As the dark nights draw in, nowis the perfecttime to go on a ‘spooktacular’ adventure not least in and around London where over the years there have been many a ghoulish sighting.
From the Tower of London and Highgate Cemetery to the most haunted village in the UK – Pluckley in Kent– there have been reports oflost souls and unexplained apparitions.
We have dug out some of our favouriteghost stories, those we would recommend you take to the road to discover…
It might originally have been built as a royal residence, but the Tower of London is far more famous as a prison and for its tales of torture, beheadings and treachery. This ancient palace has earned its reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in London– with countless paranormal sightings still reported today.
One of the most regularghostly sightings is of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, close to the site where she was brutally beheaded. Others haveseen her leading a procession at the chapel, while Anne’s headless body has also been spotted walking the corridors.
Just 30-minutes up the A1 from the Tower is the 20 acreHighgate Cemetery, another famously haunted location with a lengthy history stretching back to1837, making it a perfect place to find paranormal activity.
The cemetery’s most famous ‘resident’is the 7ft ‘Highgate Vampire’, who since the late Sixtieshas been seen patrolling the grounds with a chilling expression and piercing eyes.
But our prison and cemetery are no match for the most haunted village in the UK, which has made it into the Book of Guinness World Records for its paranormal activity.
Pluckley,which is located close to the North Downs in the Ashford district of Kent, has terrifying tales to tell of almost 20different deathly characters, including ‘The Screaming Man’ whose agonising cries can be heard at the village brickworks where he died after a clay wall fell on him. Another of Pluckley’sotherworldly locals is the ‘Watercress Lady’,an old traveller who made a living selling watercress on acrossroads bridge until the dayshe went up in flames when a spark from her smoking pipe ignited with the whiskey she was drinking.
For those wanting to recreate the ‘spooktacular’tour by car, our London St Pancras pick-up location is the perfect starting point.