The Haunted Side of London part 1

Going to London has always been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, especially seeing the spooky side of London! And I’m glad to be able to say I’ve finally done that!

We were able to see some sights most notable for their haunted histories including the Ten Bells Pub, Buckingham Palace, Highgate Cemetery, the Tower Bridge, and more!

Highgate Cemetery

I’ve read about Highgate Cemetery many times over the years but never thought I’d be able to visit myself! For ten pound, I was able to do just that.

Highgate Cemetery has been around since the 1830’s. It was originally created to assist in the vandalism and desecration happening at other cemeteries at the time – body snatching, tombstone smashing, and the theft of body parts for science are just a few examples. Francis Goodwin (1784-1835), an architect had plans to bring his ideas to life for this cemetery, though unfortunatley, he passed before those plans were fully realized. But in 1836, there were renewed attempts, eventually leading to its opening it 1839.

While many notable figures are buried here, (George Michael, Karl Marx, Catherine Dickens, wife of Charles Dickens, to name a few), High Gate has begun to see the effects of overcrowding and lack of space. As mentioned in the book ‘A Tomb With a View‘, Peter Ross goes into great detail in regards to this and predicts that within the next decade, Highgate could cease to be a functioning cemetery for newer burials. In the 60s, this did already happen when Highgate closed its doors for a period of time.

Ghost Stories

And while High Gate’s doors were temporarily closed, this opened the doors for rumors and stories of hauntings, satanic practices, and even vampires.

There’s one vampire in particular that many have claimed to see. Without a known proper name, he is known commonly as the Highgate Vampire. Though I couldn’t find the source of this belief, many concluded that he had been a medieval nobleman from Romania and practiced black magic. Believed to have been buried in the West end (There is both a west and east end separated by two gates and a narrow roadway that is VERY exhausting to climb in my opinion), he slumbered until he was awoken by Satanic practitioners that preformed a dark ritual on the grounds.

He is said to be a tall, imposing figure that lurks the grounds, causing chaos to your electrical belongings (particularly clocks and watches) and has even been blamed for numerous dead foxes that have been found in the area. Locals say that those who spend the night in the cemetery, tend to encounter his presence more.

While I unfortunately did not come across High Gate Nosferatu in the cemetery, I will not discredit anyone else’s experiences of course. Let me know if you’ve seen him for yourself!

Adding more fuel to this paranormal fire, other spectral sightings are said to occur here. Like that of a ghostly nun that wonders around the cemetery and the presence of spooky faces that appear out of nowhere. The ghastly cries of banshee screams and even the ghost of a cyclist are other examples of the phenomena that individuals encounter here at Highgate Cemetery.

We visited during the day at peek visiting hours and our stroll was nothing but peaceful and interesting. While I am very fascinated by cemeteries and definitely consider myself a taphophile, I have yet to experience anything ghostly around cemeteries. But I’d love to hear if you’ve visited Highgate and have a spooky story to tell!

The Tower Bridge

When stopping to see Tower Bridge on a very wet and cold day, I thought about the ghost stories I’d heard about it. (When I pass by houses or buildings that look old, my first thought is typically “I wonder if it’s haunted”, this location was no exception.) Even though we didn’t get to see the inside (If I go back someday, that is the first thing I am doing!), the beauty of it is hard to describe. Now, let’s get into its history…

In the eighteen hundreds, there was a major issue that the city of London looked to overcome: a way to have a bridge that didn’t interrupt or disrupt any river activities. The City of London Corporation then decided on a contest. Yes, a contest for others to submit designs that could help their problem with over 50 submissions. However, one idea came to fruition with the help of the city architect, Sir Horace Jones who partnered with Sir John Wolfe Barry (the son of another architect who designed the Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament) in 1884.

After eight years, with the help of 432 construction workers and five contractors, the bridge was completed and on June 30, 1894, the Tower Bridge was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

• Creepy little fact – one of the tower bases was used as a morgue where bodies were brought in by boat and stored. Though, now, no one is permitted to enter.

Ghost Stories

During construction of the bridge, many fell to their deaths from one of the walkway areas. I couldn’t find an exact number on how many perished this way, but today, shadow figures are spotted along the same walkway and many have felt something tugging on their clothes while others have experienced a very heavy weight on them, something strange and oppressive.

While on tours and paranormal investigations, individuals have experienced sudden onsets of sickness and nausea, others have a general sense of unease.

Tower of London

Built in the 11th century, the Tower of London is right down the river, next to the Tower Bridge. All you have to do is turn your head and there it stands menacingly, in the confines of the brick wall that surrounds it.

The history soaked into the bricks is chilling, to say the least. Its been a prison and now guards the Crown Jewels. Many were executed and even royals were beheaded here through its dark years. Its no shock that people believe it to be one of the most haunted places in the United Kingdom.

Ghost Stories

It’s not an overstatement to say there are many, MANY spirits that linger on the grounds of the Tower of London. There are known to be 13 at the very least! Here are just a handful of the supposed hauntings:

Lady Jane Grey

During the 1500’s, Lady Jane Grey became the Queen following the death of King Henry VIII’s son, King Edward VI. However, her reign was very short lived: just nine days. She was named the heir in Edward’s will, however after just nine days, the council stated that the true Queen of England would go to Catholic Mary, also known as Mary Tudor or ‘Bloody Mary’ by the Protestants. Today, Jane’s white ghost is sometimes seen around the battlements.

Anne Boleyn

Lady Jane Grey is not the only female, white spectral being to be spotted. While we don’t for sure know who this spirit belongs to, we can make a decent inference. Back in 1864, Captain J.D. Dundas observed what is called a Yeoman Warder (guardsman, typically dresses in a red uniform – not the ones with the tall black, fluffy, hats – that guarded the Tower of London) attempting to use a bayonet on a ‘whitish, female figure’. This figure was spotted in the courtyard where Anne Boleyn was beheaded – she was a wife of King Henry VII, executed for treason in May of 1536.

Sir Walter Raleigh

Speaking of beheading, Sir Walter Raleigh also found himself imprisoned in the walls of the Tower of London three times and spent over 13 years. He attempted suicide while in confinement which failed, leading to his beheading in 1603. Now, his ghost is said to roam around the prison.

Other notable entities said to haunt the Tower of London:

• Henry VI, who was murdered in 1471 and is said to haunt the Wakefield Tower around midnight.
• Guy Fawkes, who was taken to be imprisoned in the Tower of London after playing a part in the assassination of James I in 1605 and became subjected to horrible, excruciating torture. Today, if you listen close enough, you may hear his residual screams.

Thank you for joining me for Part 1 of The Haunted Side of London! This was very fun to write, especially since I could bring some of my own pictures as well! There’s more to come and I hope you can join me then!

More History and Haunts here..