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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Tower of London (Final Text)

The first location I am going to discuss is the most haunted building in England- that is- the Tower of London, officially named Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London. If you are one who is interested in English history, or spooky stories, I am sure you have seen or read articles about the horrors of this place. The grisly stories of torture and death seem to seep in every nook and cranny of this castle. Which is no surprise, considering the prominent role it played in History. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London located at the north bank of the river Thames, with over three million visitors a year. It is a spot that no tourist wants to miss in their list.

So what makes this castle so interesting? First off, despite the tower officially being called a fortress, it has been more than that throughout the history, including the treasury, a public records office, the Royal Mint, the Royal Armouries, the infamous prison (1100-1952), and even being the first zoo in London (1200-1835)! The tower is the most secure castle in England, and has guarded royal possessions and the royal family during hard times. The White Tower, which gives the castle its name was a tower of stone built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s. It became the symbol of awe and fear, with the ruling elites imprisoning their enemies within its locked walls, no matter rich or poor. All in all, the Towers consists of two concentric rings of defensive wall, a moat, and several buildings within it. It has undergone expansions, mainly under kings Richard I, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th, and 13th centuries. Most of what we see now are the remains from the 13th century build. Along with the architecture, its traditions and ceremonies are still maintained, including it being the home of yeomen Warders, the legendary guardians who protect the castle.

In the whole, the Bloody Tower is undoubtedly one of the most eerie buildings in the fortress. Not only because of the imprisonment and hauntings of Sir Walter Raleigh, it is the little princes, Richard and Edward whose tragic ends has given the tower its name. In 1483, when King of England Edward IV passed, he left behind two sons, 12 and 9 years old respectively. However, before the young king could be crowned, he and his younger brother were declared illegitimate, thus making their uncle, Richard-Duke of Gloucester, step up into the throne, becoming Richard III. They were sent to the Tower of London to be looked after by their caretakers under the order of their guardian, Richard III. However, they soon disappeared and it is unclear what happened to them until 1674, when two workmen at the tower dug up a wooden box found under a staircase, containing two small human skeletons. It was always been presumed that the princes were murdered by Richard’s orders and the remains were buried somewhere within the castle, so the discovery- although not entirely proven- was widely accepted to be the missing princes, and are now buried in Westminster Abbey. Today, their ghosts can be seen around the castle and their rooms of imprisonment, wearing nightgowns, sometimes clutching each other in terror, before fading back into the walls. Even children of pre-school age, who could not possibly know the history have said that they have seen the two melancholy youths in “funny clothes”

Following the tale of the princes, another frequent haunting was of the White Lady of the White Tower. She once stood at a window waving to a group of children, and her cheap perfume, often smelt at the entrance to St. John’s chapel, caused many to retch at its pungent aroma. Moving on, King Henry’s armour is also said to be possessed by a malevolent spirit, Guards and visitors passing through the armoury have reported feeling a terrible crushing sensation that descends upon them. One guard patrolling have experienced a cloak being flung over his head by an unseen being, and pulled tight around his throat. After freeing himself, he ran to the guard room, gasping and choking. There were bright red marks on his neck to prove the horrifying story. No matter where the armour was moved in the Tower o London, these terrifying experience would occur in the same room.

The grim stories from the tower would have been incomplete without the mention of Anne Boleyn. There were so much hauntings of Anne Boleyn recorded throughout London, Possibly making her London’s most busiest ghost. However it was in the Tower of London that she actually met her end. Anne was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. She was actually named one of England’s greatest queens, alongside her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I. However, she was beheaded at the Tower of London under false charges of incest, witchcraft, adultery, and conspiracy against the king. One story of her apparition happened in 1864, when a soldier who was guarding the tower saw the terrifying headless figure of Anne. He panicked and out of desperation, tried to pierce her with his bayonet. Of course, went straight through her ghostly figure. Frightened, soldier passed out and was about to be court-martialled for being asleep on duty. To his luck, he was not the only one as many other guards came forward claiming that they have also seen the ghost of Anne while on night duty. Thus, the soldier was let off. On another instance, One of the captains of the guard who was also patrolling during a night shift saw a flickering of lights in the chapel. Curious, he climbed up to get to the windows to see inside and saw a procession of lords, ladies, and knights in armour. Right in the middle of the festivity, was a small and beautifully dressed woman. It was Anne Boleyn. Shocked, he remained in the window for a few more minutes before the procession of ghosts dissolved into nothing.

There has been uncountable unexplainable stories up to date since the very beginning, but since I can not possibly cover everything, above are my selection of the few stories iconic to the tower. There are still loads of hauntings I can talk about this place, for example, the hauntings of Margaret Pole, Thomas Talbot, and the bear. If ghosts are real, the Tower of London is undoubtedly place that is full of them.

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Bruce Castle

Bruce Castle is a 16th century former manor house in Tottenham. Originally known as ‘Lordship House’, there has been such a building on or near this site since the early medieval period, although we do not know what it looked like. In 1254 part of the land belonged to the ‘de Bruce’ family of Scotland. In 1306 when Robert the Bruce became king of Scotland, the land he owned in England was taken back by the English Crown.

By 1514 the site was owned by Sir William Compton. He was a close friend of Henry VIII and held the highest position in the King’s court, as ‘Groom of the Bed Chamber’. Compton probably owned a simple courtyard house here. Some of the bricks from his house may survive in the present building. The Round Tower was built at this time, constructed of narrow red bricks, made from local clay. The main fabric of the tower is made up of original Tudor bricks. Its walls are three feet thick. Nearby, at the original Tottenham parish church of All Hallows, the Tudor porch has similar moulded or ‘castellated’ brick ornament. The original purpose of the Round Tower is unknown. Current belief is that it may have been used for falconry as a ‘hawks mews’ (a place to rear young birds for hunting). In 1705, the 2nd Lord Coleraine was writing about the history of Tottenham. Even he knew nothing about the tower, saying: ‘in respect of its great antiquity more than conveniency, I keep the old brick tower in good repair, although I am not able to discover the founder thereof’’.

In 1516, Henry VIII borrowed the manor house to meet his sister, Margaret, Queen of Scotland. There was another Royal visit in 1593, when Queen Elizabeth I came to see Sir William Compton’s grandson. At the end of the 1500s Bruce Castle was used as a refuge from the Plague.

By 1626 the house and land was owned by Hugh Hare, 1st Lord Coleraine (1606-1667). Hugh Hare died a sudden and painful death in 1667 by choking on a turkey bone! ‘... being at supper one night and talking merrily with some gentlemen of his acquaintance and having a turkey bone in his mouth, it was hard hap through extreme laughter to cause it to go down the wrong way which was ye the instrument of his death.’

Henry Hare, 2nd Lord Coleraine (1635-1708) inherited the house and moved in with his young wife Constantia Lucy. Great mystery surrounds Constantia’s life and death. The story goes that Henry grew tired of his wife and banished her to the top of the house. As their relationship worsened, he locked her in the small room under the clock. It is said that one night Constantia was so unhappy she jumped off the balcony killing herself and her child. There is no record of her burial in All Hallow Church’s parish registers, although they completely cover this period. It is said that Lady Constantia has become the ghost of Bruce Castle and can be seen at the window at night in November. The first written reference to the ghost was in the 'Tottenham & Edmonton Advertiser' in March 1858.

Henry Hare was responsible for a radical remodelling of the house between 1682 and 1684. This included the raising of the turret projections and the building of the clock tower above the porch. It seems that much of this work was prompted by Henry’s second marriage to the Duchess of Somerset, who was very rich and powerful. Henry was a keen historian and it is believed that he gave the building the name ‘Bruce Castle’.

The next owner of the house in 1708 was Henry’s grandson (another Henry) who added more rooms and the coat of arms, which remains on the North face of Bruce Castle. He stayed here on and off between his tours around Europe. He had a daughter called Henrietta Peregrina Rose but because she was born illegitimately and also as she was French, she could not inherit her father’s estate. After petitioning Parliament, an Act was passed in 1764 giving the estate to her husband James Townsend (1737-1787). James was an MP and also became Lord Mayor of London in 1773. He made many changes to the building; this included the parapet in front of the Tudor gables on the second floor, giving the building a fashionable Georgian look and changing the entrance to the East Wing. These changes cost a huge amount of money and eventually Bruce Castle was auctioned off. The building was then bought in 1804 by John Eardley Wilmot (c.1749-1815), a retired politician.

Eardley Wilmot became famous for helping American refugees who fled to England after the American War of Independence. He also became involved with the French refugees who were fleeing the French Revolution. After Eardley Wilmot’s death in 1815, Bruce Castle was purchased by John Ede and then in 1827 by the Hill Family.

The Hill family opened a pioneering private boarding school for boys. They built the Victorian wing (on the West side of the building, extending into the park) to house the school dormitories and an additional classroom. Rowland Hill was joint headmaster with his brother Arthur. As a progressive school, the Hills did not approve of corporal punishment and so teachers would never hit the boys when they behaved badly - which was very unusual at the time. It was a popular educational establishment and boys came from around the world to Bruce Castle School.

Charles Dickens visited the school several times, as did Charles Babbage (the originator of the digital computer). Babbage's sons attended the school.

Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879), as he later became, left teaching and went on to work for the Post Office. He is famous for his postal reform work that included inventing the Penny Black postage stamp and the Penny Post system in 1840.

The school closed in 1891. Joshua Pedley, a local philanthropist, bought Bruce Castle and its grounds and persuaded the Tottenham Local Board to purchase it for public use. In 1892 the grounds were opened on 13 August as Tottenham's first public park. The building became Tottenham Museum, opening in 1906. During World War II the Museum was used as a clinic and for exhibitions about the war effort. There has also been a dentist at Bruce Castle.

Bruce Castle is now a Grade 1 listed building and houses the London Borough of Haringey’s archive and local history museum.

Said to have been haunted by the ghost of a woman who allegedly appears every 3 November. The ghost is thought to be Lady Coleraine. who was kept locked in a chamber within the castle by her husband:From the Tudor period onwards, Tottenham became a popular recreation and leisure destination for wealthy Londoners. Henry VIII is known to have visited Bruce Castle and also hunted in Tottenham Wood.

