The 20 Most Haunted Pubs In The UK

The Golden Fleece is said to be York's most haunted pub, and is said to be home to fifteen spirits including that of Lady Alice Peckett, the wife of a former mayor of York and also the owner of the inn.

Guests have reported seeing her walking around the building. She's said to move and can often be heard walking on the staircases in the dead of night.

Other ghosts in the property in a Canadian airman who fell to his death from one of the upper windows during World War II, a spirit known as One Eyed Jack, the ghost of a grumpy old man, and a young Victorian boy who was said to have been trampled to death by horses.

The Red Lion, dating back to 1465, has such a prolific history of hauntings that for many years the management have enforced a strict preventing staff from mentioning the ghost, fearing the tales might scary away customers. Anyone member of staff caught breaking the rule faced instant dismissal.

The building is said to be haunted by a murder victim by the name of Alice Katherine Millar. She mostly been spotted in rooms five and six, where she's said to have passed through solid walls. Her spirit has also seen been on the stairs and in the hotel's kitchen.

The Dolphin is an 18th century pub in the small seaside town on the West Sussex coast, Littlehampton, and it has a sinister history. The pub's current owner, Ellie Boiling, fell in love with the building after working there as a part-time chef in 1989, when the lease became available she snapped it up. Ellie has reported a whole array of paranormal activity, including loud unexplained bangs and disembodied laughter.

One of her guests staying in room two once asked to be moved late at night after witnessing someone walk through his closed door. Ellie moved the terrified guests up to room six, but in the morning found they had fled in the night. There's also the ghost of a little girl who's been nicknamed Dolly, who's said to take a liking to ladies with red hair, but there's one other spirit she's afraid off, who is believed to be called William.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem was built in 1189 and is said to be the oldest pub in England, although other inns would challenge this claim. It's said the pub is haunted by strange knocks and bangs, and disembodied voices. The Old Trip is also home to an unusual antique chair, it's said that any woman who sits upon it increases her chances of becoming pregnant. However there's one object in the pub that you should avoid touching at all costs as the last three people to touch it are said to have become sick and died. The object in question is a model galleon. The small wooden ship is covered in dust as it's claimed that those who have tried to clean it have died mysteriously. Could this cursed galleon be the result of the many prisoners who were once incarcerated in the pub's cellars? The cellar was originally part of the castle and would have held up to 40 prisoners in appalling conditions at any one time.

The Banshee Labyrinth is said to be Scotland's most haunted pub and it sits right above, and in parts opens up into, one of the country's most famous paranormal hotspots, Edinburgh Vaults. The Labyrinth is said to be haunted by the banshee, from whom the venue takes its name. A banshee is a supernatural entity, said to be female, who appears and cries or shrieks to foretell the death of a loved one.

She's sometimes been seen as a pale-faced woman in a grey dress sobbing into her hands. She was most famously reported by a group of workmen refurbishing the venue. They all heard her scream and a few hours later one of them received a phone call informing him that a family member had passed away.

Other spooks spotted by drinkers include the ghost of a little girl known as Molly. She's said to have haunted the pub since a child's shoe with the name written on it was discovered in a bricked-up chimney, there's also the ghost of Ole Jock who lurks in the ladies' toilets, and an apparition in a long black coat known as "The Watcher".

With such a dark past, it's no wonder that The Ostrich Inn in Colnbrook is said to be haunted. The pub has said to have been the site of no less that 60 murders, the most famous being those committed by a former landlord known as Jarman and his wife in the 17th century.

The couple were said to have made a tidy profit from their grim hobby and even had a trapdoor built into the floor of one of the guest rooms. With a specially hinged bed they would simply tip their sleeping victim into a vat of boiling water below.

The haunted reputation of the Jolly Sailor is well documented and the activity is so normal to some regulars that they don't bat an eyelid when something strange happens. The activity at the Jolly includes items being thrown, disembodied voices, flickering lights, taps turning themselves on, objects and furniture moving around of their own accord, staff and drinkers feeling as if they've been touched by unseen hands, and even the bar's doors being violently flung open just after closing time.

Guests staying upstairs in the B&B rooms have reported seeing figures, and one guest reported feeling someone get into bed behind her. Another said their phone was pushed off the desk while they were sat watching television. Even the landlady has awoken in the night to find standing over her bed an old woman who proceed to vanish.

There's also been reports of sightings of a blonde curly haired child in the kitchen, and the ladies toilets are said to be haunted by a male spirit who according to the staff is said to be a bit of a ladies' man. He's made his presence known to a few of the locals who will now refuse to use the toilet alone.

