Eerie places to visit this Halloween
Spooky season is here! We just love this time of the year, it’s a great chance to get together and spend quality time exploring eerie places for Halloween. It’s made even better when you can go by train.
We’ve rounded up a small selection of Halloween haunts and highlights from our community rail friends across Britain. There’s plenty to choose from, the hardest part will be deciding where to go.
Dracula’s origins
Take a scenic rail journey along the beautiful Esk Valley Railway until you reach the harbour town of Whitby. It was Bram Stoker’s visit to the Yorkshire coast in 1890 that provided him with the atmospheric locations for the Gothic novel and a name for his famous vampire. Follow the legend of Dracula as you explore the cobbled streets and climb the 199 steps to reach the ruins of Whitby Abbey, or are you brave enough to face the horror in The Dracula Experience?
Most haunted village in Britain
The small but thriving community of Pluckley is surrounded by apple orchards and looks out across the Weald. However it is also included in the Guinness Book of Records as being the most haunted village in Britain. It’s thought to have twelve (possibly even more) ghosts that have also made this charming village their home. Sightings include a phantom horse-drawn coach, spectre of a highwayman, the Lady in White who haunts the local church and the Red Lady often seen with her companion, a ghostly white dog. Take a journey along the picturesque Kent Downs Line and see the village for yourself.
Oxford’s treasure trove of bizarre curiosities
Head to Oxford along Located at the back of Oxford’s Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers Museum contains archaeological objects from all parts of the world. Featuring over half a million different items, the glass cabinets full of curiosities are guaranteed to give you the shivers, from trepanned skulls and a medieval torture device to a floor made of sheep’s bones this museum is not for the faint-hearted.
Hauntings at Hampton
Hampton Court Palace is bursting with history so there’s no surprise that ghostly goings on have been reported over the years. From strange sensations to the famous Grey Lady, and do two of Henry VIII’s queens still roam the rooms of the palace? Or was it all made up by the Victorian’s wanting to sell tickets? Take a trip along the Hounslow to Richmond railway line and experience the palace for yourself.
Edinburgh’s hidden underground village
As you walk through the beautiful streets of modern Edinburgh did you know there’s an entire underground village beneath your feet? Mary King’s Close is part of this underground network, hidden beneath Edinburgh’s City Chambers, and is notoriously haunted. Once part of the city’s most vibrant streets, this perfectly preserved close provides a fascinating glimpse into Edinburgh life between the 17th and 19th centuries. Take a tour to hear the eerie stories and visit the nearby underground vaults for even more spooky tales from Scotland’s capital. Have a break from the scares and take a trip along the picturesque Borders Railway or East Lothian Line both starting from Edinburgh.
