Haunted Hotels in the UK
Fiendishly frightening nights away in haunted hotels in the UK are the perfect way to celebrate at Halloween! And with the spookiest holiday of the year creeping up again, it got us thinking about where the most haunted hotels in the UK are and do things really go bump in the night? We’ll take you on a ghostly tour of some of the creepiest haunted hotels in the UK that can all be reached with a not-so-scary train ride with CrossCountry.
So, if you’re looking for haunted places to stay overnight in England and Scotland, check out our selection of spooky hotels below… read on if you dare!
Mosborough Hall, Sheffield
Getting There: From Sheffield Train Station, take a 14-minute taxi ride.
Sheffield’s spookiest hotel is one of the best haunted places to stay overnight in England. Found just a stone’s throw from the beautiful Peak District, Mosborough Hall hides some rather grisly secrets. Ghostly goings-on are the result of past tragedies and exorcisms, and its gruesome history is spine-tingling fascinating.
Its most famous supernatural resident is known as the White Lady. She has stalked the hallways and rooms since she was murdered in the 1600s by a squire who she was having an affair with. Not giving you goosebumps yet? There have also been plenty of unearthly sightings of a pining black dog who belonged to the slain White Lady and now patrols the grounds searching for his slayed owner.
Ooo-w-ooooooooooooooooooo!
This historic manor house oozes a mystical pretence that lends itself perfectly to ghostly stories and sightings. It has clearly earned its reputation for being Sheffield’s most haunted hotel and for being one of the best haunted hotels in the UK.
Happy howl-o-ween!
Spooky Highlights: The White Lady and her howling black dog.
Nearby Attractions: Lace up your walking boots and explore the nearby Peak District. Avid culture vultures can head into Sheffield to catch a theatre show.
Book an Advance ticket to Sheffield via our website or our Train Tickets app and enjoy zero booking fees.
Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor
Getting There: From Bodmin Train Station, take a 13-minute taxi ride.
Cornwall is the perfect setting for many a ghostly tale. From drowned fishermen, UFO sightings and even zombies – the rugged coastline and wild interior make for magnificent backdrops to multiple accounts of supernatural sightings.
And what better place to spot a spirit than in the 18th century Jamaica Inn?
Perched on the edge of the inhospitable Bodmin Moor, its smuggling past and chilling location add to the ghostly mood of the old inn. The most popular paranormal story features an old pirate in a tricorne hat who quickly appears before mysteriously vanishing through the solid doors in the bar. Managers have even heard creepy whisperings in the old Cornish language and these ghoulish reports prompted a paranormal investigation by the Ghost Society. But they never did find out who was behind the footsteps heard patrolling the hallways in the dead of night…
This is a real boo-ze bar. Beware of the spirits!
Spooky Highlights: A pirate walking through doors, whispers in Cornish, horses’ hooves clopping in the courtyard and the sound of metal rims dragging on the cobbles.
Nearby Attractions: Why not get back to nature at the Eden Project and explore the tropical biomes? You can also spend a day on the beach in Penzance, munch on a pasty in Hayle or explore the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth.
Trick or Treat? During the spooky inspection, the restaurant, stable bar, smuggler’s bar and rooms 3-6 were highlighted as the main areas of paranormal activity in the inn. Explore if you dare!
Book an Advance ticket to Bodmin via our website or our Train Tickets app and enjoy zero booking fees.
Black Swan Hotel, York
Getting There: From York Train Station, take an 8-minute taxi ride. Alternatively, you can walk the 0.9 miles.
Apparently swarming with spirits, the 15th century Black Swan Hotel in historic York is famed for being home to several otherworldly beings. The half-timbered black and white exterior and the rich draperies on the four-poster beds add to the mysteriousness of the old building.
If you’re keen to go spirit-spotting, head to the bar where the apparition of a businessman dressed in a bowler hat resides. He’s known to fidget making those lucky enough to see him say they believe he’s impatiently waiting for someone. Could he have died while waiting? Who knows! But hearing the incessant sound of a watch as it goes tick-tock-tick-tock is certainly creepy enough for us…
And he’s not alone. When the open fireplace is roaring, a young lady in a flowing white dress can be seen standing with her back to the bar staring into the burning flames. Not scary enough for you? Keep your eyes peeled for the resident ghost who regularly struts around on two feet. Still not scary? What about when we tell you that the feet walk around detached from a body?
Be sure to remove your boos when entering this hotel!
Spooky Highlights: A ghost of a businessman, the tick-tock of a watch, a lady in white by the fireplace and two feet disconnected from their body.
Nearby Attractions: The hotel is just a 10-minute walk from the historic York Castle and the Jorvik Viking Centre.
Find out about other fun things to see and do in the city by reading our Guide to York.
Book an Advance ticket to York via our website or our Train Tickets app and enjoy zero booking fees.
Ettington Park Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon
Getting There: From Stratford-upon-Avon Train Station, take a 15-minute taxi ride.
The 12th century Ettington Park Hotel has a spine-chillingly beautiful exterior. However, it’s this majesty that drives an eerie feeling into the heart of those who dare to believe. The looming turrets, arched windows and multicoloured brickwork give this neo-gothic mansion a striking appearance that is rather unsettling.
Once inside, the grandeur of the building is all-consuming. The most famous spectral being in the hotel is a howling black dog. Often accompanied by a shadowy male figure, this gruesome twosome has been spotted on several occasions by eager ghost hunters.
Rumour has it that Ettington Park is also haunted by the ethereal figures of former servants, a boo-tiful woman in a flowing white robe and monks who used to live in this ancient area.
Things, it seems, regularly go bark in the night here!
Spooky Highlights: The ghost of a howling black dog, an eerie figure of a man, a woman in a white gown, ghostly servants and monks.
Ghost Tour: If you fancy a hair-raising experience, join the haunted ghost walk where you’ll listen to spooky stories of witches and ghosts that are alleged to still be wandering the historic streets.
Warning! As well as ghosts and ghoulies, the hotel is popular with its human visitors, so we advise booking in advance.
Book an Advance ticket to Stratford-upon-Avon via our website or our Train Tickets app and enjoy zero booking fees.
Dalhousie Castle Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh
Getting There: From Edinburgh Train Station, take a 25-minute taxi ride.
Packed to the rafters with history, Dalhousie Castle Hotel & Spa houses relics, antiques and old-fashioned features that set the perfect backdrop for many a supernatural sighting.
Seemingly seething with ghosts, a number of apparitions have been reported over the years in this 13th century castle. Perhaps the most notable ghost is that of Sir Alexander Ramsay who was famously starved to his death here in 1342. As well as Ramsay’s spirit, the sad figure of Lady Catherine has also been sighted in the dungeons buried beneath the castle. Also known as the Grey Lady, she has been seen keeping a watchful eye of the grounds from the towering castle turrets.
As well as the resident spectres, pacing footsteps have been heard in the corridors in the middle of the night, objects have moved in rooms and various unexplained sounds are among the eerie happenings reported by guests.
Spooky Highlights: The wandering soul of Sir Alexander Ramsey and the lonely Grey Lady.
Ghost Tour: With paranormal activity rife in the castle, the hotel runs regular ghost tours that you can book in advance when you organise your spooky stay.
Book an Advance ticket to Edinburgh via our website or our Train Tickets app and enjoy zero booking fees.
Wherever you choose to go, we hope you have a boo-tiful Halloween night!
If you want to stay in one of the UK’s top haunted hotels this Halloween, then why not jump on one of our trains to get there and back? That way, you can eliminate the stress and hassle of driving and parking and all of those listed above are close to stop on our extensive network.
T’is the season to be… spooky!
Written by Julia