Believed to stand on the site of an earlier building, about which little is known, the current house is one of the oldest surviving English brick houses. It was remodelled in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

Henry Hare (1635–1708) settled at the Lordship House, renaming it Bruce Castle in honour of the area's historic connection with the House of Bruce. Hare was a noted historian and author of the first history of Tottenham. He grew up at the Hare family house at Totteridge, and it is not known when he moved to Tottenham. At the time of the birth of his first child, Hugh, in 1668, the family were still living in Totteridge, while by the time of the death of his first wife Constantia, in 1680, the family were living in Bruce Castle. According to Hare, Constantia was buried in All Hallows Church in Tottenham. However, the parish register for the period is complete and makes no mention of her death or burial.

Following the death of Constantia, Hare married Sarah Alston. They had been engaged in 1661, but she had instead married John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset. There is evidence that during Sarah's marriage to Seymour and Hare's marriage to Constantia, a close relationship was sustained between them.

Although sources such as Pegram speculate that Constantia committed suicide in the face of a continued relationship between Hare and the Duchess of Somerset, little is known about her life and the circumstances of her early death, and her ghost reputedly haunts the castle.

The earliest recorded reference to the ghost appeared in 1858—almost two hundred years after her death—in the Tottenham & Edmonton Advertiser.

A lady of our acquaintance was introduced at a party to an Indian Officer who, hearing that she came from Tottenham, eagerly asked if she had seen the Ghostly Lady of Bruce Castle. Some years before he had been told the following story by a brother officer when encamped on a march in India. One of the Lords Coleraine had married a beautiful lady and while she was yet in her youth had been seized with a violent hatred against her—whether from jealousy or not is not known. He first confined her to the upper part of the house and subsequently still more closely to the little rooms of the clock turret. These rooms looked on the balconies: the lady one night succeeded in forcing her way out and flung herself with child in arms from the parapet. The wild despairing shriek aroused the household only to find her and her infant in death's clutches below. Every year as the fearful night comes round (it is in November) the wild form can be seen as she stood on the fatal parapet, and her despairing cry is heard floating away on the autumnal blast.

The legend has now been largely forgotten, and there have been no reported sightings of the ghost in recent times. The grounds of Bruce Castle, now a public park

Bruce Castle (formerly the Lordship House) is a Grade I listed 16th-century manor house, named after the House of Bruce who formerly owned the land on which it is built. Believed to stand on the site of an earlier building, about which little is known, the current house is one of the oldest surviving English brick houses. It was remodelled in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Bruce Castle is now a museum, holding the archives of the London Borough of Haringey, and housing a permanent exhibition on the past, present and future of Haringey and its predecessor boroughs, and temporary displays on the history of the area.

The ghost of Lady Coleraine, who was held against her will by her cruel husband in the late 1600’s, supposedly haunts Bruce Castle. Initially, he confined her to the upper part of the house and then the little rooms of the clock turret that looked onto the balconies. One November night, she succeeded in forcing her escape and threw herself with their child in her arms from the parapet. Every November 3rd, it is claimed that the apparition of Lady Coleraine re-enacts the scene and her anguished cry is heard.

There has been a murder. Well, there was a murder. At Bruce Castle…in the 1600s. Lady Constantina Lucy, the Lady of the castle, threw herself from the top of the castle – with her son – way back when. Apparently because her husband was a real piece of work who kept her locked away. Rumour has it you can still see the ghostly visage of Lady Lucy staring pensively from the castle’s balcony. Perhaps questioning her actions. Or perhaps…perhaps, she doesn’t even remember. No reports of her son though. We imagine he’d have a few choice words for his mother given the gruesome circumstances of his demise. Bruce Castle still stands in merry Tottenham, if you dare venture forth to see the spirit. Or the Museum, which it has now become.

Bibliography:

www.haringey.gov.uk. (n.d.). About Bruce Castle | Haringey Council. [online] Available at: https://www.haringey.gov.uk/libraries-sport-and-leisure/culture-and-entertainment/visiting-haringey/bruce-castle-museum/about-bruce-castle [Accessed 20 Nov. 2020].

www.facebook.com. (n.d.). Haunted History. [online] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/historyhaunted/posts/history-haunting-ofbruce-castle-museum-tottenham-north-londonsaid-to-have-been-h/1220829554609789/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2020].

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Theatre Royal Drury Lane (Final Text & Sketches)

Theatre Royal Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is the first working theatre in London still in use. The first theatre built dates back to 1663, and the present building stood from 1812. It is a Grade 1 listed building located in Covent Garden. The theatre has also been destroyed and rebuilt for four times. Drury Lane is famous for its musicals, including; Cinderella, The King and I, Sweeney Todd, Lord of the Rings: The Musical, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc.

Considering the over 350 years age of this theatre, it is no surprise that within the theatre lurks many ghosts, including one of the most famous ghosts, the Man in Grey. The Man in Grey dresses in a powered wig, grey cloak, and a three-cornered hat. He is mostly seen wandering about during the day, from one side of the upper circle to the other, then disappears into the wall. In 1939, cast of “The Dancing Years” had a photoshoot session, and all 70 staff on stage saw the Man in Grey sitting on one of the chairs in the upper circle simply watching them before he vanishes. It seems unlikely that this amount of people could have hallucinated seeing the same exact thing at the same time.

The reports of his sightings were so many that it is impossible to say that the ghost is unreal. However, it was popularly believed that the ghost brings good omen. If he appears before a show, the show was guaranteed to be a big hit. Presently, the identity of the Man in Grey is still unknown, but in 1870, the workmen who were renovating the theatre found a hidden room behind the wall into which the ghost always vanishes, and inside they found a skeleton of a man, with a dagger in his rib cage. It is most likely that the remains found belongs to the controversial Man in Grey.

Following the Man in Grey, there is also the ghost of Joseph Grimaldi, known as the father of modern clowns. With his signature white painted face, and distinctive theatrical career, he became so famous that clowns were being called “Joeys” in the theatre world to honour him. Joseph was extremely hardworking. He used to work between Drury Lane and Sadler’s Wells. Usually, after he finished performing in Drury Lane, he would run all the way up to Islington to do his performance and ran back again for another. While he was incredibly fit, the tiring workload finally took a toll on his body and he was overcame by a crippling disease. Slowly his health deteriorated and Joseph eventually died in 1837. However, his spirit still lingers, and is renowned for kicks and pushes to troubled actors on stage to encourage them to perform better.

Another clown to haunt the Theatre is Dan Leno. It was said that he went mad on the height of his popularity, and passed away in 1904. People have also reported hearing a rhythmic drumming sound coming from his used-to-be dressing room. It was believed that it was the sound of his ghost rehearsing to his famous clog dancing routine over and over again. Dan was known to have suffered from incontinence, and used lavender perfume to disguise the smell. Occasionally, his presence on stage can be noticed by the whiff of the Lavender left hanging in the air.

The theatre folk may be a rather superstitious bunch, but the numerous sightings and reports speaks for itself. It is no wonder that Theatre Royal Drury Lane is named the most haunted theatre in the world, and it certainly lives up to its reputation.

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Viaduct Tavern (Final Text & Sketches)

Named after Holborn Viaduct, The Viaduct Tavern first opened its door on 1869 and it is the last 19th century Gin Palace left standing in London. It was a popular spot to hang out back then and it was well known among the poor Londoners since the legislation in the 19th century caused gin to be cheaper than beer. The tavern had a varied customer range as well, from the government officials, to the working class people. Even criminals due to its position being surrounded by prisons.

Viaduct Tavern was built on the site of the Old Newgate Prison, and just across the streets, where now stood a small fountain, was where hundreds of public executions were held every morning. Rumours also said that the first floor of the tavern use to be an opium den, a highly popular taboo during the Victorian era. Some even believed that the cells in the cellars downstairs are from the original cells of the prison. You could ask a staff member to take you down to have a look at the cellars when it is not too busy.

The interior of the tavern is still maintained, and was based on a flamboyant victorian opera house, with deep red walls, gold details, large windows, mirrors, and gas lamps illuminating the opulent space. You can even see the original booth where the landlord used to exchange money for tokens to sell drinks to the customers. If you look carefully, one of the large paintings in the bar has a hole on it, and it was done by a drunk first world war soldier’s gunshot during a scuffle.

Many have seen glasses floating or thrown off the bar tables, and the upper floors of the tavern itself was said to be haunted by a murdered prostitute. Although there were all these reports of strange, unexplainable events happening around the tavern, the most active area is undoubtedly the controversial cellar itself. The paranormal experts believe that the underground river under one of the rooms in the cellar may be the cause, as running water tend to carry energy with them. Moreover, it was said that room frequently floods.

Some of the staff have experienced the flickering lights and have heard terrible noises of pain coming from the cellar. Sometimes the door would lock itself and it would not budge, being pushed from the inside, when it could be opened easily from the outside. However, the spookiest story came from the late 20th century, when the landlord was in the cellar, as the lights suddenly went out and the door was suddenly slammed shut and locked behind him, he then heard a voice saying “There’s just us two down here now.”

Today, the Viaduct tavern is still a busy and a lively place where people drink and socialise. Filled with loud banters and drinks being poured. It was really packed with people when I went there pre-lockdown to get some snacks after an entire day of walking, and it has definitely got an atmosphere to it! Transporting us back in time. It is certainly worth investigating!

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery is one of the most haunted places in London, and with good reason. In the early 1800’s the city’s population topped the 1 million mark and, despite a high death rate, it was still growing. Graves were crammed between shops and outside taverns. Undertakers dressed up as clergymen to perform illegal ceremonies. Many people were buried in shallow graves and quickly covered with lime. The stench and disease were horrific.

Parliament decided that seven private cemeteries would be built in the countryside around London. (They were known as “The Magnificent Seven.”) The third cemetery, dated 1839, was Highgate. The architect and builder turned Highgate into an eternal oasis of peace. Everybody who was anybody wanted to be buried there. By 1854, the place was packed, and they bought another 20, adjoining acres.

By the turn of the 20th century, the cemetery’s fortunes waned. World War I decimated the staff, and by the end of World War II the cemetery had all but been abandoned. In 1960 the gates to Highgate Cemetery were closed, pristine landscaping become lush jungles, and buildings tumbled in on themselves. Studios used the grounds to shoot horror movies. And then the rumors and rituals began . . .

