The most haunted pubs in London

Pubs famously welcome a cast of characters — among them, it would seem, even the supernatural.

Given London’s long memory — and some distinctly gruesome episodes in its history — its perhaps not such a surprise that spectres are said to be locals at a number of boozers all over the city.

From the suspected remains of Jack the Ripper, found complete with surgical tools, to a cheeky spirit who has a laugh flushing the loos, the city shivers with ghostly souls. Here’s where to find them — or where to avoid.

The Grenadier, Belgravia

Perhaps Belgravia’s most celebrated pub, and one that draws A-listers from time to time (Brad Pitt’s been in), the Grenadier dates back to the 1720s and was originally built to house the First Royal Regiment Of Foot Guards — more often known as the Grenadier Guards. Its upper storeys were used as an Officers' Mess while the cellar was a drinking and gambling den for lower ranking officers.

One of those in the gambling den was Cedric, a soldier who was caught cheating at cards and was beaten to death outside the pub in 1818. Since then, a slow moving, silent ghost has been seen walking the rooms of the pub, with most of the paranormal activity happening in September — the month of Cedric’s murder. Drinkers and landlords alike have reported mysterious footsteps in empty rooms, moans from the cellar and objects moving without explanation. One particularly weird occasion saw a chief superintendent from New Scotland Yard get burnt by an invisible cigarette.

As such, the pub’s ceiling is a collage of bank notes from across the globe; drinkers add theirs to help pay Cedric’s debt, in the hopes he’ll leave the pub be.

18 Wilton Row, SW1X 7NR, grenadierbelgravia.com​

The Ten Bells, Shoreditch

Rather more grimly, the Ten Bells on Commercial Street is supposedly home to one of Jack the Ripper’s victims, Annie Chapman, who was brutally murdered after a night drinking in the pub; her body was found mutilated on nearby Hanbury Street. Chapman’s ghost is rumoured to haunt the pub to this day, with landlords, pub workers and members of the public all reporting strange instances, like witnessing objects moving of their own accord and unexplained cold gusts of wind. You might suppose the two are related...

84 Commercial St, E1 6LY, tenbells.com

The Spaniard’s Inn, Hampstead

It’s often said bad luck comes in threes, which seems to be the case at this north London pub. The Spaniard’s Inn is known for the triple bill of ghosts that haunt the pub. Upstairs, infamous highway robber Dick Turpin — whose father was the pub landlord for much of the 18th century — is known to roam the rooms; his wanderings come with great bangs that bounce off the walls. On the lower level, a moneylender called Black Dick, who was killed by horse and cart outside the pub, is said to mingles with drinkers and has been known to pull on their sleeves. Black Bess, Turpin’s horse, haunts the car park and over the years neighs and hooves have been heard out the front, with no horse in sight.

Spaniards Road, NW3 7JJ, thespaniardshampstead.co.uk

The Old Bull & Bush, Hampstead

This Heath-side pub is known for hair-raising happenings. A number of bumps, bangs and footsteps have been heard over the years and a Victorian figure has even been seen patrolling the grounds. One potential explanation was found during a refurbishment in the Eighties, when a skeleton was uncovered behind one of the cellar walls, surrounded by old surgical equipment. The discovery sparked rumours that the body could be the remains of Jack the Ripper, who may have been hiding in the pub (Ripper seems to have got around) — the surgical instruments make the idea especially grim. Despite the skeleton having been buried since, it's said the haunting continues at this north London spot.

North End Way, NW3 7HE, thebullandbush.co.uk​

The George, Strand

A Cavalier roams the basement of this pub but it is unknown how long he’s been around for. While the black and white timber front dates back to the Thirties, the pub’s foundations are much older, which provides some (sort of) explanation for the uniformed phantom. A painter in the Seventies who was doing work on the pub alerted the landlord of the stranger, to which he simply replied: “I shouldn’t worry about him… my wife sees him all the time”. Over the years, the pub’s employees have frequently reported seeing the ghostly figure, too.

213 Strand, WC2R 1AP, georgeinthestrand.com​

The Flask, Highgate

It’s hardly surprising that a pub sitting next to Highgate cemetery is haunted. The story goes that a former Spanish barmaid hanged herself in the pub’s cellar after her romance with the pub’s landlord ended. Modern day punters sitting in the cellar have been known to experience strange behaviour: one felt the sensation of someone blowing down their neck and many others say they’ve seen glasses moving mysteriously, lights swaying and the temperature freakishly dropping. There’s even reports of a man in Cavalier uniform seen crossing the room and disappearing into a pillar.

77 Highgate West Hill, N6 6BU, theflaskhighgate.com​

The Bow Bells, Bow

A whole lot of funny business goes on at this East End pub — particularly in the ladies’ loos. A ghost frequently makes itself known to locals by flushing the toilets — when they’re in use. The mischievous spirit has been pranking ladies since the Seventies, and has caused such disruption that the landlord once even tried to banish the ghost with a séance. But when the presence was asked to make itself known, it swung open the women’s toilets so hard it smashed a pane of glass. Eerie isn’t the word.

116 Bow Road, E3 3AA, thebowbellspub.co.uk

The Rising Sun, Smithfield

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It is thought this Sam Smith's pub next to St Bartholomew’s Hospital was the praying ground of body-snatching gangs back in the early 19th Century. Allegedly, groups would spike the drinks of locals and later murder them to sell their bodies to the hospital for medical research. More than two centuries later, incidents have suggested supernatural beings lurk inside the pub. In 1990, a landlady was confronted by a presence while showering as it pulled back the shower curtain and placed an icy hand on her back. Likewise, two barmaids who lived above the pub in 1989 claimed they were woken up regularly by a spirit that would sit on the end of their bed and slowly pull off their duvet. Mysterious footsteps are still heard in the bar to this day.

The Rising Sun, 38 Cloth Fair, EC1A 7JQ, risingsunbarbican.co.uk​

Viaduct Tavern, St Paul’s

This boozer opposite the Old Bailey occupies the site of a former jail — a pretty good set up for a haunting ground. The pub has seen a number of incidents over the years and faces bumps and bangs on a regular basis. Back in 1996, the pub manager was tidying the cellar when the door slammed and the lights went out, and despite his desperate best efforts he could not open the door. Left crying for help, the story goes his wife found him shortly later and opened the door from the other side with ease. Another time, two electricians were working upstairs when one felt an unexplained tap on the shoulder and shortly after the pair saw a rolled up carpet lifted into the air, seemingly on its own, before it dropped back down.

126 Newgate Street, EC1A 7AA, viaducttavern.co.uk

The Volunteer, Baker Street

Located a stone’s throw from Regent’s Park, this pub is named after its role as a recruiting station during the war. The haunting of this pub dates back further than the early twentieth century, though: during the 1600s the site was home to the Neville family and in 1654 a fire burnt the former house to the ground, killing them all. Since then, there have been numerous sightings of a well-dressed man, believed to be Rupert Neville, wandering around the pub’s cellar. As well as sights of the supernatural spectre, the pubs lights have been known to spookily flick on and off too.

247 Baker Street, NW1 6XE, thevolunteernw1.co.uk