Five of the spookiest UK & Ireland walks

Give yourself an authentic fright night experience with these walks around the spookiest places in the UK!

Please remember to check that sites and car parks are open and whether you need to book, before setting off from home.

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Gwrych Castle, Wales

You may recognise Gwrych Castle as the location of the 2020 series of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Located near Abergale in Wales, this mysterious castle has been left “empty” since the 1980s and it's no secret that it's haunted. Countess Winifred lived in the castle for many years, she's said to be the resident ghost here. Winifred loved her home dearly, and it is believed that this is the reason she still hangs around.

The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust now protects the castle and today it is open to the public (please check it is open before visiting). Stroll through the grounds and take turns telling scary tales about the ghosts and ghoulies within. Please note that the terrain is uneven and may not be suitable for all. Find out more including opening times, costs and accessibility here.

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Pendle Hill, Lancashire

It might have come to the nation’s attention following a segment on the television program ‘Most Haunted’, but Pendle Hill in Lancashire has been spooking locals and visitors for many years.

So what brought the TV crews here? Well, back in 1612 the area was notorious for many cases brought against alleged witches; it resulted in the hanging of ten people on Gallows Hill, near Williamson Park. There are many landmarks of the time which still stand to this day, such as Lancaster Castle where the alleged were incarcerated.

Lancaster Castle

Pendle Hill

People have been climbing the hill every Halloween since, looking for sightings of the witches’ Sabbath meeting. When ‘Most Haunted’ shot their episode on Halloween back in 2004, the show’s presenter, Yvette Fielding, called it the scariest episode they had made.

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Witches Wood, Dartmoor

Witches Wood in Lydford Gorge, Devon is said to be one of the spookiest woodlands in the UK. Here you can enjoy the circular walk to Whitelady Waterfall which takes about an hour. Don't forget to look out for the resident ghostly figure which is sometimes said to appear nearby! There are many myths and mysteries surrounding these woods, including the 15th century tale of the ‘Gubbins’, a band of lawless savages whose lair was said to be Lydford Gorge. Its damp atmosphere, impressive fauna and flora and thunderous waterfall has Witches Wood looking like it's from another world.

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Pluckley Village, Kent

Pluckley Village might very well be the UK’s most haunted, according to articles like this one. In fact, it had an entry in the 1989 Guinness Book of Records for being the “most haunted village in Britain”.

There are 12 famous ghost stories here:

• The 18^th century highwayman who was killed when hiding in a tree at Fright Corner has been allegedly seen re-enacting his death
• The Gypsy or Watercress Woman who either set herself on fire or drowned in the stream has been seen on Pinnock Bridge as a misty figure
• The last words of an 18^th century farmer who shot himself, “I will do it”, are said to be heard whispered around the farmstead
• The black silhouette which haunts the old windmill, closed back in 1930
• The Red Lady seen in the churchyard of St Nicholas’s Church
• The White Lady seen inside St Nicholas’s Church
• The Lady of Rose Court who poisoned herself in despair over a love triangle has been seen around the village
• The Screaming Man, who either drowned after falling into a clay pit or was suffocated by collapsing clay, can still be heard screaming at the village brickworks
• The schoolmaster found hanging by children in Dicky Buss's Lane
• The colonel who hanged himself in Park Wood
• The phantom coach and horses has allegedly been heard and seen around the village as recently as 1997
• The poltergeist at the Black Horse Inn

That’s a lot to get through in one night, so you might want to consider spending a spooky weekend here in Pluckley. It’s a pretty, peaceful village in the sunlight – you might even recognise it as the setting of the Darling Buds of May – but the graveyards, churches and woods become very spooky at night.

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Charles Fort, Kinsale, Co Cork

The idyllic looking Charles Fort in Kinsale, County Cork, is a wonderful place to walk around during the day; but only the bravest go back at night.

It’s said to be haunted by the White Lady of Kinsale – a woman who committed suicide by throwing herself off the fort walls on her wedding day. Why did she did do it, you ask? Her beloved soldier husband had just been shot for falling asleep on duty.

Many soldiers have since reported seeing a lady dressed in white lingering around the fort, while others have even said they were pushed down the stairs by an unseen, unknown force.

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Edited: 23.10.2020