Probably the most famous supernatural story to be linked to the Jolly Sailor is that of the spirit of a girl from the village who committed suicide after being jilted by the love of her life. Since her death she has been seen in the form of a phantom white hare rushing down to the Jolly in order to warn the drinkers whenever misfortune is headed for the town.

Lying five miles south of Newton Abbot is the 13th century Old Church House, a building that is believed to have once played host to Henry VIII. The inn was built by the same men that went on to build the parish church across the road, hence the name, and the two are linked underground via a secret tunnel.

There have been strange occurrences all over the building including faces appear in wood panelling taken from a Spanish Armada ship, candles relight themselves, and cold spots have been felt. A dark monk-like figure has been seen in the main bar and in the lounge, where a dark figure has been seen descending a set of stairs which were taken out years ago.

Poltergeist activity is prevalent in all rooms, and unexplained noises are her heard throughout the building, including in the guest bedrooms. Apparently many guests have left so frightened that they will not return. Bar staff have been chased and the owner has even been forced to hunt down a suspected burglar from his home, only to find that they disappeared into thin air.

The Black Dog is a Grade II listed pub in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Over the last few years the pub has built up quite a reputation for its hauntings. The ghost of a young girl has been seen roaming the upper floors of the building, and poltergeist activity has been experienced in the bar area in the form of doors opening and closing on their own, and stools have moved across the floor.

In the staff flat above the pub, pungent smells have been witnessed. Above this on the top floor, there's another flat which no one has braved to live in for years. The Retford Ghost Hunting team caught some of their best evidence in this part of the pub. During their investigation they heard strange voices through their ghost hunting devices, which seemed to be saying "I was told to hang myself" and "I want to die."

Ye Olde Kings Head was built on Chester's Lower Bridge Street in 1622, and as it's allegedly home 13 different ghosts, it's no surprise that paranormal occurrences are reported as often as once or twice a week, including disembodied voices, the sound of children laughing and playing in the dead of night, and poltergeists pranking the unsuspecting.

There's the ghost of a lost little boy, plus a dark entity that roams the whole building and the ghost of a tall well-built man who has an unpleasant demeanour. In the bedrooms guests have reported having their covers being removed and a phantom dog is said to stalk the rooms. Others claims to have been shaken awake at night, heard loud knocks on their doors, and unexplained bangs from in and around their rooms.

There's also said to be a floating corpse that appears over the bed in room three, and in room four a woman is said to appear in the window, as well as the spirits of two men who both duelled to the death in an attempt to win her affections.

The Mermaid Inn is a Grade II listed inn in Rye, it dates back to 1420 and has 16th-century additions in the Tudor style.

Guests have reported waking to find their clothes wet, others have seen the ghost of a man walking through a wall. There's also been reports of light anomalies, bottles and glasses have fallen and smashed of their own accord, and the ghost of a maid is said to haunt the pub. She was the girlfriend of a member of smuggling gang who used the pub's cellar, she was killed by the gang as they feared she knew too much and would expose them.

There's also the ghost of a lady who's been spotted wearing white while sitting in a chair next to a fireplace, the spirit of a man in period clothing, and the ghost of a man who died during a duel with another man in the building.

The Leopard Inn pub in Stoke-on-Trent hss entertained guests for at least 300 years, but where there's history, there's haunting. The pubs landlady, Sharon Crisp says she was a skeptic when she moved into the historic inn, located in Burslem, the mother town of the Potteries.

But during her time running the pub, she's seen dark shadowy figures, witnessed doors slamming, glasses being thrown and the last orders bell in the bar is also said to ring on its own. Sharon was even hit in the head by an unseen force on one occasion. One of the bar staff also reported hearing unseen children singing the nursery rhyme, 'ring o' ring o' roses'.

The top floor of the pub, which was once a hotel, is now unused and has fallen into disrepair. In the room which is said to have once used as a children's nursery, lots of people have witnessed the sound of children playing, laughing and running around. A music box in the room is also said to mysteriously play on its own.

The 15th-century pub in the city of Nottingham is a very active paranormal hotspot with sightings of the ghosts of a highwayman, the spirit of a young girl called Rosie, and a disturbing entity said to be the spirit of a former landlord who took his own life at the inn. The pub sits on top of part of the caves beneath the city and these caverns are said to be haunted by a young child, the highwayman has also been spotted in the caves behaving confused and aggressively. One witness reported seeing the phantom highwayman run towards him as if about to attack, but luckily he vanished into thin air as he approached.

