8 Haunted Historic Houses And Castles To Visit Around The UK!

Step inside the mysterious world of these historic houses, where everything is not always as it seems. Do you dare to enter some of Britain’s most haunted locations and experience their dark pasts? Many are open to the public on certain days and other host specialist events for ghost hunters! Spook yourself this Halloween!

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland

Chillingham Castle

Chillingham’s dungeon is a very small room with markings scratched into the mortar where prisoners have kept count of how many days they have left to live. The prisoners could expect to have had their arms and legs broken before being thrown 20ft down a hole into the Oubliette and left there to die, either from starvation or their injuries. Sometimes prisoners would start to eat chunks of flesh from others and even their own bodies in a vain attempt to prolong their life. It has been reported that if you look down through the grate covering the Oubliette you can see the remains of a young girl looking back up at you. These are the remains of the last person to be killed here. Many people have experienced things here, orbs have been seen and photographed and some people have picked up sad emotions from the room.

Chillingham also has a torture chamber, still home to the working implements. The torturer was a man called John Sage, he was a major celebrity in his day. Eventually Sage himself was captured and hung in front of an enormous crowd, in the grounds of the Castle. The ghost of John Sage has been seen wandering the Castle by many of the visitors and staff.

Chavenage House, Gloucestershire

Chavenage House

One of the most haunted houses in the country, inhabited by numerous ghosts and home to hundreds of spooky sightings, including in the Cromwell room (pictured). This bedroom, in which Oliver Cromwell stayed soon after the end of the Civil Wars was considered so frightening that an exorcism was undertaken. Over the years guests sleeping in the room would wake in a cold sweat, terrified, but not knowing why. After the exorcism, the malevolent atmosphere lessened. However, during the filming of the BBC television drama ‘The House of Eliot’ one of the actors suddenly went as white as a sheet, threw back the bedclothes and ran out of the room. Until her death in 1956, Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, who was one of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters was a regular visitor to Chavenage and in her memoirs she described a similar feeling passing the door to Cromwell’s haunted bedroom!

Knebworth House, Hertfordshire

Knebworth House

In the 18th century, Jenny Spinner, the young niece of Lady Lytton’s housekeeper, went to work in the kitchens at Knebworth House. William, Lady Lytton’s son fell in love with Jenny so his mother had her imprisoned in the east wing with nothing to do but spin yarn for cloth. One day her warder, bringing food, unlocked the door and found the room empty. Since her death, it is said that the sound of a spinning wheel can sometimes be heard throughout the halls.

Another ghost appeared when Lord Castlereagh once stayed at Knebworth. In the morning he reported how he woke to see a blonde-haired boy dressed in yellow seated by the fire. The boy slowly moved to the foot of the bed and, with a sad expression, drew his fingers across his throat three times, then vanished. Years later, Lord Castlereagh died by having his throat cut.

Muncaster Castle, Cumbria

Muncaster Castle

Muncaster is often cited as one of Britain’s most haunted castles. There are numerous tales of sightings at this 13th-century stronghold, mainly in the Tapestry Room which is no longer used as guest accommodation as so many people had disturbing nights while staying there. One such night occurred when the child of one of the Castle’s cleaners stayed in the room. Upon finding that a picture had been knocked over the child’s mother scolded her, only to be told that the girl she had been playing with knocked it over. The child began to speak about her “imaginary friend” named Susan in great detail. When researched, it was found that the child of the Fourth Lord, Margaret Susan, died in the house in 1871 aged 11; the Tapestry Room had been her favourite room to play in.

Muncaster also has a resident ghost named Tom Skelton, once the Castle Jester. Tom is said to have murdered a carpenter who misbehaved with his master’s daughter. Visitors to the Castle still report hearing sounds of ghostly footsteps and the thud of a body being dragged up stairs!

Kiplin Hall, Yorkshire

Edwin Remsberg / Via kiplinhall.co.uk

Kiplin was used by both the army and RAF during the Second World

War, it seems not all of the residents left when the war ended! Numerous visitors have reported feeling a presence and smelling strong cigar and pipe smoke when in the former kitchen. Paranormal investigators have had numerous sightings at the Hall including seeing two airmen arguing in the kitchen, while other men were sitting around and making tea. The investigator commented on a strong smell of pipe smoke and noted the name “Harris” being of significance. When records were checked it was found that an airman by the name of Harrison was living in that flat in 1944.

Glamis Castle, Scotland

Glamis Castle

The most well known legend at Glamis is of a secret room hidden deep within the castle walls, haunted by Earl Beadie. The story goes that one Sunday, Earl Beardie was staying as a guest. After a heavy drinking session with the Earl of Glamis, he was returning to his room in a drunken rage shouting for a partner to play him at cards. Nobody wanted to play and finally he raged that he would play with the Devil himself. There was suddently a knock at the door, and a tall man in dark clothes came into the castle and asked if Earl Beardie still required a partner. The Earl agreed, and they went away to a room in the castle.

One of the servants peeped through the keyhole and a bright beam of light blasted through, and blinded him. Earl Beardie is still to this day heard swearing loudly and rolling dice in the locked up room. Legend has it that the Earl is doomed to gamble

with the Devil for all eternity.

Tissington Hall, Derbyshire

Tissington Hall

The most active ghost within Tissington Hall is that of Wilhelmina FitzHerbert, ancestor of the current owners. Wilhelmina tragically died in 1862. The story is that she got up in the middle of the night carrying a candle but didn’t realise that her bedroom window was open. All of a sudden a gust of wind swept through the open window and caught her nightdress. The nightdress blew into the flame and caught on fire. She screamed and screamed and eventually someone came to rescue her. It was too late however, she suffered from terrible burns and died 3 weeks later from her injuries.

Wilhelmina did not however leave her former bedroom, she often returns as a dark shape at the foot of the bed, looking over anyone who might be staying in her room. The room is said to have an oppressive and depressing atmosphere, could Wilhelmia be angry that people dare to stay in her bed? Or is she trying to warn them not to make the same mistake as her? Many psychic mediums think people sense the bad atmosphere because of Wilhelmina's still growing hatred that her family could have done more to save her.

Fulham Palace, London

Fulham Palace

Fulham Palace served as a Bishop’s residence for over 12 centuries. These

tumultuous times saw the bishops suffer. In Edward VI’s reign the Catholic Bishop Edmund Bonner was sent to Marshalsea prison, and his successor Bishop Ridley (1550-53) was burned at the stake when Queen Mary restored the Catholic faith.

Bishop Bonner is known to have kept prisoners at Fulham and many are thought to have been horribly tortured and forced to work his land. Though the Bishops have now all left, it seems as though Bonner was less keen to leave the house he once inhabited. His ghost is often seen wandering the north rooms of the courtyard, and the sound of footsteps are regularly heard coming from empty hallways. In recent years office tenants, staff and visitors have all reported strange experiences both inside the palace and in the grounds!