Stories of men dressed in dark robes, practicing dark rituals, surfaced. Ghosts and ghouls haunted the alleyways around the graveyard. People reported seeing red-eyed demons, staring at them through the fence.

And then there was the Highgate Vampire. The vampire was said to be a medieval nobleman who practiced black magic in Romania. His coffin was brought from Europe to England in the 18th century, and his cult-like followers bought him a house in the West End. He was buried at the site that eventually became Highgate Cemetery. He slumbered peacefully until, according to reports, Satanists performed a ritual at the cemetery. It woke him up.

The Highgate Vampire is said to be a tall, dark figure that glides through the cemetery. His presence is frequently announced by a sudden drop in temperature. He has also caused clocks and watches to stop. He terrifies all animals in his vicinity, and he’s been blamed for scores of dead foxes on the cemetery grounds. The Highgate Vampire has a hypnotic stare and bone-chilling effect on all who have encountered him, especially those foolish enough to spend the night in the cemetery.

The Highgate Vampire is just the tip of the supernatural iceberg. The problems with the dead started during Victorian times with exploding coffins. Highgate Cemetery has a series of tombs built for those who wanted to be buried above ground. Regulations at the time required tombs to be encased in lead to prevent “miasma” leaking out. As the bodies decomposed in their hermetically sealed tombs, the buildup of gases caused some coffins to explode.

The solution was to drill a small hole in the coffin, place a pipe in it, and then light a match so the gasses could burn off “hygienically.” Though the cemetery is done burning off gasses, there are still problems, including heart-stopping banshee wails. Spectral faces float around the place. A ghostly cyclist wanders the grounds, as does the floating ghost of a nun. Some spirits are such regular visitors that the locals have named them.

Today, 170,000 people are buried at Highgate Cemetery in 53,000 graves on 37 acres. Plots are still for sale, subject to government restrictions. It continues to be a popular place for enthusiasts of the occult, paranormal, and vampires. It also hosts the graves of some of history’s most well-known figures, including Karl Marx, Malcolm McLaren, and George Michael. On your London vacation, consider a tour of Highgate Cemetery!

highgate cemetery is located in the area of highgate London just 20 minutes north of the london city

center sprawling across a massive hill covering 37 acres the cemetery is supposedly one of the

most terrifying and haunted places in the world in the early 19th century london was at an

all-time high in population space was scarce along with an overflowing of living people there was also an overflow of dead people cemeteries were hard to come by the few that were there were filled to the brim with the deceased many places were reusing grave plots and burying multiple family members in one grave graves were shallow quicklime was used to decompose bodies so that new ones could be added space was running out cemeteries were being squeezed between restaurants and shops the smell was horrendous of rotting flesh and decay something had to be done this was no way to honor the dead

and no way to live parliament decreed that seven new cemeteries should be opened in the countryside just outside of London highgate cemetery was one of these seven and it was opened in 1839. parliament created the london cemetery company to build these cemeteries stephen geary architect and founder james bunstone bumming surveyor and david ramsey garden designer were assigned to highgate 17 acres of land that was once the ash hurst estate was purchased for 3500 pounds just downhill from the highgate village within three years the landscaping was meticulously designed and created using a huge variety of professional plants and pathways the architecture was beyond incredible using themes from other times monuments sculptures and tombs the cemetery was the most lavish place in london to be buried and soon became the most popular especially for the wealthy on monday may 20th 1839 the cemetery was dedicated to saint James by wright reverend charles James blumfield lord bishop of london in addition to the gravesites and monuments 15 acres were set aside for the church of england

and two acres for the others brights of burial were granted for a limited time or forever there were two chapels on the property done in tudor gothic style there were wooden turrets and a bell tower with an archway below it which led to the cemetery there were several architectural styles the central part just under the arch was egyptian avenue with 16 vaults lining a passageway on either side each vault had 12 coffins for each family circle of lebanon had 20 vaults in theinner circle and 16 vaults classical style that were added in the 1870s and the center was a cedar of lebanon tree that was there from the ashfurst estate above was the gothic style terrace catacombs built on the old terrace of ashhurst it held 825 dead total for the next 20 years highgate was the most desirable place to be buried in 1856 it was extended an additional 20 acres on the other side of swain's lane this was to be known as the east cemetery a tunnel went under swain's lane to the church on the west side this would allow for a hydraulic lift for coffins to descend under the church and for them to go into the tunnel the first burial on the east side was in 1860 by that time there were 10 400 graves onthe west side by the 1900s people were beginning to

lose interest in elaborate and expensive grave sites with extravagant memorials due to declining fortunes after world war ii some families still purchased select rights of burial into the 1930s but most were wanting simple and less expensive graves many ended up moving from the area and their family plots were left to waste away in the 1960s the london cemetery company went bankrupt and was taken over by united cemetery company this company had a hard time maintaining the grounds and eventually ran out of money and the cemetery was closed slowly the vegetation crept into the abandoned cemetery and grew over the gravestones memorials and elaborate monuments

in the 1970s hammer horror films were at their peak and they often used tie gate cemetery as the backdrop for many of their movies interest in the cemetery began to peak once again stories began to circulate about the strange happenings in the cemetery there were rumors of evil cults holding ceremonies after dark men in dark robes animals found with the blood drained from them many would write to the newspapers telling of their frightening experiences when man had his car break down by the cemetery he saw an apparition with glowing red eyes peering at him from behind the bars of the gates another man walking along swain's lane was thrown to the ground by a creature that glided from the cemetery wall a car's headlights flashed towards this being and it dissolved into thin air there was another story of a ghost bicyclist a mother was at the cemetery and she saw an apparition of a man

on a bike pedaling up the hill another story is that of the hat man he is tall with a top hat walking

casually across the road and vanishing into a wall when he walks people hear the chapel bells ringing

some people have seen an old woman ghost she is mad with long gray hair flowing behind her as she runs through the graveyard it is said she is looking for her children that she murdered when she was

still alive others have seen a shrouded figure who stares into the ethers not aware of being seen until people get very close and then the apparition disappears and then reappears a few meters away staring off into space sounds are heard in the cemetery banshee whales voices and bells spectral faces are seen

people claim to be physically assaulted by unseen hands there is also rumor to be a ghost nun and a woman in white at one point there were even exploding coffins originally for the vaults the coffins

were lined with lead so that they would not leak out the remains the gases would build up in these

coffins and eventually the pressure would cause them to explode they solved this problem by inserting

pipes into the coffins and the gas would escape and they would light the pipes and the gas would slowly burn off the most famous story however is that of the high gate vampire he was said to be a medieval nobleman a black magic practitioner from romania his coffin was brought to London to highgate from continental europe in the 1700s by his followers they also bought a house in the west end and buried him on the property there this area ended up being part of the highgate cemetery all was well and good until the satanists began performing rituals there this is according to sean manchester then supposedly

all hell broke loose and the vampire awoke from his deep sleep rumor has it that the vampire was very tall dark and floated smoothly across the cemetery grounds the air turns cold when he is near and clocks and watches stop animals are frightened of him and it is said that he is the one draining blood from the foxes his look is hypnotic and terrifying two men david farant and sean manchester who were very much into the occult were absolutely sure that this vampire was real and they were determined to exterminate the creature ferond had written to a newspaper claiming he had an experience with the king vampire a lot of publicity was focused on these men and their claims people grew to be very interested in the story about a vampire and followed the stories of fran and manchester with excitement the fervor of these men grew and they soon decided to take decisive action against the highgate vampire they organized a vampire hunt on march 13 1970 friday the 13th many people showed up with garlic wooden stakes and hatchets several people descended on the cemetery ripping up graves breaking open tombs and trampling the grounds they plunged wooden stakes into corpses decapitated many of them and even moved skeletal remains to strange places one man found a skeleton in the driver’s seat of his car the cemetery grounds were severely damaged and the vampire grave was never

to be found in 1975 the friends of the high gate cemetery was formed to conserve the cemetery land plants and animals so that the property could be visited and appreciated once again by the public and used actively for burials some of the overgrown foliage has been removed paths cleared and monuments repaired over the years there has been more and more restoration egyptian avenue the circle of lebanon

terrace catacomb and 70 other monuments have been listed with the english heritage some of the more well-known people buried here are karl marx sci-fi author douglas adams james holman a famous blind man that used vibrations to guide his way and adam worth possibly the inspiration for sherlock holmes’s nemesis professor moriarty the chapel was reopened in 2011 restored using original colors and it is currently used for funerals both the east and west sides are open as active burial sites currently there are 170 000 people laid to rest at highgate and 50 000 graves the cemetery is running out of space and talks are in progress about reusing some of the older graves the west side is still very overgrown and is only accessed by guided tours the east side is open to self-guided walks entrance fees are charged to maintain

and beautify the cemetery no video is allowed and tickets for the east side can be purchased online these are just some of the terrifying tales about the infamous highgate cemetery.

As we approach Halloween children and adults alike begin to prepare for the annual ritual of trick-or-treating but are there really such things as ghosts and vampires? Highgate Cemetery has always been referred to as haunted and in the past we have let an apartment in Holly Lodge Mansions which is behind the cemetery to a vampire enthusiast who wanted to be nearby. I have done some internet research into why people refer to Highgate Cemetery as haunted.

The Cemetery occupies 20 acres and is sprawled on the hilly slopes on the south side of Highgate Village. It was opened in 1839 and soon became a sought after burial spot amongst Victorians in London. By the early 20th century thousands of people had been laid to rest including many famous and illustrious names.

During the second world war the Cemetery saw a severe downturn and by the 1960’s it was pretty much abandoned. Rumours began to spread of cults holding strange ceremonies after dark in the abandoned ruins. The Hampstead & Highgate Express started to receive letters from frightened readers about ghostly experiences around the Cemetery. Apparently one man whose car had broken down was terrified by a hideous apparition with glowing red eyes staring at him through the gates whilst another man walking along Swains Lane was knocked down by a fearsome creature who came out from the wall of the cemetery. The headlights of an approaching car caused the creature to dissolve into thin air.

It was then suggested that a Vampire was living in the cemetery and it was bombarded by journalists, camera crews and curious people looking for the undead. The Highgate Vampire is rumoured to be a medieval nobleman who practised black magic in Romania. His coffin was relocated in the 18th century and buried on the site that became Highgate Cemetery. Apparently Satanists awoke him performing rituals. It is reported that he is a tall dark figure who glides around the Cemetery whose presence can be felt by a sudden drop in temperature. It’s also reported that watches and clocks have stopped working when he is near.

