for burials of the rich and even those who didn’t have family and friends buried there came to visit the place and admire its Gothic tombs. There have been multiple ghostly encounters in the cemetery. A report of a man whose car broke down nearby states that he saw a red-eyed apparition at the cemetery gate. Another person was supposedly attacked by a creature that glided from the walls of the area, but was lucky to escape as an approaching car illuminated light and dissolved the attacker into thin air. It is stories like these that make the Highgate Cemetery a desired place for investigators of the paranormal.
Tower of London
With a history of over 900 years, the Tower of London rightfully earns its title as one of the most haunted places in the UK. Many ghostly residents have been reported to wander the place. Thomas A. Becket is supposedly one of the first ghosts that have haunted the tower. However, it is Arbella Stuart that is one of the more famous ghosts in the building. The history behind her is one of love, imprisonment and murder. Queen Anne Boleyn, married to King Henry VII, is another rather persistent ghost resident. Her death was gruesome and tragic – after being arrested, she was beheaded. Sightings of her headless body around the Tower’s corridors have been reported. Tread lightly should you walk among the halls of this haunted castle.
Bethnal Green Tube station
The station was used as a bomb shelter during World War II. Many lives were saved there, when Londoners sought refuge beneath the ground, but there were also many lost during a German air raid in 1943. 173 people died when panic ensued. There is a famous story of station worker getting ready to go home after the last train. He heard children sobbing, followed by women screams. These quickly grew into what he described as large group of people screaming in panic. There have been multiple reports of station staff members, who heard the same.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a famous attraction for people to visit. The popular Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and Hampton Court palace Festival are held there annually. The excitement around such events doesn’t bother the ghosts of the place. One of them that supposedly resides is that of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of King Henry VIII. It is rather curious that in 1999, two visitors feinted in the gallery where her screams are often reported.
Are these places really haunted? Are there really ghosts residing in the areas or is it the wild imagination of people that spark all the talk? It is up for you to decide. Perhaps you would like find out yourself by paying a visit to these locations.
