There is just so much history to this building such as the civil war and the plague. It’s even believed that Shakespeare himself walked along the beautiful cobblestones that surround the Falstaffs. However, don’t let the beauty of the surrounding area fool you, although the area might look nice at first glance there are plenty of reasons why people are terrified to come even close the Falstaffs.

If you’re planning on wearing your most expensive jewellery when you’re coming to visit the Falstaffs we’d advise you not to; because there is a young boy who is well-known to rob jewellery from people that enter the building. There’s also a person who is usually wearing a hood of some sort that just watches people as they enter and leave the building, almost as if he is looking for a certain person to come back. If you’re ever lucky (or unlucky!) enough to come across him, you’ll more than likely notice his red eyes which are just a little bit unusual.

If you really want to see something spectacular then we’d recommend you to go to the upper floors where a spirit of a serial killer usually is. You’ll certainly feel his presence since his footsteps are loud, he whispers to guests and he sometimes even gets a bit physical, so watch out!

Craig y Nos is literally full of ghosts so if you visit it you’ll more than likely come across more than just one or two of them. One of the best ghosts that are in the castle is the ghost of an opera singer who once sang for Queen Victoria. Even though this was a long time ago, you can still hear here beautiful (yet scary!) voice sometimes as you walk through the castle.

However, there are other ghosts in the castle which aren’t so nice to see. For over 4 decades, the castle was used to treat patients (most of which were children) that suffered from diseases like tuberculosis and as a result the majority of them weren’t lucky enough to leave the wards. However, these children haven’t left the castle just yet so why not visit Craig y Nos so you can see them?

Quite apart from Lady Mary and her friends, the Castle family lived exciting and romantic lives, they served Kings, but then, as William Shakespeare notes, they rebelled, too. With a record eighteen Knights of the Garter, the family also had no less that eight famous, well recorded, executions. Some were hanged, drawn and quartered. While alive, they were cut down from the Gallows, to have their entrails removed. Still living, the failing body was cut into quarters. The head was displayed on city gates, as a warning. Other members of the family, more fortunate, simply had their heads chopped off.

In the early 1800s, people think that an old woman asked a member of the Talbot family for a coin. When they said no to the old women, she put a curse on the entire family and ever since then several weird things have happened to the family and the buildings that they owned all those years ago. The woman warned the family member of what would happen to the family, saying that every time a branch falls a member of the Talbot family will die and later that night there was a storm. A branch fell from a tree and that night someone died in the family.

The Earl then got a chain tied around the tree so no more branches could ever fall and you can still see this chain today. This isn’t the only strange thing that has happened at Alton Towers though, there’s also a lady which has been seen gliding through corridors on more than one occasion, leaving a bit of a smell of perfume behind her. Who knows, maybe this is the woman who put the curse on the family who refuses to ever leave Alton Towers? Why not go see it for yourself?

The dark and dingy passageways seem to go on forever and many visitors have reported strange happenings within the tunnels. There is an overwhelming amount of phenomena that has been reported about Fort Amherst; those who visit for the first time mention a strong spiritual energy that can be felt the second you enter the tunnels.

Many visitors to Fort Amherst have seen strange and sinister shadows at night, and even in the day time, complete with a threatening aura and a feeling of being unwelcome. Those who explore the tunnels are at risk of being scared out of their wits; many people have heard unexplained voices with a French accent and incomprehensible shouting directly into their ears from unknown entities. The tunnel walls seem to have retained the negative energies and emotions of the soldiers, including rage and despair.

The sound of children’s cries and weeping has been heard on numerous occasions from staff and visitors alike, and the sound of women howling is not an uncommon experience. There has been an extraordinary amount of paranormal and poltergeist activity reported; sightings of dead construction workers killed whilst they built the fort and soldiers that were stationed during the war have been seen pacing the tunnels.

Dr. Barnardo opened the Ragged School in 1867 to give poor children a free basic education after he saw that the city was full of illness and poverty. When government schools opened in abundance a few years later and were able to meet families’ specific needs, the Ragged School was closed down. The Ragged School Museum used to be the largest free school in London but the buildings were originally warehouses, and afterwards had a variety of industrial uses such as housing clothing manufacturers and furniture makers.

The buildings were petitioned and arranged to be demolished in 1980 until people protested and were reminded of the heritage and history of the building, and so the Ragged School Museum Trust was formed and eventually saved it from being destroyed.

Over the last few decades, many unexplained and paranormal activities have occurred and have been witnessed by staff and visitors. They range from strange sensations and the sound of footsteps with no body to accompany them, to visions of several spirits including a washer-woman, a head-master and even a Roman soldier.

Mediums have reported residual memories involving child abuse, with children’s screams, cries and laughter being picked up clearly on sound recordings. There have been prominent responses to questions asked by mediums and group visits, like banging and tapping. A shadow has been seen floating past and running, and chanting has been heard echoing throughout the halls. A few visitors have even felt tugs on their clothes!

