Haunted London Pubs
If a little bit of ghostly comings and goings is what you want with your pint and crisps, then you're living in the right city. London is, of course, the most haunted capital in the world, boasting a multitude of pubs that have witnessed more history than you can shake a stick at - pubs where Jack the Ripper silently watched his victims, inns where notorious highwaymen such as Dick Turpin evaded the law, and establishments where dark deeds occured long ago. Even today the cold hand of the past is known to remind staff and pubgoers alike that a dark history haunts many a London pub.
The Black Swan, Bow Road E3
As far as hauntings go, the Black Swan has only enjoyed its 'uninvited guests' for less than a century. The darkest day in the Black Swan's long history occured in 1916, when a German Zeppelin attack during World War One flattened the pub and its occupants. Soon rebuilt, it wasn't long before strange happenings were noted and the cries of the victims heard in the cellars. These continue to this day, so don't get lost going to the toilet...
The Grenadier, Wilton Row SW1
One of our favourite historic pubs, the tiny, gloomily-lit Grenadier also hides a dark secret. Long a favourite with the redcoat troops of the early eighteenth century, one young guards officer died a mysterious death in the pub after a card-game dispute. Since that fateful day nearly 200 years ago, poltergeist activity and mysterious clouds of cigar smoke have marked the anniversary of the death (in September).
Old Bull & Bush, North End Way W3
Well-known for the old dance hall tune, the Bull & Bush has also been the setting for a mysterious death and even more frightening visitations. For well over a hundred years a dark figure in Victorian clothing has been seen walking through the pub, and 20th century renovations may have found the reason - bricked up behind a wall in the cellar was an old skeleton and Victorian surgical instruments...
Old Queen's Head, Essex Road N1
A big old wooden shrine to drinking, the Old Queen's Head has been entertaining the punters for centuries. But what dark deeds occured here in the distant past? Whatever events took place on this site, the ghosts of a Tudor woman and a weeping girl have been seen within the pub, and doors regularly open and close without cause. Ghostly footsteps signal another sad visitation of what may be a mother and child that met a gruesome end.
Spaniard's Inn, Hampstead N3
Situated on the edge of Hampstead Heath, the Spaniard's Inn was built in 1585. More than a century later, the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin was born here, and local legend has it that Turpin was a regular customer during his life of crime. Many sightings of a shadowy horseman galloping across the deserted northern edge of the Heath have been reported since Turpin's death in the late 1730's, within a short gallop of his old inn.
Check out our November Pub of the Month for more on this excellent pub.
More Information
Visit our Historic Pubs guide.
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