The 10 Most Haunted Parks & Gardens In The UK

One of Central London's parks, a welcome piece of tranquility in the heart of the West End and a great place to head for a restful afternoon in the sun but not all of the parkland is as welcoming. Legend has it that there's one sinister "Death Tree" within the grounds which should be avoided at all costs.

It's said that anyone who falls asleep in the shade of the tree's branches never wakes up again. The tree has only been identified in the past by claims of a black figure who's been spotted under the tree, park wardens have said they've heard a man's voice around the tree, and moans have been heard coming from the tree.

It's said that the city's homeless population avoid the tree but it seems that for most people the knowledge of which tree we should be avoiding has been lost. So, next time you sit in the park you may be under the infamous, yet elusive deadly tree.

The Town Moor is a large area of common land, which serves as the largest park in the city and hosts various public events, including an annual travelling funfair known as The Hoppings. The park has a much more sinister past as the former site of the city's gallows, where hundreds of people were hanged for various crimes, including 16 for witchcraft. The whole area is said to be haunted by disembodied cries and screams and the sighting of dark shadowy figures.

In the Bovey Heathfield Local Nature Reserve on the edge of Dartmoor an English Civil War battle is said to replay. The original battle took place here on 9 January, 1646. Royalist troops, led by lord Wentworth, were encamped on the heath, the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell and General Fairfax advanced westwards through Devon, engaging Wentworth's company here.

The Battle of Rowton Moor took place here during the English Civil War in 1645, and it has left its mark on the land forever. It was one of the most bloody battles of the conflict with a huge number of English soldiers brutally killed here.

The area is now haunted by the ghosts of men on horseback, who are said to appear each year around September 24th. Walkers have reported hearing the faint sound of music echoing across the landscape, which is thought to be the ghost of William Lawes, King Charles' court musician, who was shot down by a parliamentarian.

Culloden Battlefield has been the scene of sightings believed to be ghosts of men killed in the battle in 1746. The battle of Culloden was the last battle ever fought on British soil. It's said that today the battlefield has a sombre atmosphere and that birds never sing near the graves of the fallen soldiers.

Walkers in the area have reported seeing ghosts of the soldiers around the graves and their battle cries can still be heard on the anniversary of the battle, on April 16th.

The 150-acre park is situated on the south side of the city, it's the site of the Battle of Langside in 1568, which is said to have been the beginning of the Marian civil war. Hundreds of the 10,000 men who fought here died.

It's now said that the ghosts of the dead soldiers are spotted near the boating lake on the anniversary of the battle on May 13th.

Clumber House once sat in the middle of a picturesque country park near Worksop. The main house was demolished in 1938 after being damaged by a series of fires leaving behind a Grade I listed chapel, an impressive four-acre walled kitchen garden, and the park itself - all of which are now open to the public under the management of the National Trust. The grounds are said to be haunted by the Grey Lady of Clumber park. She's been spotted on misty days in the form of a woman wearing a long grey cloak. Visitors have attempted to approach her but she's said to simply vanish into the mist without a trace.

This mysterious and magical oak woodland is thought to be what remains of a much larger forest that would have once covered much of the moor. What makes these ancient woods in Dartmoor National Park so unique is the shape and appearance of the trees. The branches are oddly twisted and contorted, stretching out and intertwining and twisting together like the crooked fingers of a witch. The spindly and gnarled trunks of the trees, some of which are as old as 500 years, zig-zag skywards from between a bed of granite boulders with a blanket covering of evergreen moss.

It's claimed that locals refuse to enter the woods at night due to its reputation of ghosts and hauntings. Wistman's Woods' most famous ghost is a phantom pooch known as Jumbo. It's said that he died while in the woods with his owner after being bitten by one of the many adders found there. Walkers have reported seeing the ghost of the small dog running around the boulders and his cries and whines have been heard echoing down the valley in the dead of night.

Another paranormal hotspot lies at the northern end of the woods. Lych Way, also known as "way of the dead" or "corpse road", was once a major route linking the remote communities of Dartmoor to the small village of Lydford. Corpses were carried along this track for burial in the village's cemetery. Locals and hikers say they've seen a ghostly procession of phantom monks in white robes walking slowly along this ancient pathway.

The woods are also said to house the diabolical hellhounds. This pack of large red-eyed jet black dogs with huge fangs are said to belong to the Devil himself. It's said that these terrifying beasts roam the moors at night with their master on the hunt for human flesh. Often they're said to be breathing fire or glowing, but they're always on the hunt for lost souls, unsuspecting travellers and unbaptised children.

St. James's Park, the oldest of the eight Royal Parks in London. It's located in Westminster, it gets its name from a local leper hospital in the St. James area.

St. James's Park Lake runs through the middle of the park, there are two small islands in the lake. The Blue Bridge crosses the lake and boasts views of the London Eye and Buckingham Palace.

While walking through the park, many people have reported seeing a headless figure which walks in front of them near the Blue Bridge before vanishing.

The figure, known as the Red Lady, is often described as wearing a red dress or cloak, sometimes she is said to be seen coming out of the lake.

She could be the wife of a soldier who, in the 18th century, lured her into the park and murdered her. After removing her head, he attempted to dispose of her body in the lake but was spotted and spotted.

Stood overlooking Stoke Park is Dower House, one of Bristol's more prominent landmarks, set on a hill above the M32, one of the main approaches into the city. Within Stoke Park there are two small lakes, the largest of which is Duchess Pond. The bright yellow house was built in 1553 and was once part of Stoke Park Hospital until 1985, it’s since been converted into residential dwellings.

The house and the rest of the Stoke Park estate is believed to be haunted by a 17-year-old by the name of Elizabeth Somerset, who died in 1760. Walkers in the grounds of the house often report hearing the sound of her horse's hooves in the park and surrounding woodland, even though no horses have been allowed on to the land for decades.