10 Most Haunted Towns & Cities In The UK

Below are the ten cities across the UK that are best known for their hauntings. They are ranked by the number of stories, the amount of haunted locations and the longevity of their paranormal claims.

Stratford-upon-Avon is most famous as the birthplace of playwright, William Shakespeare, but the historic town is also said to be one of the most haunted in England. It lies at the northern tip of the Cotswold countryside a town unspoilt by time and a place that inspired the greatest love story ever told.

Many building associated with Shakespeare are said to be haunted, including Shottery Manor, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Hall's Croft and Holy Trinit, which is the burial place of Shakespeare himself. Other haunted hotspots include The Shakespeare Hotel, and nearby Clopton House and Ettington Park Hotel. Even the stretch of the River Avon that flows through the town is said to be haunted by the ghost of a murder victim.

The list of haunted buildings in the city of Liverpool includes historic libraries, iconic theatres, hotels, homes and even a cemetery. The city's Gaumont Cinema is one of its most famous ghostly hotspots, it is said to be haunted by the ghost of a man who hanged himself there. The Empire Theatre is said to be home to the ghost of a tearful young girl, a former painter who worked there, and a dark apparition seen in one of the dressing rooms.

The city is also home to one of the UK's most haunted hotels. At The Adelphi guests have reported seeing multiple spirits in naval attire. Staff have seen someone hanging out of a window in the Crosby Room, but upon investigation found that the room was empty and the window was locked.

Other haunted buildings in the city include The Slaughter House pub, the historic Woolton Hall, the wood-framed Tudor manor house Speke Hall, and the infamous Newsham Park Hospital. The hospital has been the site of many reports of paranormal activity. Dating back to its operational days, a female nurse reported seeing an unexplained apparition, soon after she was found dead on the main corridor.

Bristol is a city steeped in history, some of it grisly, from the slave trade to smugglers, pirates and brutal murders. Around every corner in the city there’s a story to be told and with so much history it’s not surprising that Bristol has so many ghost stories. Especially in Brislington, which was once a small Somerset village but is now a suburb of the city that is reputed to have many resident ghosts.

The city's most famous haunted locations include Isambard Kingdom Brunel's famous steamship, the SS Great Britain. Brunel is even said to haunt an area of Leigh Woods around Clifton Suspension Bridge that he designed. The Central Library is said to be haunted by Augustinian monks, as is Bristol Cathedral.

Other haunted hotspots include Arnos Vale Cemetery, the Odeon Cinema, the Old Vic Theatre, and the historic Llandoger Trow pub. Even a busy stretch of the A38 is to be haunted by a woman in white.

Cardiff is officially the most haunted place in Wales, it boasts a higher number of reports of paranormal events than any other place throughout the whole of Wales including at the iconic Millennium Centre, the National Museum of Wales, and Cardiff Castle in the heart of the city.

Cardiff also boasts two very haunted hospitals, University Hospital Llandough where the ghost of a nurse in a Victorian uniform has been seen, and Cardiff Royal Infirmary where the list of reports of paranormal activity includes a disappearing matron who was spotted in one of hospital's corridors by a plumber, and sightings of a woman in grey.

Elsewhere in the city, the 19th-century Castell Coch is said to be haunted by 13 ghosts, including the apparition of servant, a cavalier, and even three ghostly eagles. An unassuming lawnmower repair shop in the city also became the focus of one of the Society for Psychical Research's most famous poltergeist cases.

The capital city of Scotland is easily one of the most haunted cities in the UK, perhaps due to its rich history, historic buildings and its sometimes dark past. Many of the cities haunted location are popular tourist hotspots, including Greyfriars Kirkyard where most of the reports of paranormal activity revolve around the tomb of Sir George Mackenzie, a barrister who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Covenanters in the 17th century.

The castle the overlooks the city also has its fair share of spooks, the most commonly sighted are an old man in apron, a piper who mysteriously lost his life after getting lost in the tunnels below the castle and a headless drummer boy. The popular attraction Mary King's Close is said to be the site of dark shadows, strange noises and even apparitions of body parts have been reported here. Chesney's House, is said to be so scary, that some staff member refuse to enter certain areas on their own and the ghost of a man has been seen here before vanishing.

Another of the city's tourist hotspots, Edinburgh Vaults, is said to be haunted. The Vaults are a network of eerie chambers which are formed in the arches of the South Bridge in Edinburgh. Visitors report hearing disembodied voices, including the sound of children crying. The mysterious sound of feet shuffling can also be heard coming from dark corners of the vaults, and people have reported being touched.