St Albans is being highlighted as a top autumn city break destination for those open to encountering ghosts, offering haunted hotels, ghost walks and spooky pubs. The historic city is often overlooked in favour of York or Edinburgh as a tourist hotspot, despite its reputation for hauntings.
Official ghost walking tours
Making the most of the spooky season would involve taking an official ghost walking tour, where knowledgeable volunteers guide visitors through terrifying tales hidden within the city's walls. Terry Turner, Chair of St Albans Tour Guides, explained the city's significance.
He shared: "A town as old as St Albans has a host of dark alleyways, historic inns and ancient churches. Many are hiding tales of ghostly murmurings and horrid hauntings."
"As the nights draw in, people love to join our guides on a walk of spooky discovery, hearing of ghosts and ghouls by the very buildings and shadowed lanes they are said to haunt. Join us if you dare."
Haunted sites to visit
Numerous buildings in the city are shrouded in myths, legends and hauntings. St Albans Cathedral remains one of the most famous and most haunted sites in the city, and visitors can witness it all.
One often-told sighting dates to 1944, when firewatchers were routinely stationed in the abbey to watch for bomb-related damage. A teenager named Basil was patrolling the grounds alone while waiting for his colleague to arrive, when he instead encountered two hooded figures. He then saw a self-playing organ beneath candlelight and a procession of chanting monks. By the time his colleague arrived, there was no sign of it all, except for wisps of flame.
Having visited the cathedral recently, one person shared: "It's difficult to get your head around how many thousands of years of history are encapsulated here, right through from Roman occupation in the area to modern day."
"So much history to take in; we were lucky to have a guide to take us and our visitors around. On the lighter side, we were also told about ghostly monks who walk through a wall in the grounds." St Albans Cathedral is completely free to visit, with free daily guided tours from community volunteers.
Staying and drinking with ghosts
For a stay in a hotel just as haunted as the town, The White Hart Hotel is the only place to stay, with a history dating back to 1470. Visitors can also pop in for a pint and pub grub, with cosy interiors and a hidden history that will leave them with chills.
It is said that the ghost of a Victorian woman who broke her neck on the entrance to the hotel roams around the front of the building. Legend has it that visitors have seen the ghost of the St Albans Cathedral monk help himself to a pint from the bar, while others talk of the spirit of a young girl who died in a fire on the site in 1832. The hotel sits in the very heart of St Albans, making it the perfect place to rest amidst spooky exploration.
One street alone seems to have just as many hauntings. Sightings here have included a horse-drawn carriage transporting a couple, as well as a crying woman who accidentally smothered her baby in the 1700s, and figures looming inside some of the homes along the road. The Lower Red Lion Inn, which sits on this street, is equally infamous for its spooky feel and offers an excuse for another traditional English pub stop.
