Looking to add a touch of terror to your next outdoor adventure? With Halloween around the corner, why not explore some routes passing real-life locations from iconic horror films using Ordnance Survey’s OS Maps? From fog-covered moors and creepy castles to eerie forests and desolate coastlines, these spine-chilling routes will have you feeling like you’ve stepped straight into a scary movie. Whether you’re a thrill-seeker or a film buff, here’s your chance to walk in the footsteps of the undead, the cursed, and the downright creepy!
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) – Dartmoor National Park, Devon
Arthur Conan Doyle famously stayed on Dartmoor when he wrote this classic Sherlock Holmes story, where a ghostly dog roams wild on the fog-covered moors. Some of the 1959 film was also shot in this rugged landscape. The ‘hound’ used in the movie was a Great Dane, dyed with a phosphorescent paint to give it a ghostly glow. The filmmakers chose this breed because it was large and imposing, fitting the story’s description of a terrifying, monstrous creature. However, the dog’s friendly nature often made it hard to look menacing. Reportedly, it loved playing with the cast and crew between takes! This 1.2 mile OS Maps route takes hikers near Hound Tor which was an inspiration for the eponymous murder-mystery. According to local myth, it’s haunted by a pack of hellish hounds that sweep across the moors at night.
The Wicker Man (1973) – Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
This cult horror film follows a devout police sergeant who travels to the remote Scottish island of Summerisle, to investigate a young girl’s disappearance, only to uncover disturbing pagan rituals and a sinister secret. The fictional island of Summerisle was filmed in various towns along the coast of Dumfries and Galloway. One story goes that the production team couldn’t afford extras for the final scene of the cult film, where the giant wicker effigy is burned. Instead, locals were asked along. Many had no idea they’d be watching such an eerie spectacle, adding an authentically disturbing atmosphere to the film’s climax. This route in OS Maps route takes you near where the scene took place at Burrow Head, on the tip of the Whithorn peninsula.
An American Werewolf in London (1981) – Hay Bluff, Powys, Wales
The film tells the story of two American backpackers who are attacked by a mysterious creature while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors, leaving one dead and the other wounded. As the survivor recovers in London, he begins to experience terrifying transformations and haunting visions, realizing he is becoming a werewolf. The opening scenes, where the protagonists encounter the mythical human-wolf, are set on the misty Yorkshire Moors. However, Hay Bluff in Powys, Wales was used as a proxy location. Director, John Landis, insisted on filming in rainy weather, adding to the movie’s chilling atmosphere. He actually wrote the script when he was 19 years old, but it took him over a decade to make because studios thought the mix of horror and comedy was too unusual.
The Others (2001) – Penshurst Place, Kent
A supernatural thriller set in Jersey after the Second World War, The Others stars Nicole Kidman as a woman living in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children.
The historic Penshurt Place was used as the exterior of the haunted house in the movie, providing an creepily authentic period atmosphere. Adding to this, the entire movie was shot using natural light and candles for interior scenes creating a gothic feel. This 11.14 mile OS Maps route skirts Penshurst Place…
The Omen (1976) – Guildford Cathedral, Surrey
The Omen is a truly skin-crawling film. It follows an American diplomat who secretly adopts a newborn child after his own son is stillborn. Only later does he discover that the boy may be the Antichrist! The production was plagued by eerie and seemingly cursed events. These included lightning striking a plane carrying the film’s star, Gregory Peck, and a hotel bombing that occurred where the crew was staying. Thanks to these incidents the film gained a reputation for being “cursed.” The Gothic architecture of Guildford Cathedral was the site of one of the movie’s most memorable and unnerving scenes when the protagonist, fittingly named Damien, flies into a demonic rage.