More letters of frightening encounters around Swains Lane were received by the local press including a ghostly cyclist riding up the steep slope of Swains Lane and a tall man in a top hat stroll across the road and disappear into the wall of the cemetery.

In the 1980’s the Friends of Highgate Cemetery began a massive restoration project clearing the pathways and uncovering the spectacular tombs that had been neglected for years. Today ghostly sightings are reduced to the ghost of a mad old woman. Her long grey hair blows behind her as she races amongst the graves looking for her children whom she is supposed to of murdered in a fit of rage. The other is of a figure who gazes into space paying no attention to anyone nearby. If you get to close it vanishes reappearing a short distance away still gazing into space.

Highgate Cemetery hold a number of events throughout the year along with tours of the West Cemetery. Daily entrance is available to the East Cemetery where Karl Marx is buried and you can roam freely around.

Sprawled across twenty grassy, hillside acres, and opened in 1839, Highgate Cemetery quickly became the most sought-after burial spot in London, and fashion-conscious Victorians wouldn’t be seen dead in any other burial ground. By the dawn of the 20th century, tens of thousands of people had been laid to rest in its hallowed ground, amongst them many famous and illustrious names. The monuments to the dead became ever more ambitious as families struggled desperately to outdo one another in providing more and more ostentatious resting places for their loved one’s.

But as the dark days of World War 11 descended upon the capital, the cemetery’s fortunes saw a severe downturn and, by the 1960’s, the once proud necropolis had been abandoned.

Decay and neglect crept unchecked amongst the tombs as the roots of advancing vegetation split apart the magnificent graves and left their twisted masonry sprawled across toppled columns.

Rumours were soon circulating of sinister cults holding strange ceremonies after dark in the abandoned ruins. The local newspaper, the Hampstead and Highgate Express, began to receive letters from frightened readers telling of ghostly encounters around the cemetery. One man, whose car had broken down, was terrified by a hideous apparition with glowing red eyes, glaring at him through the rusting iron gates. Another man walking along the darkly forbidding Swain’s Lane, found himself suddenly knocked to the ground by a fearsome creature that “seemed to glide” from the wall of the cemetery. He was only saved by the headlights of an approaching car that seemed to cause the “thing” to dissolve into thin air.

When it was subsequently suggested that a Vampire might be loose in the old cemetery, a veritable barrage of journalists, camera crews, eager occultists and the just plain curious, swarmed around the decaying and grim mausoleums, garlic and crucifixes at the ready, and the hunt for the un-dead was underway.

Meanwhile, more letters telling of frightening encounters in the vicinity of Swain’s Lane continued to grace the pages of the local press. A ghostly cyclist, puffing his way up the steep incline had scared the life out of a young mother, whilst other unfortunate locals had witnessed a tall man in a top hat who would stroll nonchalantly across the road and then disappear into the wall of the cemetery. His nebulous stroll was, they said, always accompanied by a mournful tolling from the bells in the old, disused chapel.

A massive restoration project in the 1980’s by the enthusiastic “Friends of Highgate Cemetery” went some way to reversing the neglect of the previous decades. As they cleared the pathways and uncovered, once more, many of the spectacular tombs the ghostly activity began to recede.

Today, spectral sightings are reduced to; the ghost of a mad old woman, whose long grey hair streams behind her as she races amongst the graves, searching for her children, whom she is supposed to have murdered in a fit of insane rage; and a shrouded figure who gazes pensively into space, seemingly oblivious to the presence of witnesses, unless they get too close, whereupon it vanishes, only to re-appear a short distance away, adopting the same meditative pose.

Bibliography:

Joolz Guides - London History Walks - Travel Films (2017). Highgate Cemetery and Pub Walk - London Walking Tour. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur3yuPOHZ_A [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌Authentic Vacations. (2018). Haunted Highgate Cemetery, London, England. [online] Available at: https://www.authenticvacations.com/the-haunted-history-of-highgate-cemetery/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌Taylor Gibbs. (n.d.). Is Highgate Cemetery Really Haunted! [online] Available at: https://www.taylorgibbs.co.uk/news/is-highgate-cemetery-really-haunted.html [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌Realms of the Otherworld (2020). Haunted Highgate Cemetery. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TGIB3eFbok [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌www.haunted-london.com. (n.d.). London’s Haunted Graveyards:-Haunted Graveyards. [online] Available at: http://www.haunted-london.com/london-graveyards.html [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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50 Berkeley Square

50 Berkeley Square is a reportedly haunted townhouse on Berkeley Square in Mayfair, Central London. In the late 19th century it became known as one of the most haunted houses in London,[1] with its attic room said to be haunted by the spirit of a young woman who had committed suicide there.

Researchers have since suggested that the stories may have derived from the odd behaviour of house's occupant, Thomas Myers, who slept during the day and made unusual sounds in the house at night. It has also been noted that many of the stories about the house were exaggerated or invented by later writers about its ghosts.

The legend about the house varies, but most versions state that the attic room of the house is haunted by the spirit of a young woman who committed suicide there. She purportedly threw herself from a top-floor window after being abused by her uncle and is said to be capable of frightening people to death. The spirit is said to take the form of a brown mist, though sometimes it is reported as a white figure. A rarer version of the tale is that a young man was locked in the attic room, fed only through a hole in the door, until he eventually went mad and died. Another story is that the attic room is haunted by the ghost of a little girl who was killed there by a sadistic servant. From 1859 until the early 1870s Thomas Myers, who was rumoured to have been rejected by his fiancée, lived in the house. He lived alone and it was said that he locked himself inside and slowly went mad until his death at the age of 76 in November 1874. During his residence in the house it fell into gross disrepair and its reputation began to develop. It is alleged that in 1872, on a bet, Lord Lyttleton stayed a night in the building's attic. He brought his shotgun with him and fired at an apparition. In the morning he attempted to find the apparition, but could only find shotgun cartridges. The following year the local council issued a summons to the house's owners for failure to pay taxes, but it is claimed that they were not prosecuted because of the house's reputation for being haunted. In 1879 a piece in the Mayfair Magazine alleged that a maid who stayed in the attic room had been found mad and had died in an asylum the day after. It was also alleged that after a nobleman spent the night in the attic room he was so paralyzed with fear that he could not speak. In 1887 it was alleged that two sailors from HMS Penelope stayed a night in the house. By morning one was found dead, having tripped as he ran from the house. The other reported having seen the ghost of Mr Myers approaching them aggressively. Modern interest in the site was spurred by its inclusion in Peter Underwood's book Haunted London (1975). No phenomena have been reported since the house was bought by the Maggs Brothers in the late 1930s and, though many contemporary media outlets have reported happenings at the house, more recent investigators claim that nothing unusual has ever taken place there. They remark that events in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's story "The Haunted and the Haunters" bear a remarkable resemblance to the supposed hauntings at 50 Berkeley Square.

Sceptical reception

50 Berkeley Square today

There were three sets of correspondence about 50 Berkeley Square in the journal Notes and Queries, in 1872–73, 1879 and 1880–81. A common conclusion was that the neglect of the house had inspired the imaginative stories about hauntings.

In her autobiography, published in 1906, Lady Dorothy Nevill stated that Mr Myers was a relative of hers. After he had lost his fiancée his behaviour "bordered upon lunacy" and he stayed in the house all day, becoming active at night, when he rambled about, making strange sounds. According to Nevill, the "old house would occasionally appear to be lit up at the dead of night". She considered that Myers's nocturnal activities had been misinterpreted by others as evidence of a ghost. She concluded that the haunting had no factual basis and that the "whole story was nonsense”.

Modern researchers have suggested that the house was never haunted and that many of the stories were either exaggerated or invented by later writers. For example, the claim that sailors entered the house in the 1870s was invented by Elliott O'Donnell and there is no evidence to confirm any part of the story.

Harper's dismissal notwithstanding, the house certainly acquired something of a sinister reputation and visitors to London still make the pilgrimage to Berkeley Square to seek out what they often refer to as "the most haunted house in London."

Number 50 Berkeley Square was once the

home of George Canning, a former Prime Minister, until his death in 1827. It was then leased by a Miss Curzon, who lived in it up to her death at the ripe old age of 90. It was then occupied by a Mr Myers and it was with his tenancy that the house's sinister reputation apparently began. The story goes the was due to be married and had furnished the house in a manner befitting his forthcoming and changing domestic circumstances. But, shortly before the wedding, his bride to be jilted him and the heartbroken Myers became a recluse he moved into a tiny room at the top of the building where, alone with his memories, he lived day after day never seeing a living soul and only ever coming out at night to walk through the rooms by candlelight. The flickering flame of the candle cast a dull glow from the house's Windows by night as he drifted from room to room. In 1873 the local council sued him for failing to pay his rates. He failed to appear in court but the magistrate excused him on account of the fact the house in which he lived was known as "the haunted house.” In 1879 the magazine a Mayfair, published an article about the property stating that the house was in a state of great decay: The article goes on to tell several ghost stories about the property, which have, over the years, found their way into countless books and articles about haunted London. One tells of a man who moved in with his two teenage daughters, the eldest of which immediately complained of a strange musty smell that, she said, was rather like that of the animals cages at the zoo. Later, the elder girl's fiancé, a Captain Kentfield, was due to visit the house and a maid-servant was asked to prepare his room. No sooner had she gone upstairs to do so than the household heard terrified screams coming from the room. Rushing to assist, they found her collapsed on the floor, muttering to herself "don't let it touch me." They were unable to ascertain exactly what it was, as the girl died in hospital following day. Unperturbed by the fate of the servant girl Captain Kentfield announced that he would spend the night in the room. He duly headed upstairs by candlelight, and the household heard him close the door. 30 minutes later, terrible screams were heard coming from the room, followed by a gunshot. They rushed to his aid but found him dead on the floor, his face twisted in terror. Evidently something evil lurked in the ether of this room at number 50, Berkeley Square, and Charles Harper in Haunted Houses whetted his readers appetites by melodramatically describing it as an "unnamed Raw Head and Bloody Bones…" Harper goes on to tell of a man who was "sceptical and practical", and who before retiring to bed, had given instructions to those who occupied the rest of the house that in the dead of night if he were to ring the bell once they were to take no notice as he might simply be a little nervous without due cause. But if he were to ring twice, then they must come immediately to him. So saying, he retired to bed. All was quiet at first, but when the clock chimed midnight there was a single ring on the bell. As per his instructions they ignored it, but suddenly the bell began to ring furiously and, racing to his room, they found the man in convulsions of absolute terror. Like the earlier maidservant he was unable to say what he had seen, and he too died shortly after.

