Halloween is here – and spooky season calls for all the tricks and treats offered by London’s most eerie hotspots, with pubs across the capital claiming their share of haunted happenings.
If you fancy marking the occasion with a pint that has a supernatural side, you may be inspired to visit these famous pubs across the city.
Some of these boozers have existed for hundreds of years, so naturally they have a rich and colourful history – including a few ghostly guests.
From flickering lights to full apparitions, the spirits in these pubs clearly aren’t just of the liquid kind. So, grab a drink and let’s toast to London’s most haunted watering holes.
London’s most haunted pubs – and their stories
No corner of London is without its old tales of spectral figures, bumps in the night and mischievous antics of poltergeists, but here are some of the most chilling stories behind the capital’s spookiest public houses…
The Bow Bells, Bow Road
With more than 150 years of history, this Mile End boozer was bound to get a reputation for one of its ghostly guests. Its owners say a cheeky spirit has been messing with the plumbing for years.
The ghost of The Bow Bells makes itself known by flushing the toilet in the women’s bathroom when a visitor enters the cubicle.
Pubgoers are warned of this mischief by a ‘beware of the ghost’ sign above the bathroom door.
Tales of this ghost with a penchant for toilet humour date back to the 70s, with the landlord in 1974 organising a seance to rid the bar of its so-called ‘phantom flusher’.
Latest London news
- Over 11,000 people want women-only Tube carriages – but are they just a ‘gimmick’?
- Inside Ryan Gosling’s new London life as family relocate to Hampstead
- Wife of man crushed to death by toilet in London wants £200,000 compensation
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s London news hub.
When the spirit was asked to make itself known, apparently the door to the ladies’ toilet flew open with such a force that it shattered a glass window.
A powerful draught with your draught ale, anyone?
Viaduct Tavern, St Paul’s
This pub, nestled opposite The Old Bailey, was a jail in its past life – so of course its paranormal side holds on to the building’s history.
The Viaduct Tavern dates back to 1875 and is one of London’s last traditional Victorian Gin palaces.
Strange chills in the air and noises reported in the Fuller’s pub confirm its supernatural status, but there have been two stories in particular that make it an iconic spooky boozer.
In 1996, the manager had been tidying the cellar when suddenly the door slammed shut and all the lights went out.
He then tried to exit the cellar – only to find he couldn’t open the door no matter how hard he tried.
After crying out, his wife opened the door from the outside with no problem at all. Perhaps a ghostly prison officer had been doing the rounds keeping inmates locked up?
Two electricians were also spooked in the pub when working in a room upstairs in 1999. Once they had rolled up a layer of carpet, one said he felt an icy tap on the shoulder.
Both were stunned to see the rolled carpet lifted from the ground and dropped with a thud. They would only return to work once the manager said the phantom, known as Fred, was harmless.
The Grenadier, Belgravia
Originally built in 1720 as the mess hall for military officers, The Grenadier now serves the general public in its premises just off Hyde Park Corner.
It has been used to house the Grenadier Guards as a display of gratitude for their service in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. While officers used the upstairs, lower-ranking soldiers would drink and gamble in the cellar.
The pub’s haunted history supposedly began when a young solider called Cedric was beaten to death by his drunken comrades after being caught cheating at cards.
His spirit is said to haunt the cellar ever since with a peak for ghostly happenings in September – when Cedric is thought to have died.
An icy chill is said to come out of nowhere and objects have been known to disappear or move in an unexplainable fashion.
Patrons have taken to sticking banknotes to the ceiling of the pub in an attempt to pay off Cedric’s card game debt, but it appears their sum has not been enough to ward off ghosts from the past.
So, do you fancy grabbing a drink with the ghost of The Grenadier – or maybe adding to the ceiling’s many banknotes to redeem Cedric’s debt?
The Ten Bells, Spitalfields
The murders of Jack the Ripper in the 1880s left a mark on much of theEast End of London – and The Ten Bells in Spitalfields is no exception.
The pub is known for its connection to the serial killer. It is said to be the last place visited by Mary Kelly, his last victim who was murdered in 1888. Jack himself may well have enjoyed a drink or two at the establishment.
Its landlord even renamed the pub ‘the Jack the Ripper’ in 1976 before returning to its original identity in 1988.
Staff in the 1990s often said they saw the ghost of a Victorian man, even waking up next to him and calling out before the figure disappeared.
But this spookiness might not be down to Jack the Ripper as The Ten Bells has a long dark history all its own.
One of the pub’s Victorian landlords George Roberts was murdered with an axe, as shown by press cuttings from the 1900s found in the cellar. Maybe it was his ghostly spectre terrorising those who stayed on the upper floors?
Even the most experienced of mediums were said to have been fearful of the upstairs, so it might be best to stay on the ground floor for your visit.
The Volunteer, Baker Street
Just a few doors down from Sherlock Holmes’ famous address, The Volunteer got its name from its history as a recruiting station during the Second World War.
The pub is found near Regent’s Park and it stands on the original site of a large 17th century house that once belonged to the wealthy Neville family.
A fire destroyed the house while the family was inside back in 1645, and now the former man of the house Rupert Neville is said to stalk the cellar of the pub.
He has supposedly been seen as the ghost of a man dressed in breeches and people say he flickers light switches and stomps across the floor.
The pub has even been featured in an episode of the show Most Haunted, with Neville said to display an evil and malicious nature.
The Spaniards Inn, Hampstead
This Hampstead pub was immortalised in Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, and is said to be the ghostly home of infamous robber Dick Turpin.
People say he roams the upstairs rooms of the pub, constantly making a racket with bangs and clashes throughout the night.
But he’s not the only ghost on the premises – the downstairs area is believed to be haunted by a man known as Black Dick, who was run over by a horse and cart outside the premises.
Speaking of horses, the ghost of Turpin’s trusty steed supposedly haunts the parking lot, so be careful where you park your car.
The Flask, Highgate
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, according to those who have witnessed the spirit that reportedly haunts The Flask in Highgate.
The ghost of a Spanish barmaid is said to pester patrons after she supposedly hung herself in the cellar back in the 18th century after discovering her landlord boyfriend had not been faithful to her.
Staff and guests have shared stories of strange reflections, icy chills and weird behaviour in the lights.
This all creates an eerie atmosphere in the Highgate boozer.
Hoop & Toy, Chelsea
The Hoop & Toy has been standing since 1760, making it one of the oldest pubs in the Kensington area – which means it also has a long history of spooky happenings.
When the nearby tube station was being constructed, workers broke through the wall in the basement of the Hoop & Toy and made a grisly discovery.
The basement of the pub had apparently been used by local churches to bound and entomb the bodies of their priests who had died.
This meant the pub had been built on top of a burial ground, so spirits are thought to be trapped since being disturbed by the underground works.
They now wander around the pub lost, restless as they wait for their pint of lager and packet of crisps.
Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Share your views in the comments below