Much of the original construction of the inn remains, and the mounting stone in the forecourt is said to have been used by many Welsh and English kings; most notably the revolutionary Owain Glyndwr who allegedly assembled his men here in the 14th Century.

The notorious ‘Hanging’ Judge Jeffries is thought to have begun his career at the Skirrid Inn. During the 12th-17th centuries it is thought that over 180 people were ordered to hang from the beam over the staircase in the inn. It is said that the first floor was a court room with a cell attached where convicted felons would spend their last night, listening to the jovialities of the pub below.

Skirrid Inn has been described as being ‘riddled with ghosts’ and has been visited by ‘Most Haunted’ and ‘Extreme Ghost Stories’, resulting in the Inn being declared ‘the most haunted in the UK’.

Many paranormal activities and sightings of ghosts have been reported, including but not limited to glasses flying around the pub and smashing, an intense smell of perfume, faces appearing at windows, a feeling of being watched, icy cold rooms, things disappearing and turning up days or even weeks later, and perhaps the most horrific; visitors have reported a feeling of a noose or rope around their neck and some have even been left with marks or welts.

The most popular ghosts here consist of Fanny Price, a barmaid who died from alcohol consumption at the age of 35, ‘Hanging’ Judge Jeffries himself who is said to walk the first floor of the inn, and John Crowther who was a hanged felon and has been seen by many visitors and staff.

One of the very first residents was a Canon who served the Cathedral. It was then given to the Bishop of Salisbury and was subsequently taken over by a series of non-clerical residents. It has been said that during the Plague in the 1600s, King Charles II had his servants stay here in a bid to avoid the illness. It is also said that one of this group haunts the Museum to this day. She is known as the ‘Grey Lady’ and has been seen sitting in the Regimental Room.

Many paranormal activities have been reported at the Museum, including bright light anomalies and sudden temperature drops. Noises have been heard from sealed rooms, books have flown from book shelves and the ghost of a Cavalier has been sighted floating around the corridors.

Staff have also reported noises of someone or something running up and down the stairs at all times of day. The amount of poltergeist activity reported here is frightening; objects are thrown, moved or completely disappear never to be found again. One horrifying event is when staff heard a window being slammed shut below the room they were in. When they went to investigate, only the frame of the window remained, the actual window had been bricked up years ago. Many visitors and staff have reported that the attic space generates weird sensations accompanied with a feeling of being unwelcome.

The museum underwent a major renovation in 2011, but the spectacular Georgian features are still able to be seen and even old traces of the hospital use can be seen too. The modern conservation room, which used to be the old operation theatre, was restored back to originality during the refurbishment in 2011, and now looks exactly like the operating theatre would have looked in the 1800-1900’s. Many people are hoping this will entice more paranormal activity to occur. During the renovation, builders reported strange noises and the sense of being watched.

The profound history of the building has resulted in the museum being dubbed the most haunted building in the city. Living TV’s ‘Most Haunted’ visited in 2005 and experienced some frightening ghostly occurrences!

The most regular ghost is a grey figure seen on the stairs; legend has it he was an Australian soldier called Thomas Hunter who died from his wounds in 1916. The nurse tending to him saw his ghost minutes after he died so she was able to confirm it was him! A dark male figure has been sighted in the Recreation Period Shop and a Roman Soldier is also said to wander the Archaeology Area. The Geology Area is supposedly haunted by a little girl and the back stairs are guarded by a kitchen maid who fell to her death. The cellar is said by many to be a paranormal ‘hotspot’ with many accounts of doors slamming, noises and unexplained poltergeist activity.

It was originally built as a prison in 1071 by Robert d’Oilly and remained a prison right up until 1996! The last public hanging that took place in Oxford Castle was in 1863 and other executions within its walls until 1952. The castle features a 900 year old Crypt, and a haunted tower. The echo of the Jailor’s footsteps can be heard now and again in the prison wing.

One of the most famous aspects of the history of the castle is the notorious ‘Oxford Castle Curse’ which was cast upon Oxford in 1577 after Roland Jenkes, a Bookbinder convicted of supporting the Pope, had his ears cut off. He responded by cursing the court, the jury and judge and the city. It is reported that within a few days hundreds of people died without apparent cause. A mass grave was unearthed in 2004 which consisted of 60 to 70 skeletons of men, but no women or children.

The ghost of Mary Bland has been sighted on countless occasions by visitors, staff and those just passing by. She is said to stand on Castle Mound, a grassy embankment. She was tried and hanged in 1752 at Oxford Castle and still haunts the place to this day.

The most frightening of reported sightings is two figures dressed in black. Staff refuse to walk alone, even in the day, due to the feelings and sightings they may experience whilst working. Poltergeist activity is in abundance at the castle, and has been witnessed many times. Objects are moved or damaged, white mists appear from nowhere and disappear just as quickly, and horrific screams and desperate wails are heard coming from the walls.