50 Berkeley Square is one of London's most notorious haunted houses, with three men dying from fright and one woman going insane, only to die the next day, after spending the night there.

A series of people who have stayed in this same attic have experienced a 'strange brown mist' - many of them going insane or dying.

A maid was sent up to the room to make a bed for a visiting man, but no sooner had she gone upstairs did she let out a blood-curdlng scream. The household rushed to her aid and found her collapsed on the floor, muttering to herself "don't let it touch me". She died in hospital the next day.

The man, Captain Kentfield, decided to still spend the night in the room and 30 minutes after heading to bed there was a terrible scream and the sound of a gunshot. He was found dead on the floor, his face twisted in terror.

Another man, Lord Lyttelton, stayed the night in the attic armed with a shotgun. In the night he saw an apparition coming towards him and fired at it, later claiming that something fell to the floor 'like a rocket', but the next morning he couldn't find anything but the shotgun cartridges.

One of the most well known stories about the haunting of 50 Berkeley Square is the tale of two sailors who broke in, needing a place to stay. Bedding down in the attic, they were awoken in the night to the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

As the door creaked open they came face to face with a strange, shapeless creature with a huge gaping mouth, which seemed to slither into the room.

Seized with panic the two men tried to make their escape. One backed up towards the window while the other rushed past the creature and made his way down the staircase to the safety of the street.

The escaped man returned with a police officer, only to find a smashed window. Looking out the window they saw the lifeless body of the sailor’s friend impaled on the iron railings below.

In a book by Charles Harper titled Haunted Houses he describes another case of a man dying from fear. The man was sceptical of the rumours of hauntings, and so decided to spend a night in the attic himself.

Bibliography:

McKinnell, E. (2019). The terrifying story of London’s haunted house where someone died of fright. [online] MyLondon. Available at: https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/terrifying-story-londons-haunted-house-16900766 [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌Wikipedia. (2020). 50 Berkeley Square. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Berkeley_Square [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌www.haunted-london.com. (n.d.). 50 Berkeley Square - The Most Haunted House in London. [online] Available at: http://www.haunted-london.com/50-berkeley-square [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌London Overlooked. (2019). Haunted by Sadness, or, Is 50 Berkeley Square London’s Most Ghost-Ridden House? [online] Available at: https://london-overlooked.com/berkeley/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Theatre Royal Drury Lane

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Given that there has been a theatre on the site of the current Theatre Royal Drury Lane for over 350 years, there are bound to be a few ghostly stories to tell. These include the most famous ghost, the Man in Grey, dressed in a powered wig, grey cloak and three-cornered hat. He tends to appear during the day, often crossing from one side of the upper circle to the other and then melting in to the wall. Whole casts of actors have been said to see him. Who the man is remains a mystery although when the theatre was renovated in the 1870’s builders are said to have broken into a secret room behind the wall that the ghost always disappears through. There was a skeleton inside that had been stabbed to death and surrounded by grey cloth. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, the Man in Grey is said to herald a successful run at the theatre, so producers are usually pleased to see him. Other ghosts include Joseph Grimaldi, the father of the modern clown and the whole tradition of British pantomime, who is long associated with the theatre and is said to give a comedy kick to actors and staff at the theatre. He also wished to be buried with his head severed from his body, which would also account for sightings of a clown-white face floating in the wings of the theatre. Other ghosts said to haunt Drury Lane include comedian and pantomime dame Dan Leno.

The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is the oldest working theatre in London, and although the present building dates from 1812, the first theatre on the site was founded in 1663.

In keeping with its antiquity, many phantoms are known to lurk in the wings behind its spectacular cream portico.

There is the ghost of Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837), who in the course of a long and distinctive theatrical career

almost single-handedly laid the foundations of the pantomime tradition. The character of the white faced innocent rogue that he created became so universally popular that clowns are still known “Joeys” in honour of the father of modern clownery.

But the exertions of his craft exacted a terrible toll on Grimaldi’s health and he was overcome by crippling disease that forced him to give up acting.

By 1818 he was destitute, and so a benefit performance was organised at the Theatre Royal. Despite having to be carried onto the stage, and only able to perform seated, Grimaldi had lost none of his magic, and showed himself able to evoke laughter at will.

Although he died in 1837, his ghost has returned many times to the Theatre Royal and is renowned for administering a mischievous kick, and actors, cleaners, usherettes have all been on the receiving end of his spectral boot as they go about their everyday duties. One of Grimaldi’s final wishes was that his head should be severed from his body prior to burial. This macabre request was, apparently, carried out, and this might account for the disembodied white face, which has been seen floating around the theatre.

Another clown to haunt the Theatre Royal is Dan Leno, who was famed both for his clog dancing routine and his portrayal of a pantomime dame.

But at

the height of his popularity Dan Leno went mad, and he died in 1904 aged just 43.

His ghost, however, refuses to depart from the spotlights and often returns for an encore. Leno suffered badly from incontinence and used to disguise the resultant smell with perfume. Actors on stage might not see his ghost, but often detect his invisible presence as his passage is marked by the smell of Lavender left hanging in the air.

In 1981 during a performance of "The Pirates of Penzance" Nick Bromley, the company manager, was standing in the wings one night watching the performance, when suddenly he was pushed violently from behind. He spun round but found that there was nobody there.

The next night an actress was standing in exactly the same spot when somebody tugged on her wig from behind. She too found no-one behind her when she turned to investigate. People passing what was once Leno’s dressing room have also reported hearing a rhythmic drumming sound emanating from the room. This is believed to be the sound of his ghost rehearsing his famous clog dancing routine over and over again.

But the theatre’s most famous ghost is that of the so-called “Man in Grey”, the limping apparition of a young man in a powdered wig, white- ruffed shirt, grey riding cloak and three-cornered hat.

He invariably appears during the hours of daylight, and seldom digresses from a timeworn route. He materialises on one side of the upper circle, crosses to the other side where he astonishes witnesses by melting into the wall.

In 1939 more than half the cast of "The Dancing Years", who were on stage for a photo call, witnessed his ghost cross the upper circle and disappear in time honoured fashion.

He has been seen by members of the audience, by famous actors too numerous to mention, by firemen, theatre managers and numerous other staff at the Theatre Royal.

He has sometimes also been seen sitting in the end seat of the fourth row by the central gangway of the upper circle. One morning a cleaner who was new to the theatre and had no knowledge of its ghost, encountered him in this seat at 10am. Thinking he was an actor, she set down her equipment to speak with him, whereupon he vanished. As she looked round for an explanation she noticed the same figure disappearing into the wall to the side of the circle.

The identity of the “Man in Grey” remains a mystery, although an intriguing discovery during renovations in the 1870’s may shed some light onto what caused his ghost to haunt the theatre. As workmen went about their business they broke into a hidden room behind the wall into which the ghost always vanishes. Inside they found the skeleton of a man, surrounded by remnants of grey cloth and dagger protruding from its rib cage. It has been speculated that the remains were those of a young man who came up to London during the time of Queen Anne. Having won the affections an actress at the theatre, he was murdered by her actor lover in a fit of jealous rage and his body was subsequently hidden in the secret recess where it lay undiscovered until the Victorian renovation of the theatre.

But whatever the reason behind his haunting the Man in Grey is welcome ghost since it is universally acknowledged that he only ever appears at the beginning of a successful run at the theatre. "The King and I", "South Pacific" and "Oklahoma" are just three of the productions he has endorsed with his presence, and the long running "Miss Saigon" was honoured with an appearance each time there was a change of cast.

He is therefore treated with affection rather than fear and his antics, which include pushing performers to positions from where they can deliver their lines to best advantage, have become the stuff of theatrical legend.

Theatre Royal Drury Lane is the oldest working theatre in London and is also known as London’s most haunted theatre.

The most famous ghost to prowl the Theatre Royal Drury Lane is The Man in Grey. Wearing a riding cloak, a white ruffled shirt and a tricorne hat, he patrols the upper circle and dematerialises through a wall. Famously, in 1939, more than half the cast of The Dancing Years, who were on stage for a photo call saw the ghost cross the upper circle and melt through the wall.

The Man in Grey is said to only appear at the beginning of a successful theatre run. The King and I, Oklahoma and South Pacific are just three of the productions he has appeared for and Miss Saigon was even honoured by an appearance each time the cast changed. His antics include pushing performers into positions from which they can deliver their lines better.

The father of modern clowns, Joseph Grimaldi, is said to haunt the theatre. With a white face painted on, he was a very popular clown, with clowns being named “Joeys” in the theatre world.

Although he died in 1837, his ghost has returned many times to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane where he performed often. He is known among actors, cleaners and ushers for giving them a mischievous kick as they go about their duties.

When theatregoers see him, it’s in the form of a white, disembodied face floating around the theatre. Oddly, Grimaldi requested that his head should be severed from his body prior to his burial, which might account for these sightings.

Superstitions

Whistling backstage

In the early days of spectacular theatre, a system of whistles was used by the stage crew to communicate with the rigging crew, meaning a misplaced whistle could bring a backdrop flying onto you as you walked across the stage. Whistling is, therefore, seen to be unlucky, and should be avoided around theatre veterans!

Macbeth

The name of the show or the lead character should not be mentioned in a theatre. The play should be referred to as ‘The Scottish Play’.

More on Break A Leg

Peacock Feathers

These are said to feature an image of the ‘evil eye’ and any use of peacock feathers on stage will curse the show.

Mirrors on Stage

As breaking a mirror is said to give 7 years bad luck to the unfortunate soul who commits the act, avoiding mirrors on stage is a good way of reducing the risk. Acrylic mirrors are assumed to be perfectly fine, as A Chorus Line is still doing well!

Bibliography:

YouTube. 2020. Most Haunted Unseen - Drury Lane Theatre - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41aIGv2aKyQ. [Accessed 07 November 2020].

