Our Top Four Haunted Places To Visit In The UK This Spooky Season

The witching hour is almost upon us, with spooky season just around the corner… and, no doubt, you’re all planning your amazing Halloween costumes so that you’re primed and ready for Fright Night itself.

But what about extending all the fun and really embracing your dark side for a bit longer? The UK has a rich history when it comes to the paranormal, so if ghosts and ghouls are your jam, then this is the blog post for you!

We’ve done all the leg work for you and counted down some of the very best places to travel to for a bit of a scare at this time of year… and we have some top-notch travel discounts to help you explore without breaking the bank.

Which of these will go at the top of your must-visit list?

1. Pendle Hill

Lancashire’s Pendle Hill is a hummock of serious renown, serving as the backdrop for the Witch Trials of 1612, where ten people accused of practising witchcraft were executed.

The trials themselves were sparked when 17-year-old Alizon Device asked a pedlar on her way to Trawden Forest for some pins (which it’s thought were used for folk magic in the 17th century). When he refused, she reportedly put a hex on him which led to his collapse.

This event then spiralled, with various relatives of Alizon’s also being arrested and put on trial.

Now, Pendle Hill holds significant appeal for anyone interested in the witches’ story and you’ll get some incredible views of Lancashire if you hike your way up to the top. But make sure you also visit the Pendle Heritage Centre, Clitheroe Castle (where it’s thought the witches were held for a night) and Lancaster Castle (where they were locked up).

Need somewhere to stay while exploring what Pendle has to offer? Check out our current discount with Hotels.comwhere you can save 25 per cent or more and an extra ten per cent off on accommodation. Sweet!

2. The Golden Fleece

We love killing two birds with one stone, so if you’re keen to flex your drinking arm and discover some ghostly goings-on, then you absolutely have to pop off to York at some point over the next few weeks to check out the Golden Fleece - said to be the 'most haunted' pub in the city!

This watering hole is actually one of York's oldest pubs, tracing its origins back as far as 1503 - and it’s apparently home to around 14 resident ghosts and spectres, including Lady Alice Peckett.

She was married to John Peckett, the Lord Mayor of York in 1702 or thereabouts, and the two of them owned the inn - which might explain why Alice’s spirit can still be felt on occasion, with guests reporting seeing and hearing a woman going up and down the stairs in the middle of the night.

Keep an eye on your furniture if you do decide to stay at the pub (there are four rooms available), as it’s said that Alice loves to shift things around if she doesn’t like where they’ve been put.

Looking to save money on your train fares to York and back? You’ll love the discount we’re running with TrainPal at the moment where you can get up to ten per cent off train tickets around the UK, plus an extra four per cent off on the app.

3. Lud’s Church

If you want to get out of the city and enjoy some fresh country air while indulging your interest in the paranormal, paying Lud’s Church in the Peak District a visit would be a great idea!

This stunning chasm between two moss and fern-covered cliff faces can be found in the Back Forest in Staffordshire, caused by a huge landslip in the gritstone. You can walk the full length of the gorge, which is just over 100m long and 18m deep, and you’ll find that it has its very own unique ecosystem and microclimate, which makes it particularly interesting from a naturalistic perspective.

But it’s ghosts you’re after and you’ll certainly get a feel for the spooky right here, as it’s said that the site is haunted by Lady Alice Lud, the daughter of Walter de Lud Auk, a member of a group of Lollards who used the chasm as a secret place of worship.

Not only that but Lud’s Church is also often put forward as one of the most likely places for the location of the Green Chapel, featured in the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

If you want to get a feel for the place before actually setting foot in it, check out the recent Dev Patel movie of the same name. Amazing stuff!

And don’t forget that you can now save significant amounts on places to stay, thanks to our discount with Travelodge where you can book a room for £35 or less.

4. Mary King’s Close

Mary King’s Close is an alleyway found under the Old Town buildings on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and if you book yourself on a ghost tour, you really will be spoiled with all sorts of terrifying tales of plague victims and murderers, all of whom apparently still haunt the site to this day.

One of the most famous ghostly apparitions to be discovered is that of Annie, a small girl who can’t stop crying because she lost her doll. People often leave her dolls, sweets and toys as tribute to help put her soul at ease, in the hope that she’ll eventually find peace.

Planning on travelling by bus? Check out the deal we’ve got on offer with National Express, where you can enjoy up to 25 per cent off bus fares, allowing you to explore all sorts of destinations for a lot less.