By Dark Files HQ Editorial Team · Published 4 April 2026 · Updated 22 October 2026

Home › Guides · Updated 20 October 2026

Fifteen of the UK's most famous 'haunted' places

Fifteen of Britain's best-known haunted places, from the Tower of London and Hampton Court to Borley Rectory, Pendle Hill and Edinburgh's underground vaults: the legends, the real history behind them, and how to visit.

Britain has more ghost stories per square mile than almost anywhere. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the legends are tied to real, often dark, history. Here are fifteen famous sites, with the stories told about them and the history underneath. Check opening times and tour bookings before you visit.

England

1. Tower of London: Anne Boleyn, executed there in 1536, is said to walk near the chapel where she's buried. The Tower's long history as a prison and execution site has inspired many other tales.
2. Hampton Court Palace: legend says Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife, runs screaming along the "Haunted Gallery". In 2003, CCTV footage of a robed figure opening fire doors made headlines worldwide. It's never been explained, and may have been a visitor or staff member.
3. Borley Rectory, Essex: once called "the most haunted house in England", thanks largely to the ghost hunter Harry Price in the 1930s. Later investigators accused him of exaggeration. The rectory burned in 1939 and was demolished; nothing remains to visit.
4. Pendle Hill, Lancashire: linked to the Pendle witch trials of 1612, when ten people were executed for witchcraft. Walks around the area tell their story, and it's popular at Halloween.
5. Raynham Hall, Norfolk: home of the "Brown Lady", subject of one of the most famous ghost photographs, published in Country Life in 1936. It's a private house.
6. Highgate Cemetery, London: its Victorian catacombs inspired a 1970s "vampire" craze driven by the press. Guided tours explain the real history of the cemetery.
7. Jamaica Inn, Cornwall: an 18th-century coaching inn on Bodmin Moor, linked to smuggling and made famous by Daphne du Maurier's novel.
8. Bodmin Jail, Cornwall: a former prison where public executions took place, now a visitor attraction with ghost-themed tours.
9. Chillingham Castle, Northumberland: a medieval fortress that markets itself as one of Britain's most haunted castles, with a "Blue Boy" legend and torture chamber.
10. The Ancient Ram Inn, Gloucestershire: a centuries-old building in Wotton-under-Edge, popular with paranormal investigators.
11. 50 Berkeley Square, London: a Victorian legend told of a haunted upper room. The building is now offices.

Scotland

12. Edinburgh's underground vaults: chambers under the South Bridge, built in the 18th century, once housed workshops, taverns and the very poor. Guided tours run nightly.
13. The Real Mary King's Close, Edinburgh: preserved streets beneath the Royal Mile, with stories linked to 17th-century plague.
14. Glamis Castle, Angus: the childhood home of the late Queen Mother, with legends of a secret room and a monster, never substantiated.

Wales

15. Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Caerphilly: a Tudor manor house that offers ghost tours alongside its living history programme.

The history behind the stories

Many legends grew from real events: executions, plague, poverty, prisons and witch trials. Some were boosted by Victorian writers, 20th-century ghost hunters and, more recently, TV programmes. Behind every ghost story there were real people, sometimes victims of injustice, which is worth remembering on a ghost tour.

Visiting responsibly

• Only visit sites open to the public or on organised tours. Several places linked to legends are private homes.
• Don't trespass on derelict buildings, which can be dangerous and illegal to enter.
• Respect churches and cemeteries, which are still places of mourning.
• Book ghost tours through the site itself or a reputable operator, and check age guidance: some evening tours aren't suitable for young children.

Sources and further reading

• Historic Royal Palaces: Tower of London
• Historic Royal Palaces: Hampton Court
• Highgate Cemetery
• The Real Mary King's Close
• Wikipedia: Pendle witches
• Wikipedia: Borley Rectory

Facts checked on 20 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.

Chris Adeyemi Research Editor

Chris is a freelance writer and editor covering a wide range of topics with a focus on accuracy and depth.

Last updated: 2026-04-25 · Fact-checked by editorial team