28 Days Later (2002) – Central London
Starring Cillian Murphy of Peaky Blinders fame, the film follows a man who wakes up from a coma in an abandoned hospital to find that a highly contagious rage-inducing virus has decimated the population. As he navigates the desolate streets of London, he joins a group of survivors struggling to stay alive and find sanctuary amidst the chaos. The haunting scenes of a deserted London were filmed in iconic locations such as Westminster Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, and Whitehall. In an impressive feat of location shooting, extraordinary images of an empty London were captured by holding-up early morning traffic for brief moments at a time over several days.
This 2.79mile OS Maps route takes walkers in Cillian Murphy’s footsteps across Westminster Bridge then in a circular route along the Southbank of The Thames Path, before crossing back across Blackfriars Bridge, past Temple and The Embankment, then ending at Westminster Bridge again.
Dog Soldiers (2002) – Glen Affric, Scotland
Dog Soldiers follows a group of British servicemen. On a training mission in the Scottish Highlands, they find themselves hunted by a pack of deadly werewolves. Werewolf costumes were made using stilts and prosthetics to give the creatures a towering, menacing appearance. The actors inside the suits were trained ballet dancers, chosen for their ability to move gracefully and create the unnerving, inhuman movements of the werewolves. The wilds of Glen Affric provide a suitably isolated location for this horror film.
The Woman in Black (2012) – Cotterstock Peterborough
The story follows a young lawyer who travels to a remote village to settle the affairs of a recently deceased woman, only to uncover a vengeful ghost haunting the area. The production used a real, abandoned mansion called Cotterstock Hall in Northamptonshire for the exterior shots of the haunted Eel Marsh House. The spine-chilling feel of the old house added authenticity to the film’s frightening plot. The crew also reported ‘unexplained’ paranormal happenings on set, only adding to the eerie vibe.
This 8.43 mile OS Maps route takes you past Cotterstock Hall, mostly walking along the placid River Nene and through Ashton, a thatched estate village built by the Rothschild family from nearby Ashton Wold House.
Don’t Look Now (1973) – Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
The film follows a grieving couple who travel to Venice after the tragic death of their daughter, hoping to find solace. As they encounter strange and unsettling occurrences in the city, including a mysterious figure resembling their daughter, they become entangled in a web of danger and supernatural events. Most of the film is set in wintry, off-season Venice. The less glamorous, deserted version of the city, with its labyrinthine canals and crumbling architecture, makes for an eerie and melancholic tone. However, the opening scene is set in the UK at the protagonists’ home, Baas Manor Farm in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. This 1.10mile OS Maps route is a Parkrun in Barclay Park, north of Broxbourne.
Kill List (2011) – Sheffield, North Yorkshire
Kill List follows a former soldier-turned-hitman who takes on a new assignment after a traumatic past mission, only to find himself drawn into a disturbing and sinister world. As he fulfills the contract’s increasingly bizarre and gruesome tasks, he spirals into a nightmarish descent that blurs the line between reality and horror. This film was shot in just 17 days on a relatively low budget. The tight shooting schedule and limited resources added to the movie’s raw and gritty style, while also pushing the cast and crew to be creative and efficient in bringing the intense and unsettling story to life. Basing the film in Sheffield added an everyday British feel to the film, which contrasts sharply with the unsettling plot.
This 2.15mile OS Maps route takes you in a circle around Sheffield’s Graves Park, skirting the arboretum, through livestock fields, bisecting the park’s two lakes before ending back at the café.
Are you ready to brave these spooky spots and bring your favourite horror films to life? With Ordnance Survey’s OS Maps App in hand, you can explore the UK’s creepiest landscapes and uncover the chilling history behind some of cinema’s most iconic scenes. Just remember to keep an eye out for werewolves, ghosts, and anything lurking in the shadows. Happy haunting, and may your adventures be as thrilling as the movies!
And if you want some more outdoorsy Halloween inspirations head here:
38 of the spookiest place names in the UK | Get Outside | OS GetOutside
5 Spooky walks in the UK and Ireland | GetOutside | OS GetOutside