Dating back to the late 16th century, the Bate Hall has become one of the most historically significant buildings in Macclesfield. The paranormal activity in the pub includes staff being touched by unseen hands, glasses flying off of shelves and dark shadowy figures seen around the building. The activity is most commonly reported in the residential space above the pub. According to the owner, her daughter plays hide and seek with the ghost of the young boy called Billy, who is said to haunt the pub.

The ghost of a grey lady has been seen in the inn walking the staircase and the empty rooms. She's thought to be the spirit of a woman who was hanged in the stairwell for being a witch. A poltergeist is said to throw objects around, children have been seen and heard around the building.

On the abandoned upper floor, strange markings are said to appear on the walls before vanishing again without leaving a trace, the ghost of an old lady and a young boy have been seen, as well as a seven-foot-tall shadowy figure that lurks in the dark recesses of this foreboding place.

The pub's cellars are also said to be haunted and it's thought that the activity could be related to a now buried tunnel under the cellar floor, which was once used as a hideout for a priest during the period when Catholics were persecuted by law.

The Fleece Inn in Elland was built in the early 1600s and is known for its grim legends, with rumours of secret tunnels, deaths and even murders.

The reports range from poltergeist activity like the smashing of glasses, right through to full apparitions, including that of a girl who's been spotted throughout the pub and looking out one of the bedroom windows.

Other paranormal activity includes dark shadows which are seen moving through rooms on a regular basis and a negative entity which does all it can to get people out of the pub.

The 17th century coaching inn stands alongside the ancient stone circle in Avebury and is home to a spirit named Florrie. She's said to be a former landlady who was murdered and pushed down the village well during the civil war.

There's also the tale of the violent murder of a local man in the cellar. So, it's no surprise the pub has its fair share of ghost stories.

The Skirrid Inn in Llanvihangel Crucorney was once used as the courtroom of the infamous Judge Jeffreys, and his ghost is still rumoured to walk the upper floors.

The pub has been the site of plenty of ghostly and poltergeist activity. When a former landlady decided to sell the, glasses started mysteriously flying through the building, along with the evil spirit of the judge's hangman.

The pub is also said to be the home to the ghost of a local clergyman, Father Henry Vaughn. As well as the spirit of Fanny Price who worked in the building in the 18th century. Staff and visitors to the pub also report smelling perfume, hearing the rustling of a lady's dress, the sound of soldiers marching, and even sightings of a White Lady in the courtyard.

The Llandoger Trow is without a doubt the most haunted location in Bristol, boasting 15 ghosts, most famously the ghost of a young boy. The historic pub is located on King Street near the old city centre docks and was named by a sailor who owned the pub. Llandoger is a village in Wales which built a type of flat bottom boat known as a trow.

The pub was legendary in its heyday and is the place where Daniel Defoe was inspired to write Robinson Crusoe and the pub which Robert Louis Stevenson based the the inn on in Treasure Island.

Many staff and guests to the pub have reported seeing the ghost of a young boy, even more have heard his footsteps. Some say he was murdered in the inn and has been heard wandering around the building ever since. They hear his footsteps going along the landing and up and down an all staircase in the heart of the old building. The boy was said to be disabled which made the sound of his feet clomping on the wooden floor boards even more apparent.

On certain occasions the little boy has been seen coming down the staircase carrying a white enamel pale in his hands.

Built in 1750, the Jamaica Inn is historic, atmospheric, welcoming and supposedly very haunted. The traditional coaching inn is setback from the busy A30 in Bolventor, overlooking Brown Willy, the highest point on Bodmin Moor.

Due to its history of hosting smugglers the pub has been the subject of books, television shows and an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

The paranormal activity at the inn includes the disembodied sound of footsteps throughout the building, unexplained tapping, the sound of children playing and babies crying, and most famously the sound of horses and carts moving in the courtyard.

Room 5, which is said to be one of the most haunted rooms is said to be haunted by the ghost of a mother and child. The young girl is often referred to as Hannah. The ghost of a murdered man has been seen in the main bar and sat on a wall outside the inn.

Guests and staff have reported seeing dark shadowy figures moving through corridors, the restaurant and the kitchen and many visitors have reported being touched by unseen hands while sleeping or having their hair pulled.

The Ancient Ram Inn is a Grade II-listed building in Wotton-under-Edge. The pub has been investigated by many paranormal researchers, including the television shows 'Ghost Adventures' and 'Most Haunted'. The building is no longer open as a pub but welcomes thousands of ghost hunters to paranormal events each year.

Some of the most commonly reported activity includes highly localised cold spots, temperature drops, and unexplained icy blasts of air. There's also activity in the form of light anomalies seen with the naked eye and caught on camera. Doors are said to slam on their own, footsteps are frequently heard, furniture is heard sliding around, and mysterious knocking is witnessed.