Ghosts, Hauntings, Murders and Superstitions

Below are some of the more unknown hauntings and murders of London. 

There are some gruesome details, below, so only read on... if you dare!

Downing Street

This street is said to be haunted by the ghost of Spencer Perceval, who was shot dead outside the Palace of Westminster on May 11, 1812. He is the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated... so far.

Ministry of Defence

This building is haunted by the ghost of a headless lady. The hooded figure of a lady was stopped by a Policeman, who asked, "what are you doing in a Government building?" She pulled back her hood to reveal an empty space where her head should have been.

Charing Cross railway station

It was here that a rather grisly murder was discovered, on May 10, 1927. Porters reported a dreadful smell coming from a trunk that had been deposited in the left-luggage office, four days earlier. When the Police opened the trunk they discovered the body of a woman, who had been hacked into five pieces, with each piece then wrapped in brown paper. The killer was caught, tried and then executed at Pentonville Prison on August 12, 1927. The case became known as the 'Charing Cross Trunk Murder'.

Adelphi Theatre

On December 16, 1897, the actor William Terriss was stabbed to death, outside the stage door, by Richard Prince, an actor that Terriss had had dismissed from the Play. He died in the arms of his leading lady and his last words were reported to be... "I shall return." His ghost has been seen outside the stage door and within the theatre, where he has been seen knocking on dressing room doors. His ghost has also been seen at Covent Garden underground station.

Savoy Hotel

This is a very superstitious hotel where there is no room thirteen. Also, if you are in a group of thirteen a statue of a cat, called 'Kaspar', is placed on your table to be your fourteenth 'guest'. 'Kaspar' is a two-foot high model of a cat, cut from a single piece of London Plane. Plus, if you die, while staying at the Savoy Hotel, they will pay for your funeral.

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

The theatre's most famous ghost is the 'Man in Grey'. Unlike many ghosts that appear during the hours of darkness, this apparition appears during anytime of the day. Plus, instead of solitary accounts of sightings, entire casts have witnessed his appearance. He is usually seen in the upper circle, before he makes his way down the aisle and disappears into a wall. 

London Ghost Bus Tours

Emma, Erin and Keilyn waiting to board the Necrobus.

Thursday October 31, 2019.

My wife, myself and our two daughters, who are 6 & 7, managed to grab some tickets for the 19:30 tour, on Halloween 2019, and were not disappointed. 

Our pick-up was on time and all of the staff on the street and on the Necrobus were warm, friendly and helpful. 

Being one of the first groups on the Necrobus, we were able to pick some of the best seats, which were upstairs. They were remarkably comfortable, with curtains and lamps in the windows, making it feel warm and inviting, which helped people relax. 

This sense of ease, to which we succumbed, caught us off guard as various ghostly goings on plagued our trip.

The seats, curtains and lamps on the upstairs of the Necrobus.

Our conductor, Marcus, was very knowledgeable and obviously enjoyed his role. His stories were accurate and, equally, ghastly and entertaining. I think he managed to point out every murder site, haunted place and execution spot on the route, along with names and dates. 

Mr. Hinge, the Health and Safety officer, took his job seriously, too, ensuring that there was full disclosure about 'events' that had happened on the Necrobus, in the past. Although, it did take him a while to get all of the facts out of our conductor.

A lamp that flickered, normally when a spirit was present.

We travelled around Whitehall, Westminster, the City of London, through Holborn, crossed the River Thames, visited Southwark and more, before heading back to our drop-off point. 

So much more went on, but I would hate to spoil it for anyone that hasn't taken the trip. Suffice to say that we will be taking this tour again.

A bit of trivia, about our Necrobus:

• It had run on a designated route, in London, until 2005
• It's designation was RML2528, with the registration plate of JJD528D
• It was purchased by The Ghost Bus Tours in 2013
• It is painted in a midnight black livery

Ghost Bus Tours London

As a side note, they also operate Ghost Bus Tours in York and Edinburgh.

The Necrobus.