Spooky season is coming, and there are many ways to celebrate it, whether you are into it or not. You could go to a Halloween party and get dressed up like a film character, or you could try any of the numerous spooky monsters in English folklore. There are many stories about ghosts, murderers and shady characters that could scare anybody if they knew the stories.
Popular stories inspire multiple famous characters such as Frankenstein or modern ones like Freddy Krueger. But, even though most of them are very old, you should know at least a couple of traditional horror stories. Here, we will share some of the most famous ones and everything about some haunted places.
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Spring-Heeled Jack
Initially, this creature used to torment London by night; even though it’s just a legend nowadays, everybody feared Jack during the 1830s and 40s. Many victims of this creature declared that they were attacked by a super-human man who leaps as tall as buildings and could breathe fire. They also said that he was wearing a helmet and a tight, fitting, white costume.
Hundreds of reports appeared after the first reports that the creature had icy claws and fiery eyes. Naturally, this caused mass hysteria in the city, and his regular appearances in the penny dreadfuls contributed to the legend. The sightings of Spring-Heeled Jack lasted until 1904; however, somebody said that he saw it on the rooftops of London in 2012.
50 Berkeley Square
London has many haunted places, especially because it’s a very old city filled with old buildings. 50 Berkeley Square is famous because it’s the most haunted spot in the whole city. Over the years, several tales of the multiples ghost of this place have resurfaced. Because of this, nobody is willing to sign a lease on the house. As you can imagine, the house is empty and have been vacant for many years.
If you decide not to enter, you can see the activity inside the house from the streets during the night. Some people have seen lights flashing in the windows or screams and voices coming from inside the house. Some people even reported that they heard the sound of a body being dragged down some staircase. If you visit the place, be aware that some visitors even said they felt somebody behind their backs, watching them.
The story that is probably the most gruesome but the scariest of all the rumours surrounding the house is about two sailors. The story talks about two sailors that broke into the house at night, and soon after, they were awoken by the sound of footsteps. Then they tried to check where the noise was coming from, they saw a massive, shapeless, brown mass. One of the sailors managed to escape, but the other was found dead.
The Pendle Witches
London has tons of stories – some very well documented about actual trials – about witches. Witchcraft, its tradition, and many of the myths we know nowadays come from London and the rest of Europe. During 1600, twelve men and women were accused of practising dark arts. They are known as the Pendle Witches, and according to the historian, they were put on trial. Of course, as you can imagine, everybody was executed, but they said that they would haunt the town as revenge.
It’s because of this that Pendle Hill is now haunted by the spirits of those people. The trial was also gruesome, so we can get why they would be pending in the hill, trying to show every visitor their anger. People who go to the area said that they could hear the condemned’s screams and voices before they were executed. Some people also feel the anger and the sensation of injustice during the trial firsthand in the place.
The Killer Pool in Epping Forest
Many places inside and outside the City of London are a feature in many scary urban legends. For example, the pool inside the Epping Forest is a natural, clearwater pool that supposedly murders anyone who swims in its waters. The urban legends are about two lovers; however, there are many versions of this story.
The original legend says that a couple in love was murdered beside the pond. The girl’s father disapproved of the couple and killed both because he wouldn’t have a daughter who didn’t listen to him. The second the murder was done, the pond water turned black, the wildlife surrounding the area died, and both corpses drowned the girl’s father, pulling him into the waters. People of the area said that the pool drew people towards it, drowning them. Nobody knows exactly where this pool is. So if you go to this forest, avoid water.
The Sleeve-tugger in the Spaniards Inn
Another haunted place that is worth visiting if you want to get a real spooky experience. Hampstead Heath – or Haunted Hampstead – has already many haunted places, but the Spaniards Inn is the creepiest of them all. There are many ghosts in the location, but the most important one is the English Highwayman.
According to the popular myths, in the 18th century, Turpin was the son of the pub’s landlord, The Spaniards Inn. He wasn’t exactly the best lad and used the building as his hideout when he needed it. Hundreds of years after, you can still see him in the upstairs room, or in the sleeves of the pubs, with the regulars.
Other customers also reported sudden temperature drops in the rooms, sound like footsteps in some places, and objects were inexplicably moving from one place to another. Some people also feel their beds shaking and report some type of sinister force visiting their bedrooms at night. If this isn’t enough, some people said that Turpin’s horse haunts the car park.
The Blackwall Tunnel Phantom Hitchhiker
Finally, if those ghosts or places aren’t scary enough, there’s one who you could talk, inside your car. Many locals said that you can see a man with long black hair and motorcycle gear hitchhiking at the south entrance of the Blackwall Tunnel. He enters your car or jumps in the back of your motorcycle and asks you to leave him in his girlfriend house. Soon after this, he disappears when you are outside the tunnel.
