With the 125th anniversary of the notorious Jack the Ripper murders in East London coming up on April 3, the bods at VisitEngland have compiled a list of the country’s horror hotspots.
Jack the Ripper – East London
The killer who stalked Whitechapel back in 1888 was dubbed ‘Jack the Ripper’, but who was he? The grandson of Queen Victoria, the Queen’s physician, a cabbie or a butcher? The whodunnit remains a constant source of dark fascination and visitors to the capital can try a Jack the Ripper walking tour of Spitalfields and Petticoat Lane.
The Pendle Witches – Lancashire
In August 1612, ten people were found guilty of witchcraft at Lancaster Castle and executed on the moors. Were the Pendle Witches malevolent people possessed by supernatural powers, or innocent victims of a time obsessed with the pursuit and punishment of witchcraft? Intrigued visitors can walk the Lancashire witches trail, which starts in the shadow of Pendle Hill and follows the route the witches took through the Ribble Valley to Lancaster Castle where they stood trial. Once at the castle, visitors can take a guided tour to see the dungeons where they were imprisoned.
Tudor terror at The Tower of London
During Tudor times the Tower had its bloodiest period in its history, when cells and torture chambers were rarely empty of political and religious prisoners of Henry VIII. Politician Sir Thomas More was beheaded after refusing to accept Henry as head of the new Church of England, and his majesty’s second wife Anne Boleyn was beheaded within the Tower’s walls after falling out of favour having failed to produce a male heir.
A 12th century monk pulling hair at Oxford Castle Unlocked
Oxford Castle has a history of murder, witchcraft, imprisonment and execution and is reported to be one of the most haunted locations in the country. The castle is said to be haunted by a number of ghosts including a 12th century monk who pulls the hair of visitors to the Crypt, and a man who hanged himself at the castle in 1761 and can now occasionally be seen in Debtor’s Tower wearing an expensive waistcoat, cape and tricorn hat. Book a terrifying ghost tour and take part in vigils and séances in the dead of night.
The most haunted city in the UK
A city famous for England’s final hanging, drawing and quartering, and the venue for the very last pressing to death in the country – a trip to Derby could haunt you for a lifetime. The city lays claim to some terrible tales: the spirit of executioner John Crossland is said to roam restlessly around Derby Cathedral; Alice Wheeldon, accused of plotting to murder Prime Minister David Lloyd, is said to haunt the Guildhall; and victims of the Black Death were buried alive at St Peter’s Churchyard in the 14th century. Join a guided ghost walk of the city with Most Haunted’s Richard Felix, or hold an overnight vigil in 18th century prison Derby Gaol.
Never-seen-before haunted rooms at Warwick Castle
This medieval castle (above) has a ghastly past which haunts it to this day. The Watergate Tower is said to be haunted by Sir Falke Greville, one-time owner who was murdered by his long-term manservant who went on to pack his wounds with pig fat. It’s also said that the ghost of a young maid, who was blocked up behind one of the walls after giving birth to her master’s child, wanders the Kingmaker area. Last month (February) the castle unlocked four never-seen-before rooms that reveal tales of battle, siege, murder, power struggles and hauntings.
