For some reason, Great Britain has more than its share of mansions, estates, and old homes that are reported to be haunted.
Leeds Castle…
is said to be haunted by a dog. He pays no attention to the people who visit the castle, but he’s said to bring bad luck to anyone who spots him.
St. Donat’s Castle…
is a 12th-century Welsh castle that’s now a boarding school…and they say a ghost-panther stalks the corridors. In a parlor, a piano plays itself…even when the lid is closed.
Woburn Abbey…
in Bedfordshire supposedly has a mischievous spirit that loves to fling open doors. Billionaire J. Paul Getty said it once terrified him by barging into his room.
Chatham House…
is haunted by the ghost of “Hanging Judge” George Jeffreys, the former chief justice of England who liked to hand out death sentences. Jeffreys is said to walk around Chatham House in his black judicial robes, carrying a bloody bone.
East Riddlesden Hall…
in Yorkshire hosts the “Grey Lady.” She reportedly paces up and down the stairs, looking for her lover, who was sealed in a room by her jealous husband and left there to die.
Dover Castle…
is said to be haunted by a boy murdered during the Napoleonic Wars. The headless ghost stalks the halls, drumming.
Raby Castle…
near Durham is the home to the “Old Hellcat”—a ghoulish old woman who sits in a chair, knitting. (If you get close enough, you can feel the heat coming off her glowing-red needles.)
The Kylesku Hotel…
in the Scottish Highlands has a ghost who likes to pop his head through a trapdoor in the ceiling. They say he’s friendly—he only does it to startle visitors.
Inverawe House…
a hotel in Scotland, has “Green Jean.” Instead of trying to scare people, he actually assists the staff, leaving fresh soap and clean towels for the guests.
At Berry Pomeroy Castle…
the “White Lady” haunts the dungeon and towers. It’s supposedly the ghost of Lady Margaret Pomeroy, who was imprisoned in the dungeon by her sister for 20 years and starved to death. People who see her report feeling a wave of depression and fear.
Rufford Old Hall…
in Lancashire is haunted by a young woman in a wedding dress who, the legend says, waits for the return of her fiancé, who was killed in battle. The dining room is also reportedly haunted by Queen Elizabeth I.
Netley Abbey…
a semi-demolished medieval nunnery in Hampshire, is haunted by the ghost of Walter Taylor, a builder hired to tear it down. A stone from an arch struck him on the head and killed him. The demolition was never completed, and now Taylor’s spirit wanders around the ruins accompanied by the sound of falling bricks.
