20 Most Haunted Places In London

London is one of the oldest cities in the world and with such a rich and diverse history, it's no surprise it has such a grim and sinister past. From echoes of Jack the Ripper killings, to the spirits of the victims of the fire of London and the black death, there's plenty of misery that still haunts London's historic streets and buildings.

Senate House Library is part of the University of London and the eighth floor is the place where famous paranormal investigator, Harry Price's collection of magical literature are store, a total of almost 13,000 books and papers on the subject of magic and the paranormal.

The library's staff have reported paranormal activity in this part of the building in the form of the sound of disembodied laughter and whispering, and have seen books floating books and even a full-bodied apparitions of an unknown man wearing a cloak and a glowing "Blue Lady".

When you think of potentially haunted buildings, the last place that springs to mind is the bustling airport on the outskirts of London, but it is said to be one of the city's paranormal hotspots.

One of the airports resident spooks is said to be the notorious highwayman, Dick Turpin. It's said he's been spotted in the main terminal in Heathrow. Holiday makers have reported feeling someone breathing on their necks, only to turn around and find no one there.

Staff and passengers have also reported seeing a man in a dark suit and bowler hat on one of the runways, he is thought to be a traveler who died when a Belgian airline flight from Brussels crashed on the runway in 1948, 20 of the 22 people on board were killed.

He was first spotted by workers in a hangar nearby who saw the aircraft crash on the runway and quickly went to the survivors' aid, the man approached them and asked if they had found his briefcase.

You may not know that in Holborn there was once a London Underground station known as British Museum which served the Central line, it's been abandoned since the 1930s and has a spooky history of its own.

It's said to be haunted by the ghost of an Ancient Egyptian God, he's been spotted dressed in a loincloth and headdress. Five years after its closure two women went missing from the next station on the line, Holborn which is just 90 meters of track away.

Witnesses claimed that they heard ghostly moaning at the time of their disappearance and the Egyptian ghost has been blamed. Some believe that there is a secret tunnel from the underground network which connects with the Egyptian room in the nearby museum.

Liverpool Street Station is Central London is said to be haunted by a man in overalls who is said to patrol the dark platforms in the dead of night. It's not just commuters waiting for the last train of the day who have witnessed the figure, staff on night shifts have spotted the spook on CCTV but when a colleague went to investigate, there was no one to be found.

The ghost of the station might not be wandering the platforms alone, it's said that the station is built on one of London's many mass burial grounds, so disturbed spirits could be responsible for many sighting of strange occurrences in the local area.

The Grenadier is said to be London's most haunted pub and despite its small size, it boasts plenty of ghosts stories and even has a small crucifix on the wall in the cellar to scare away evil spirits.

The upper floors were once used by service men from a nearby barracks, the cellar was used as a drinking and gambling den by the soldiers. It's said that one of their numbers was caught cheating at cards, he was punished by his peers and died from his injuries.

People have reported seeing dark shadows moving through the building, objects have reportedly disappeared or moved, and tables and chairs are rattled by an unseen force.

The Queen's House in Greenwich is a former royal residence and is now home to an internationally renowned art collection and is a free museum. It's not just the art here that is famous, the Grade I listed building is famously thought to be haunted, after a visiting reverend from Canada caught what appeared to be a ghost in his photo taken on the Tulip Stairs.

The photo was taken in 1966 and seemed to show a shrouded figure ascending the stairs in pursuit of a second and possibly a third figure, despite the fact that there was no one on the stairs at the time the photo was taken.

More recently in 2002, one of the gallery's staff had an unusual experience while talking to two colleagues. He saw a figure gliding across a balcony, dressed in an old-fashioned, white dress and passing through a wall.

Millions of tourists flock to London every year to uncover its history and one of the city's busiest and most famous attractions is the Tower Of London, it's regarded as one of the most haunted buildings in London and with a history of over 900 years of torture and execution, it's no surprise.

The most notable spook visitors to the historic castle hope to spot is that of Anne Boleyn, the wife of King Henry VIII. She was beheaded in 1536, and her headless body has been seen walking throughout the building, often near the place of her execution.

