Haunted London Pubs
If a little bit of ghostly comings and goings
is what you want with your pint and crisps, then you're
living in the right city. London is, of course, the
most haunted capital in the world, boasting a multitude
of pubs that have witnessed more history than you
can shake a stick at - pubs where Jack the Ripper
silently watched his victims, inns where notorious
highwaymen such as Dick Turpin evaded the law, and
establishments where dark deeds occured long ago.
Even today the cold hand of the past is known to
remind staff and pubgoers alike that a dark history
haunts many a London pub.
The Black Swan, Bow Road E3
As far as hauntings go, the Black Swan has only enjoyed
its 'uninvited guests' for less than a century. The
darkest day in the Black Swan's long history occured
in 1916, when a German Zeppelin attack during World
War One flattened the pub and its occupants. Soon
rebuilt, it wasn't long before strange happenings
were noted and the cries of the victims heard in the
cellars. These continue to this day, so don't get
lost going to the toilet...
The Grenadier, Wilton Row SW1
One of our favourite historic
pubs, the tiny, gloomily-lit Grenadier also hides
a dark secret. Long a favourite with the redcoat troops
of the early eighteenth century, one young guards
officer died a mysterious death in the pub after a
card-game dispute. Since that fateful day nearly 200
years ago, poltergeist activity and mysterious
clouds of cigar smoke have marked the anniversary
of the death (in September).
Old Bull & Bush, North End Way W3
Well-known for the old dance hall tune, the Bull
& Bush has also been the setting for a mysterious
death and even more frightening visitations. For well
over a hundred years a dark figure in Victorian clothing
has been seen walking through the pub, and 20th century
renovations may have found the reason - bricked
up behind a wall in the cellar was an old skeleton
and Victorian surgical instruments...
Old Queen's Head, Essex Road N1
A big old wooden shrine to drinking, the Old Queen's
Head has been entertaining the punters for centuries.
But what dark deeds occured here in the distant past?
Whatever events took place on this site, the ghosts
of a Tudor woman and a weeping girl have been seen
within the pub, and doors regularly open and close
without cause. Ghostly footsteps signal another sad
visitation of what may be a mother and child that
met a gruesome end.
Spaniard's Inn, Hampstead N3
Situated on the edge of Hampstead Heath, the Spaniard's
Inn was built in 1585. More than a century later,
the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin was born here,
and local legend has it that Turpin was a regular
customer during his life of crime. Many sightings
of a shadowy horseman galloping across the deserted
northern edge of the Heath have been reported since
Turpin's death in the late 1730's, within a short
gallop of his old inn.
Check out our November
Pub of the Month for more on this excellent pub.
More Information
Visit our Historic Pubs
guide.
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