EncoreTickets.co.uk. 2020. Ghost stories in London's West End - EncoreTickets.co.uk. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.encoretickets.co.uk/articles/london-theatre-ghost-stories/. [Accessed 07 November 2020].

Dickson, A. (2015). Inside the world’s most haunted theatre. The Guardian. [online] 29 Oct. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/oct/29/most-haunted-theatre-ghosts-superstitions-theatre-royal-drury-lane [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌www.westendtheatre.com. (n.d.). London’s most Haunted Theatres – WestEndTheatre.com – London Theatre Tickets. [online] Available at: https://www.westendtheatre.com/21739/visitinglondon/travel-guide/londons-most-haunted-theatres/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌www.haunted-london.com. (n.d.). Haunted London Theatres. [online] Available at: http://www.haunted-london.com/haunted-london-theatres.html [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

Theatrecrafts.com. (n.d.). Theatre Ghosts and Superstitions. [online] Available at: http://www.theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/stage-management/theatre-ghosts-superstitions/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Tower of London Map

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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The Tower of London Research

When William the Conqueror built a mighty stone tower at the centre of his London fortress in the 1070s, defeated Londoners must have looked on in awe. Now nearly 1000 years later, the Tower still has the capacity to fascinate and horrify. As protector of the Crown Jewels, home of the Yeomen Warders and its legendary guardians, the pampered ravens, the Tower now attracts over three million visitors a year. Here, the Ceremony of the Keys and other traditions live on, as do the ghost stories and terrible tales of torture and execution. But the Tower also has a richer and more complex history, having been home to a wide array of institutions including the Royal Mint, the Royal Armouries and even a zoo. As the most secure castle in the land, the Tower guarded royal possessions and even the royal family in times of war and rebellion. But for 500 years monarchs also used the Tower as a surprisingly luxurious palace. Throughout history, the Tower has also been a visible symbol of awe and fear. Kings and queens imprisoned their rivals and enemies within its walls. The stories of prisoners, rich and poor, still haunt the Tower.

The Conqueror’s fortress

In the 1070s, William the Conqueror, fresh from his victory but nervous of rebellion, began to build a massive stone fortress in London to defend and proclaim his royal power. Nothing like it had ever been seen in England before. William intended his mighty castle keep not only to dominate the skyline, but also the hearts and minds of the defeated Londoners. The Tower took around 20 years to build. Masons arrived from Normandy, bringing with them stone from Caen in France. Most of the actual labour was provided by Englishmen. Throughout history, the Tower has been adapted and developed to defend and control the nation. Henry III (1216-72) and Edward I (1272-1307) expanded William’s fortress, adding huge ‘curtain’ (defensive) walls with a series of smaller towers, and enlarging the moat. In 1240, Henry III had the Tower’s great keep painted white, making it the White Tower.

The Medieval Tower

They also transformed the Tower into England’s largest and strongest ‘concentric’ castle (with one ring of defences inside another). Inside, the medieval kings built magnificent royal lodgings.

Tower of strength

Kings and queens used the Tower in times of trouble to protect their possessions and themselves. Arms and armour were made, tested and stored here until the 1800s. The Tower also controlled the supply of the nation’s money. All coins of the realm were made at the Tower Mint from the reign of Edward I until 1810. Kings and queens also locked away their valuables and jewels at the Tower and even today, the Crown Jewels are protected by a garrison of soldiers.

The Tower’s defences failed once. During the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, rebels ran in through the open gates!

The Bloodier Tower

The Tower of London has also been the infamous setting for stories of royal tragedy and death. During the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI was murdered here in 1471 and, later, the children of his great rival Edward IV – the Princes in the Tower - vanished within its walls in 1483. In 1674, two skeletons were unearthed at the Tower. The bones were re-examined in 1933 and proved to be those of two boys aged about 12 and 10, exactly the same ages as the princes when they disappeared. Henry VI was supposedly murdered while at prayer in the King's Private Chapel in the Wakefield Tower.

The palace guards

The famous Yeoman Warders, recognised as symbols of the Tower all over the world, have been here for centuries. They were originally part of the Yeomen of the Guard, the monarch’s personal bodyguard who travelled with him. Henry VIII (1507-47) decreed that some of them would stay and guard the Tower permanently.

Henry VII's personal guards were the first 'Beefeaters', so named as they were permitted to eat as much beef as they wanted from the King's table.

Ceremony of the Keys

Today the Yeomen Warders or the 'Beefeaters' guard the visitors, but still carry out ceremonial duties, such as unlocking and locking the Tower every day in the Ceremony of the Keys. They wear their red state ‘dress uniforms’ for important occasions at the Tower, and also for special events such as the firing of the huge cannon on the Wharf, known as the Gun Salutes.

Royal life and death

Medieval kings and queens lived in luxurious apartments at the Tower. They worshipped in the Chapel Royal, kept a menagerie of exotic animals (which lasted until the 19th century) and welcomed foreign rulers at magnificent ceremonial occasions. Although long since vanished, there was once a splendid royal palace to the south of the White Tower. Henry VIII modernised the rooms inside in preparation for the coronation of his new bride, Anne Boleyn in 1533. She and the King feasted here in splendour the night before Anne processed in triumph through the City of London to Westminster Abbey. Three years later Anne was back at the Tower, this time accused of adultery and treason. She was held in the same luxurious lodgings before being executed by sword on Tower Green.

Sent to the Tower

For over 800 years, men and women have arrived at the Tower, uncertain of their fate. Some stayed for only a few days, other many years. During the Tudor age, the Tower became the most important state prison in the country. Anyone thought to be a threat to national security came here. The future Elizabeth I, Lady Jane Grey, Sir Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes were all ‘sent to the Tower’. Even in the 20th century, German spies were brought here and shot.

The Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula

The Chapel is perhaps best known as being the burial place of some of the most famous Tower prisoners. This include three queens of England: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey, all of whom were executed within the Tower in the 16th century. Henry VIII's wives were accused of adultery and treason. Lady Jane Grey was an unfortunate pawn in a plot to replace Mary I and was executed for high treason in 1554, aged only 17.After their execution, the headless bodies of the queens were buried quickly and carelessly under the Chapel without any memorial.

Resting in peace

In 1876, when the Chapel was restored, the remains unearthed in the chancel, including those of Anne Boleyn, were reburied beneath a marble pavement, inscribed with their names and coats of arms.

Legends and ghosts

The Tower has been a visitor attraction since the 18th century, but numbers of tourists increased dramatically in the 1800s. Visitors were fascinated by the stories of England’s turbulent and sometimes gruesome history. Stories of ghosts haunt the Tower. Anne Boleyn is said to stalk the site of her execution on Tower Green. Arbella Stuart, the cousin of Elizabeth I who starved while under arrest for marrying without royal permission, is said to frequent the Queen’s House still. Two smaller ghosts are thought to be the ‘princes in the Tower’, and the Yeomen Warders even tell a chilling tale of a huge bear who occasionally appears to frighten visitors to death.‌

The Tower today

The Tower of London is still one the world’s leading tourist attractions and a world heritage site, attracting visitors from all over the world. And when the gates are locked and all the visitors have gone, the Tower embraces a thriving community within its walls. The Tower of London is still home to the Yeomen Warders and their families, the Resident Governor, and a garrison of soldiers. There is a doctor and a chaplain. And there is even a pub!

Hauntings:

During its 900 years of existence, the Tower of London has earned the reputation of being one of the most haunted places in the UK. Thomas A. Becket is said to be one of the first ghosts seen in the tower. When the Inner Curtain Wall was still in construction, Thomas seemed to be very unhappy about it and reduced the wall to rubble with the strike of his cross. The grandfather of Henry III was said to be the reason for Thomas A. Beckett’s death so he built a chapel in the Tower for the Archbishop. People believe that Beckett was pleased with the construction of the chapel because no further interruptions were reported after the incident with the Inner Curtain Wall.

Arbella Stuart is one of the castle’s most famous ghosts. It is said that her ghost stays in The Queen’s House on Tower Green. According to records, Arbella Stuart married the nephew of Lady Jane Grey, William Seymour. The marriage was thought of as a threat because it did not have the permission of King James I. Arbella was put under house arrest in Lambeth while her husband William was sent to the tower. Arbella plotted to get William released so that they could travel together to France, however, William missed the rendezvous. Arbella set sail all alone but she was recognised and was sent back, this time to the Tower. William, on the other hand, made it to freedom. She stayed there until her death in 1615 in The Queen’s House. It is believed that she was murdered in the castle.

The most persistent of all ghosts in the Tower of London is that of no other than Queen Anne Boleyn. She was married to King Henry VIII. She was arrested and taken to Tower Green and was beheaded on the 19th of May 1536. Several sightings of Anne Boleyn have been reported. She appears close to the site where she was executed and has also been seen leading a procession down the aisle of a chapel. Several people have reported seeing her headless body walking the Tower’s corridors.

The Bloody Tower is a place in the castle which conjures up grisly images. There is the story of the two young princes, Edward V and his brother Richard, who were declared illegitimate by Parliament and sent to the tower. They were often seen playing around happily in the grounds but suddenly vanished and were never seen again. It was assumed that they were murdered by order of their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. Two skeletons, believed to be the children, were unearthed beneath a staircase in the White Tower. The ghosts of the children are often seen wearing nightgowns clutching each other in terror in the rooms of the castle. They are also heard throughout the Tower.

There is also the White Lady of the massive White Tower. The White Tower is one of the oldest and most foreboding buildings and it is the eerie haunt of the White Lady. She was said to have stood once at a window waving to little children at the building on the opposite side. Her cheap perfume impregnates the air on the entrance to St. John’s Chapel.

Guards of the Tower of London have reported having a terrible crushing sensation upon entering the place where King Henry’s VIII impressive suit armour is exhibited. A guard who was patrolling the grounds have reported a sensation of someone throwing a cloak over him. When he tried to free himself, the cloth was seized from behind and pulled tightly around his throat by his unseen attacker.

The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It is a complex of multiple buildings set within two rings of walls built to keep intruders out. Several expansions have been made by kings during the 12th and 13th century. Although there have been a lot of modifications and additions to the tower, the original layout of the tower remains. The Tower of London has played a major role in the history of England. It has been a treasury, a public records office, an armoury, the Royal Mint’s home, and the home of the country’s crown jewels.