St. James's Park, the oldest of the eight Royal Parks in London. It's located in Westminster, it gets its name from a local leper hospital in the St. James area.

St. James's Park Lake runs through the middle of the park, there are two small islands in the lake. The Blue Bridge crosses the lake and boasts views of the London Eye and Buckingham Palace.

While walking through the park, many people have reported seeing a headless figure which walks in front of them near the Blue Bridge before vanishing.

The figure, known as the Red Lady, is often described as wearing a red dress or cloak, sometimes she is said to be seen coming out of the lake.

She could be the wife of a soldier who, in the 18th century, lured her into the park and murdered her. After removing her head, he attempted to dispose of her body in the lake but was spotted and spotted.

The Ten Bells on Commercial Street has been serving Londoners pints since at least the 1740s. The pub has ties to several of victims of notorious killer Jack the Ripper.

The pub's most famous ghost is that of Annie Chapman, one of Jack's victims, who was murdered after a night drinking at the Ten Bells. She's been blamed for the disembodied sound of footsteps, laughter and poltergeist-like activity.

Staff and drinkers have also reported sightings of a male spirit, seen wearing Victorian style clothing, leading many to believe that this could be the spirit of the Ripper himself.

The Theatre Royal on Drury Lane is London's oldest working theatre, there's been a theatre on this site since 1663 and as you'd expect, the building has its fair share of resident ghosts.

The theatre's most famous ghost is known as 'The Man In Grey', a spirit who is seen limping through the theatre in a grey cloak and three-cornered hat, he's usually seen at the beginning of a successful West End run.

Whoever this ghost is, he seems to be friendly, it's often been said that he'll give actors a helping hand by pushing them in to position and can often be seen walking past the stage in front of the entire audience during matinee performances.

The world famous, luxury hotel on The Strand in Central London is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the capital, especially on the fifth floor.

Oddly the ghostly activity includes tales of a ghostly lift, its apparition is seen in the fifth floor corridors as well as in room 502. It is said to be operated by the ghost of a young girl who died in the building.

The Flask is one of London's oldest pubs and has plenty of stories to tell. It's said to be one of Dick Turpin's hideouts. He's supposed to have evaded capture by hiding in the inn's stables, but isn't actually said to haunt the pub. Regular paranormal activity here includes sudden and unexplained drops in temperature, swinging lights and moving glasses.

The pub is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a Spanish barmaid, who allegedly hanged herself in the inn's basement after being rejected by the pub's landlord at the time. She's been blamed for moving glasses and blowing on customers' necks.

There's also the ghost of a man seen wearing a Cavalier's uniform, most often seen crossing the bar area before disappearing into a pillar.

The Clink is the oldest prison in England, dating back to 1144 and as well as being a tourist attraction, it's also said to be home to a shadowy figure that has been witnessed in the Bishop's Room. Guests have reported hearing cries coming from the oubliette, and poltergeist activity is frequently reported here. Others have reported witnessing glasses smash on their own, doors slamming, and the spirit of a woman rattling chains.

The purpose built Langham Hotel in Marylebone opened in 1865 and is said to be haunted by at least five different ghosts. The most prolific of these ghosts is the spirit of a German prince who is said to have died after being thrown out of a window in one of the guest rooms on the upper floors of the hotel. There's also a spirit who has been sighted passing closed doors and solid walls.

But it's room 333 which is claimed to be the most active part of the hotel. One guest reported seeing a strange ball of light hovering two feet above the floor in the room. As he watched, the orb of light began to take human form, only with the lower part of its legs missing.

The large building started its life as a theatre, but in 1923 become a cinema which operated up until 2014. Since then its current owners have worked to restore the building to its former glory and returned it to work as a theatre.

During its time as a cinema, there were claims that the building was haunted by a former member of staff who is said to have taken her own life by throwing herself from the balcony. The unfortunate event it said to have happened one Christmas when a cashier was confronted by her manager after she was caught stealing the proceeds of ticket sales from the till. Once confronted, she ran from the office in the upper part of the building and was so overcome with guilt, that she ended her life.

