The murky origins of London date way back to the Romans and since then we’ve gathered quite the history of violence and treachery in our great city. We rest on the souls of the dead, our new buildings stretching out of the foundations of London’s bones, so it’s no surprise we live in one of the most haunted cities in the world. To welcome the spectre-cle (boom boom) of Halloween, it’s time to find out the eeriest places you should be drinking this weekend – just be prepared for unwanted guests. WOOOOoooooooOOOOO
The Grenadier Pub
Tucked away in a quiet mews in well-at-heel Belgravia, The Grenadier would appear to be the perfect little pub. However, don’t be fooled, this pub sits above a huge underground river of ectoplasm, surrounded by spectral activity that’s way off the charts! Haunted in the main by the ghost of a soldier – beaten to death by his comrades having been caught cheating at cards – the Grenadier is both beautiful and deadly. It’s like an angel with poisonous lipstick. Objects disappear, furniture rattles without explanation and icy chills hang in the air. If you can swallow your fear, you’ll love the quaint pub thing it’s got going on though.
The Ten Bells
It was the Autumn of Terror, a time when London was paralysed by the fear of the Ripper killings, that The Ten Bells wrote itself into the history of the saga, playing host to the Ripper’s final victim before she left for the night never to return. Largely unchanged since its inception around 1750, the pub wears its history in the chipped tiles of its fetchingly trad interior. The Staff has witnessed countless terrifying hauntings over the years and some say that Halloween is the pub’s strangest night of all where it won’t be the spirits behind the bar doing the damage.
The Old Queen’s Head
If you’re looking to mix a little entertainment into your Halloween schedule then look no further than the Old Queen’s Head. Their Zombie Ball will provide the perfect opportunity for you to grab that dance with the old Tudor woman who was slaughtered in an upstairs room, just don’t get put off by the spirit of the weeping child pining for her mother while you get all creepy together. Shame on you!
The Intrepid Fox
Remember when we feared the messages ingrained in Black Sabbath records and lived in fear of the threat posed by death metal? Of course you do. Well, although most true devil-fearing metal-heads would claim they wouldn’t be seen dead at The Intrepid Fox, this is the one weekend where they can sneak in decked out in full ghoulish regalia and indulge their appetite for howling and wailing… of the mainstream metal variety. During Halloween the place comes alive with the freaks and geeks of London who dine on red beer and devour the sound of Pantera and Alice Cooper like it was raw meat. Bands like Slayer may prefer to visit the Crobar when they’re in town, but the Intrepid is the real deal for glam-horror.
Hangman’s Hill - Epping Forest
Okay, it’s not a pub but what Halloween post would be complete without a mention of Epping Forest and the infamous, Hangman’s Hill? And you can always take a hip flask along for those jangling nerves. In a place that’s seen more bodies than Highgate Cemetery, Epping Forest is a spooky paradise of supernatural sightings. Legend has it that a man was hanged in the forest from a tree above what has come to be known as Hangman’s Hill. Now stationary cars defy physics, rolling up the slope as the spirit pulls you toward the misery of his eternal purgatory. See you there!