The country’s history would be incomplete if the Tower of London is not mentioned. The tower has been besieged several times. Kings and conquerors believed that in order to control the country, the tower must be controlled first. During the 15th century, the castle was used as a prison. However, the peak period of the castle’s use as a prison was in the 16th and 17th centuries. Elizabeth I was one of the many prominent figures who were held captive in the tower. The use of the tower as place for captives popularized the term “sent to the Tower”.

Although there has been a lot of talk and a pervading belief that the tower is a place of death and torture, only a total of seven people were executed within the tower, a figure which is low compared to other places. The executions were commonly held on the Notorious Hill of the castle. In a 400-year period, 112 executions took place on Notorious Hill.

Two men, John Taylor and Anthony Salvin, restored the castle to what they believed was its medieval appearance. They cleared out most of the vacant post-medieval structures. During the two World Wars, the castle was again used as a prison and 12 men were executed for espionage. The castle was badly damaged during Blitz in the Second World War but it was repaired and opened to the public. Today, the castle is cared for by the Historic Royal Palace, a charity, and protected as a World Heritage Site. 1483, the two young princes were infamously murdered in the Tower, with their murder remaining unsolved to this day. The shadowy figures of two lost little boys – holding hands – are a relatively common sight in the White Tower, as they drift between rooms and melt into the walls.

In Many other tales of Tower of London ghosts involve Anne Boleyn. Anne was, of course, imprisoned in the Tower and beheaded in 1536. The ghost of Anne has been spotted in many different parts of the Tower of London: both roaming the inside of the buildings, and outside upon the Tower Green. It’s said that her headless torso paces through the Tower at night, and is most frequently spotted in the Chapel of St Peter, where she was buried following her execution.

In 1864, it’s recorded that a soldier guarding the Tower saw the terrifying, headless figure of Anne, panicked, and tried to stab it with his bayonet. The dagger, of course, went straight through her ghostly figure. The soldier fainted from fright, and was about to be court-martialled for being asleep on duty.

However, many other guards came forward and claimed they’d also seen the ghost of Anne whilst on night duty. As a result, the soldier was let off.

As I mentioned above, Anne’s decapitated body was originally buried beneath the floor of St Peter’s Chapel. In 1876, Queen Victoria ordered that the bodies in the chapel should be exhumed, and buried more appropriately.

A short while later, one of the captains of the guard was patrolling the Tower at night and saw a strange flickering light in the chapel. He climbed to one of the windows and pressed his face against the glass. He was amazed by what he saw. Inside the chapel, he saw a procession of lords, ladies and knights in armour. At the centre of the festivity was a small, delicately dressed woman. Later, he identified her as being Anne Boleyn. He remained at the window, transfixed by this strange and otherworldly scene.

After a few minutes, the lights in the chapel faded – and the procession of ghosts disappeared into thin air. The captain of the guard was left gazing through the window of a dark and empty old church.

The White Tower is effectively the ‘keep’ at the heart of the Tower of London.

Here’s a truly terrifying fact for you. Almost every castle keep in England seems to be haunted by one common ghost – a spectre of a woman, either dressed in white or black robes. These ‘white women’ or ‘black women’ feature in countless tales. They haunt all manner of castles – from Warwick to Goodrich, Tamworth to Leeds.

As you might expect, the White Woman of the Tower of London is spookier than most.

Often, visitors only glimpse a figure in white in the corner of their eyes. Then, quite suddenly, they smell the terrible, pungent smell of an old, overpowering perfume. Some visitors then describe the feeling of the world closing in around them; and chills run from their neck down their spine.

In recent years, tourists to the tower have even reported the sensation that something is tapping them on the shoulder. When they turn around, there’s nothing there- just a wisp of white which disappears into the periphery of their vision.

Here’s a very strange story indeed. Edmund Lenthal Swifte was the Keeper of the Crown Jewels between 1814 and 1852. He lived inside the Tower of London with his family.

He recorded a truly spooky experience. In his own words, it happened on a Saturday night in October, at “about the witching hour”.He was in the Jewel House (now the Martin Tower) – the “doleful prison” of Anne Boleyn. The windows were closed; the curtains were pulled over, and the room was lighted by a couple of candles. His family were seated within. Suddenly, something very odd happened. Let’s hear it, in exactly his own words.

“[My wife looked up] and exclaimed, ‘Good God ! what is that?’

“I looked up, and saw a cylindrical figure, like a glass tube, seemingly about the thickness of my arm. [It was] hovering between the ceiling and the table: its contents appeared to be a dense fluid, white and pale azure, like… the gathering of a summer cloud, and incessantly rolling and mingling within the cylinder.

“This lasted about two minutes. [Then] it began slowly to move before my sister-in-law; then, following the oblong shape of the table, before my son and myself; passing behind my wife, it paused for a moment over her right shoulder.

“Instantly she crouched down, and with both hands covering her shoulder, she shrieked out, ‘Oh, Christ! it has seized me!’

“Even now, while writing, I feel the fresh horror of that moment.”

To help give a bit of context to this story, we know that all types of exotic animals were imprisoned in the Tower of London during Tudor times. It was a bit like a modern zoo. Some of these animals still haunt the place. There are many stories describing the roars of long-lost lions, which echo around the Tower at night. Some have also described the phantom shapes of horses, which gallop along the cobbles at night – their eyes a terrifying, blazing red. However, this animal-from-the-underworld was something more ominous altogether. I’ll again quote from E.L. Swifte, writing in the 1800s.

“[One of the] sentries at the [Martin Tower] was… alarmed by a figure like a huge bear [emerging] from underneath the door.

“He thrust at it with his bayonet, which stuck in the door.

“He dropped in a fit, and was carried senseless to the guard-room…

“Of all this, I avouch nothing more than that I saw the poor man in the guard-house prostrated with terror….

“And that in two or three days the ‘fatal result,’… was that he died.”

This chilling tale has been told and re-told over the years, and many now say that the bear was no less than the devil in ghostly disguise, pulling the hapless to the underworld with him.

Have your wits about you when you visit the Tower, because one of its most popular exhibits – the old armour of Hing Henry VIII – is said to be possessed by a particularly malevolent ghost.

To explain, over the years, many guards have reported horrible sensations when patrolling the Tower of London at night. Different men and women have described the feelings of dread or of chills running through their spine when entering a particular chamber. However, some guards have told of truly harrowing experiences. Some describe walking into a room and feeling like they’re being crushed alive.

Some say that it feels like an demon has jumped from the ceiling, has wrapped its arms tight around their chest, and is trying to suffocate them. Others say that it feels like an invisible monster is trying to strangle them. They’ve felt the tight grip of hands around their neck, and have stumbled, gasping for oxygen, into another room. There’s even a tale which tells of a guard being assaulted by a ghost wielding a visible cloak. Again, the guard struggled as he felt the cloak wrap right around his neck. He managed to escape the room – but although his assailant was invisible, the remaining bright red marks on his neck were real. All these stories of suffocation and strangling have one thing in common: they occurred in the room storing Henry VIII’s armour. Wherever the armour was moved in the Tower of London, these terrifying experiences would occur in the same room. Nowadays, the armour is on plain display in the Tower. I’d advise you to be very careful when you pay it a visit – it appears to be home to a one of the most vicious Tower of London ghosts.

One guard patrolling through here in the early hours of a stormy winter morning got a sudden and unnerving sensation that a black cloak had been flung over his head. As he struggled, the cloak was seized from behind by his phantom assailant and pulled tight around his throat. When he arrived at the guard room, after freeing himself, gasping and choking, the marks on his neck bore vivid testimony to his brush with the unseen horror

There is an old prophecy that, if the ravens leave the Tower, the monarchy will fall. These proud territorial birds are, therefore, protected by Royal Decree, and the future of the monarchy is assured by the clipping of the ravens. wings.

Here another tragic resident, Lady Jane Grey, "The Nine Day Queen", was kept prisoner.

On 12 February, 1554, she watched from an upstairs window as her husband, Guildford Dudley, was led, sobbing, to his execution.

Later that same day, the sixteen-year-old girl, who had been pushed onto the throne by an ambitious father-in-law, walked bravely to her own death.

Ever since, her ghost has appeared on the anniversary of her execution as a white shimmering figure that floats from the rolling river mists, strolls sadly around the green or glides along the battlements, then withers slowly away.

You are standing upon the spot where a number of illustrious historical figures ended their days on the headsman's block. Many of them are buried in the church you are facing – St Peter Ad Vincula.

One execution, however, stands out as more shameful and gruesome than all the others, that of seventy-two-year-old Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury.

Her crime was nothing more than the fact that she was the mother of Cardinal Pole, who from his safe haven in France had vilified Henry VIII’s claim as head of the Church in England.

Unable to punish the Cardinal, Henry opted to exact savage retribution by sentencing his mother to death.

On 27th May, 1541, she stepped onto the scaffold and stared contemptuously at the executioner.

When told to place her head on the block she refused. "So should traitors do and I am none."

The executioner raised his axe, took a swing at her, and then chased the screaming countess around the scaffold and hacked her to death.

Her last moments have been played out on the anniversary of the shameful event ever since, as her screaming phantom attempts to escape from a ghostly executioner.

The exhibition inside the Bloody Tower commemorates the imprisonment here of Sir Walter Raleigh, and his ghost seems to appreciate the fact, as it has been seen here on more than one occasion.

But it is the little princes, Richard and Edward, whose tragic tale has given the Bloody Tower its sinister reputation.

The boys were sent to the tower by their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, in 1483 when he became Richard III, both boys mysteriously disappeared.

It was always assumed that they had been murdered on Richard's instructions and their bodies buried somewhere within the grim fortress.

When two skeletons were uncovered beneath a staircase of the White Tower in 1674 they were presumed to be the remains of the little princes and afforded royal burial in Westminster Abbey.

But their whimpering ghosts, wearing white nightgowns and clutching each other in terror, often return to the dim rooms of their imprisonment. Witnesses are moved to pity, longing to reach out and console the spectral boys. But, if they do, the trembling wraiths back slowly towards the wall and fade into the fabric.

TRAITORS GATE

Kings, queens, lords, ladies, clerics and commoners would have taken their last look at the outside world from the top of those steps.

The Tower of London has been no respecter of birthright or rank. So offer a prayer for their repose as you shake the dust of history from your shoes and leave this grim fortress to its memories and shadows.