Ever since the building is said to have been haunted by her ghost, including sightings and unexplained footsteps - especially around Christmas. The story goes that at one point her presence was so disturbing that the staff were forced to move their offices into the lower parts of the building.

One of the royal palace in Richmond-upon-Thames' most famous spooks is the Grey Lady of Hampton Court, it's said she was once a servant at the house, Prince Edward's nurse and the carer of Queen Elizabeth I.

She was first sighted at the palace in 1829 after the tomb where she was laid to rest was disturbed. The tourist attraction even released CCTV footage in 2003 which apparently showed the Grey Lady open a fire exit door, leaving security staff baffled.

Today the building is a museum but 150 years ago it was used to educate the poorest children in the area. Thousands of children passed through the school, many of whom suffered at the hands of their sadistic teachers. It's said it's the spirit of these children that haunt the building now. Countless ghost sightings and weird noises have been reported here.

Those who have visited the Victorian school have reported hearing disembodied cries, laughing and voices, loud bangs and slamming doors, the sound of heavy-booted footsteps coming from empty rooms, and even full apparitions. In the creepy basement play area, witnesses have reported seeing strange lights floating in mid air.

One of London's biggest cemeteries and a location which is said to have hosted occult rituals, witnessed witchcraft and secret meetings of Satanic cults. The site, which is designated Grade I on the list of English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, is also said to be home to a vampire and has countless ghost stories associated with it.

The apparitions spotted at the cemetery and the adjoining Swains Lane, include a shadowy figure in a tall hat, the ghost of a cyclist seen working his way up a steep incline, and a woman in white. In a letter in the local newspaper, the Highgate Express & Hampstead, one witness said that his car broke down near the cemetery and he saw a hideous face peering through the bars of the cemetery's gate.

Others have reported bells ringing and voices calling from within the cemetery at night, and it's no surprise considering that more than 170,000 of London's dead are buried here.

The London Tombs are part of The London Bridge Experience, a tourist attraction on Tooley Street, in vaults below the southern end of London Bridge, built on the site of what was once a plague pit. As well as being a popular tourist spot, it's also a popular location for ghost hunts and is said to be the most haunted bridge in the world.

Staff and visitors have reported paranormal activity ranging from unexplained sounds like knocks, bangs and dragging sounds, through to poltergeist activity in the form of objects being thrown by an unseen force. There's even been reports of dark shadowy figures moving around in the creepy subterranean tunnels.

There's also been reports of a little girl who's believed to be called Emily. Other visitors have reported encountering an unenthusiastic staff member in the tombs. She's said to be dressed in character but doesn't interact with the guests, she simply stares at them. When the guests mentioned this to staff they are surprised to hear that there is no such woman working in that part of the tour.

The tombs were built over a plague pit and many think this could be the cause of the hauntings. The pit, which was discovered in 2007, contains a large number of skeletons that date back to the 11th century through to 17th century.

The bridge also has a grim past as severed heads were at one time displayed on the bridge after executions. This was commonplace in Tudor times when they used to impale the heads of traitors and criminals on spikes along the bridge.

The building, believed to be the oldest unaltered building in London, has been in the hands of antique book dealers, Maggs Bros since the 30s, but was once the private home of Prime Minister George Canning, who claimed to have heard strange noises and have experienced psychic phenomenon.

The four-storey town house dates back to 1827, the first ghastly tale to come from the house is that of a young woman who committed suicide there, she jump from a top floor windows after being abused by her uncle. She's now said to haunt the house in the form of a brown mist.

One former resident, Mr. Myers decorated the house in preparation of his pending marriage and starting a family, but he was jilted by his fiancee and became a recluse. He spent his time living alone in the attic slowly going mad, while the rest of the house fell in to disrepair.

Others who have spent the night in the attic since have ended up dead. In 1879 a night in the attic drove a maid mad, she died in an asylum the next day. The next night a curious man took up the challenge to spend a night in the room and went on to become the first person to be recorded dead in the house, the coroner's verdict was "death of fright."

The second reported death at 50 Berkeley Square was a sailor from HMS Penelope in 1887, several sailors stayed the night, the next morning one was found dead, having tripped as he tried to run from the house. The other sailor reported seeing an aggressive ghost of Myers.