SS Great Britain - Haunted History

SS Great Britain

Bristol, Bristol

When the SS Great Britain first set sail in 1845, she was the most most advanced and longest steamship in the world, a testament to Bristol's naval engineering past. The grand passenger ship was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and was operated by the Great Western Steamship Company.

Today the ship is a museum and one of the city's most popular tourist attractions, but during its 41 years of service it spent its time shipping passengers between Bristol and New York. The crossing of the Atlantic usually took around 14 days, so with all this time at sea, it’s no surprise that the iconic ship has plenty of paranormal stories to tell.

The Great Britain's most re-told haunting is that of Captain John Grey, who vanished one night after falling ill during a voyage. He was never to be seen again, some say it was suicide, while others claim he was murdered for all the gold stowed away in his cabin.

Since then passengers have reportedly hear the heavy foot step of his hobnail boots as he walks across the deck, accompanied by sights and sounds of doors opening and closing and even a self-playing piano.

Captain Grey isn't the only ghost to tread the planks on this famous ship, others include that of Mrs Cohen, who tragically and mysteriously died aboard the ship a few short weeks after her wedding and the ghost of a young sailor who reportedly fell from the rigging.

Yvette Fielding and the Most Haunted team described the SS Great Britain as one of the top five most haunted places they've ever visited.

SS Great Britain Features In

January 13, 2009Most Haunted: SS Great Britain

Haunted Ranking

SS Great Britain Map

More From SS Great Britain

  • Ghost Hunting At The SS Great Britain

    January 28, 2020

    I joined Karl Beattie and Stuart Torevell from Most Haunted and their guests for a paranormal investigation of the historic SS Great Britain in Bristol.

  • Most Haunted: SS Great Britain

    January 13, 2009

    A nautical triumph, mysterious death and a phantom seeking a final destination await the Most Haunted team as they travel to Bristol. This week the team travel to a place of many deaths and great misery, welcome to SS Great Britain.

Tags:

Daily Horoscopes

Sagittarius

Don't let some social frustrations get under your skin right now - the people in your circle will be cranky and easily upset by small slights. The best course is to follow the lead of the nearest authority figure, and... Read More