Our first ghost story was pretty recent – only as far back as the mid 1980s. One young yeoman warder was up in the Byward Tower reading the paper. Suddenly, next to the fireplace, the warder noticed a pair of “spindly medieval-looking men” smoking clay pipes. As he stared, one of the men turned and stared back. Then the moment was over, the men vanished. In Yeoman Clerk Wilson’s words, the young man wasn’t sure “whether he had seen the past, or the past had seen the future”.

There have been sightings of two young boys dressed in white gowns wandering aimlessly around the Tower grounds. Even children of pre-school age, who couldn’t possibly know the history, have reported the two melancholy youths in “funny clothes”.

You might be surprised to learn that only six people have been beheaded at the Tower of London. The first was Anne Boleyn, but the second – Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury – was far more gruesome.

Margaret was sentenced to death as a Roman Catholic in Henry VIII’s new Protestant England. But she didn’t go quietly to the Tower scaffolding, claiming her treatment was for traitors and she was no such thing. She broke free of the executioner and ran back towards her lodgings. But the executioner pursued, hacking her with his axe. On the anniversary of her death – which became seen as martyrdom – her screams are said to still be heard at the Tower. More than that, the shadow of the executioner’s axe has been seen cast against the walls.

One quiet day a yeoman warder was in one of the Tower’s rooms full of engravings remembering some of the Tower’s many prisoners. He was approached by a woman and her daughter, who were interested in the room’s sombre decorations. But as he happily explained, the daughter (perhaps 18 or 19 years old) started wailing: “So, so much suffering.” The warder was concerned, but his mother reassure him that sometimes she just picked up vibes and would be alright soon. They then proceeded to an area around a former altar where other interesting engravings were to be found. “So, so much suffering,” the teenager wailed once more. The warder tried to reassure her that they were “all gone now”. “Not him,” the woman replied, putting her hand behind her as if touching a man’s shoulder. She pointed to an engraving reading “Thomas Talbot, 1498″.

Bibliography:

Historic Royal Palaces. (n.d.). The story of the Tower of London. [online] Available at: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/the-story-of-the-tower-of-london/#gs.kbibi8 [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

‌Exploring Castles. (n.d.). The Tower of London Ghosts: Headless Haunts, Suffocating Sensations and Wandering White Women. [online] Available at: https://www.exploring-castles.com/uk/england/tower_london_ghosts/ [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

Richard Jones. 2020. The Ghosts of the Tower of London.. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.london-walking-tours.co.uk/free-tours/tower-of-london-ghosts.htm. [Accessed 02 November 2020].‌

http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/tech-news/6-of-the-spookiest-tower-of-london-ghost-stories-as-the-chilling-tour-goes-live-on-periscope-11364013274910

Haunted Rooms®. (n.d.). The Tower of London, London. [online] Available at: https://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/the-tower-of-london-ghosts [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

Londonist. (2016). Who Exactly Are The Ghosts Of London? [online] Available at: https://londonist.com/ 2016/10/who-exactly-are-the-ghosts-of-london [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

Geographics (2019). The Tower of London: History’s Most Notorious Prison. YouTube. Available at: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ebqW84tH2k [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Viaduct Tavern Research

The Viaduct Tavern was opened in 1869 and was named after holborn Viaduct, which was opened the same year. It is the last remaining example of a 19th century Gin Palace left in the city, and has been beautifully decorated in keeping with its history. The original toll booth is still in situ. Apparently the pub was so rough, the landlord had to sell beer tokens from the booth to the costumers to keep money away from his bar stuff!

The immediate location surrounding the Viaduct Tavern is steeped in history. It is situated just across the street from the present Old Bailey, which is built on the site of the old Newgate Prison. The exit stop where any executions were held from Newgate Prison, now marked with a small fountain, is visible from every window in the property. Some reports say the pub is also built on the site of Newgate Prison and/or the old Giltspur Street Comptoire, a detours prison in use between 1700 and 1853, but evidence has some to light that this claim is doubtful. The absence of graffiti carved into the brick, the size and locations of the “cells” and the location of the pub itself makes this very unlikely to be the case.

However the Viaduct Tavern does have a great atmosphere, and has had much history in its own right as a former Gin Palace with an opium den located on the first floor. One of the large paintings in the bar has a hole in it- it was done by the drunk ww1 gunshot/ bayonet of a soldier during the first world war in a scuffle! Many other things have happened here and it is certainly worthy of investigation by the club.

The pub is just across the road from the Old Bailey. Its interior design was based on a very flamboyant Victorian opera house. The Viaduct is built on the cellars/foundations/cells of the Giltspur Street Compter, an old remand prison, which took the overflow from Newgate Prison across the road. The Cells are now used as the pubs cellar, if you ask the bartender nicely they may even let you take a look.‌ The bartender then started telling me about someone who had died in that cell, and that in his opinion most of the paranormal activity at the pub was focused in this cell. The barmen also told me the staff didn't like to be down in the cellar at night on their own because sometimes the lights went off and the doors locked themselves and noises were heard, terrible noises of pain.

In 1996, a manager was tidying the cellar one Saturday morning, when the door suddenly slammed shut and the lights went out. Feeling his way to the door, he found that no matter how hard he pushed it just would not open. Fortunately, his wife heard his cries for help and came down stairs to investigate. She found that the doors, which would not open from the inside, were unlocked and easily pushed open from the outside. The paranormal activity on the upper floors is attributed to a murdered prostitute. The Landlord says several mediums have visited the tavern and all either saw or felt the spirits. One saw a face in an upstairs window, others claim to have seen or sensed a spirit nicknamed Fred haunting the cellar.

It is also prone to suffer from bouts of poltergeist activity. “Poltergeist” is derived from two German terms Poltern meaning “to knock” and Geist meaning “Spirit”

Built on site of Old Newgate prison, where hundreds of executions and hangings took place, the original debtors cells are still in the cellar of the pub! There are rumours of the first floor being an opium den when this pub was opened, a highly popular taboo during the Victorian era. The upstairs is an area that most of the pub staff will not go up to alone... a woman in white has been seen here on more than one occasion. The pub itself retains original features from its perios, including the deep red walls with mirrors surrounding, giving a very dark yet oppulant vibe. Also still intact behind the bar is the token booth installed by the landlady many years ago. She didn't trust her light fingered staff, so had her patrons buy tokens from her at the booth so they could buy there gin and ale. Staff have many stories here of being touched, hearing loud bangs and footsteps from upstairs, poltergeist activity in the cellars and some rather unusual activity in the toilets!!

Buzzfeed Unsolved Network:

‌people loved gin for a long time you'll see why they love gin there's a reason why gin was popular among poor Londoners due to the fact that legislation in the 19th century caused gin to be cheaper than beer gin palaces were designed to be as opulent as could be with rose and gold details large windows and gas lamps illuminating the palace the tavern had a diverse clientele including the working-class lawyers and government officials as well as criminals due to the nearby prisons.

debtor's prison that was demolished in 1854 across Newgate Street loomed the notoriously dreadful new game Jail living conditions were horrific inside Newgate with some prisoners sleeping on the floor while more nefarious criminals were locked in cells underground as a result of these horrendous conditions sickness and disease ran rampant throughout the facility.

located just outside the doors of viaduct tavern was the former gallows of Newgate Jail where public executions were held at 8 o'clock in the morning as the bells of the nearby st. sepulchers rang executions became sort of a morbid social event with crowds of rowdy and drunk people gathering to watch as a form of entertainment or fascination some people would even arrive the night before to ensure a good view in fact one pub that still stands today across the street from viaduct called magpie and stump would have viewing rooms that people could rent out and even offered an execution breakfast.

two most active areas of the building starting with the upstairs loft in 1982 the daughter of the landlord was reading the paper one Sunday afternoon in the upstairs loft as she was sitting on the couch she reportedly heard footsteps coming quickly up the stairs the door of the room swung open and the

newspaper was grabbed out of her hands and thrown on the floor the door swung shut and she could hear footsteps descending the stairs afterward the landlord's daughter searched the pub and couldn't find anyone around in 1999 two electricians were working upstairs at the tavern when one claimed he felt a tap on his shoulder without a sign of anyone a few minutes after this odd experience the two reportedly witnessed a roll of carpeting rise into the air and fall back to the floor some believe that a murdered prostitute is responsible for these strange occurrences regardless of the source it would seem that there is indeed a poltergeist of sorts lurking in the loft above the tavern. the most haunted part of the building is undoubtedly the tavern cellar in the 1980s a landlord was in the cellar when the lights suddenly went out the cellar door slams shut behind him and he then heard quote there's just us two down here now end quote. some paranormal experts believe that running water tends to carry energy with it and therefore catalyze paranormal activity and this is exacerbated by underground sources of

water one of the rooms in the cellar flooded frequently until they finally realized that there was an underground stream below the cellar. the most famous part of this cellar and the tavern in general is the cell room it’s long been part of the taverns lore that the cells located in this cellar are the

last remaining cells of the former Newgate jail across the street however historical records don't seem to indicate that the tavern itself claims that the cells were associated with the guilt spur Street compter located just next door some believe the cellar cells are merely a storage space for the pub regardless these cells are definitely wedged between two famous London prisons and are reportedly the most active part of the tavern.

Viaduct Tavern Bibliography:

Ghostclub.org.uk. (2020). [online] Available at: https://www.ghostclub.org.uk/viaduct.htm [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

www.twilightghosthunts.com. (n.d.). THE VIADUCT TAVERN GHOST HUNT - UK Ghost Hunting with UK Ghost Hunting | Halloween Ghost Hunts | Book a ghost hunt. [online] Available at: https://www.twilightghosthunts.com/events/43-the-viaduct-tavern-ghost-hunt [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

www.ghost-story.co.uk. (n.d.). The Viaduct Tavern, London, England. [online] Available at: http://www.ghost-story.co.uk/index.php/haunted-buildings/haunted-pubs/364-the-viaduct-tavern-london-england [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

Amy’s Crypt. (2018). Haunted Viaduct Tavern, London. [online] Available at: https://amyscrypt.com/viaduct-tavern-london-haunted/ [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020]

BuzzFeed Unsolved Network (2017). London’s Haunted Viaduct Tavern. YouTube. Available at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKUYVu2qZuk [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020]

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