From a coven of murdered witches to poltergeist-plagued pubs – if you’ve got an affinity with the macabre, then this is the perfect road trip to take this half term in the run up to Halloween.
Venues across the UK are swarming with ghost stories, and a chilling route takes supernatural fanatics to 15 of the country’s spookiest settings in a 818 mile round trip.
These paranormal hotspots have been handpicked by vehicle battery specialists Quality Source as a fresh way to get your thrills this October 31.
Thrillseekers can take on the huge roadtrip in as little as four days, staying in motorhomes or hotels overnight – or take it slower over the course of a week.
Alternatively, they can be split into four smaller regional day-trips, each with less than three and a half hours of driving time per day.
To create the most supernatural road trip possible, Quality Source scoured Tripadvisor to find the spots where the most paranormal activity has been reported by visitors and then used the 15 top spots to design road trips across the country.
Stops feature Chillingham Castle, Samlesbury Hall and Chambercombe Manor – all of which have hundreds of reported ghost sightings and paranormal encounters, even visitor possessions in the most extreme cases.
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Here are all 15 stops of the 818 mile dark tourism trip – and the spooky stories that go with them.
Day 1
11am: Chillingham Castle, Chillingham (Next Stop: 55 Minute Drive)
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Getty)
Start your day with a cup of tea in the tearoom at the picturesque but deeply haunted Chillingham Castle.
The castle is said to have some of the highest levels of paranormal activity in the UK so is not for the faint of heart.
There are multiple friendly ghosts reported to be living within the castle grounds, with visitors reporting that they hear voices calling them, feeling hands touch them in empty rooms, and taking orb-flooded pictures that change when developed.
2.30pm: Winter’s Gibbet, Newcastle (Next Stop: 1 Hour 6 Minute Drive)
From here, drive to Winter’s Gibbet for a walk in the beautiful Northumberland countryside where you’ll find the lone pole used to hang murderer William Winter in 1792.
His body was left to hang until his clothes rotted away and there have been reports of William’s spectre appearing near the pole, said to appear as though he’s mourning his own death.
5.30pm: The Shakespeare, Durham (Next Stop: 1 Hour 30 Minute Drive)
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ChronicleLive)
After your stroll, where better place to stop for a snack than the most haunted pub in Durham?
Built in 1190 AD, The Shakespeare pub is truly haunting.
Locals have heard reported everything from random screaming to the old sewing machine in the back squeaking as though trying to pedal itself.
9pm: Whitby, North Yorkshire
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Tony Winward)
The evening is the perfect time to visit the spooky seaside town of Whitby which is so flooded with tales of ghost sightings that it was a key source of inspiration for Stoker’s Dracula .
Although there are a whole host of spectre sightings, one of the spookiest tales is the old man in the lighthouse that fell to his death down the lighthouse staircase during a bad storm.
Many visitors have reported seeing his presence rushing along the pier to his own death.
Day 2
10am: Lyceum Theatre, Crewe (Next Stop: 1 Hour 10 Minute Drive)
Begin your day in Lyceum Theatre which is so haunted that they attempted an exorcism in 1969 to clear the spirits but to no success. There are six ghosts that haunt the theatre including a small boy, a lady in white and the ghost of a distraught ballet dancer that hung herself in the changing room.
Whilst there, keep your eyes out for items going missing, random whistling noises from the stalls, sudden changes in temperature and smells of both smoke and perfume.
12.30pm: Samlesbury Hall, Preston (Next Stop: 37 Minute Drive)
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Eviivo)
Samlesbury Hall is said to be one of the most haunted locations in the country.
Resident spirits include Dorothy Southworth (the white lady) who died of a broken heart and is now said to aimlessly wander the Hall and grounds.
And if you’re feeling peckish whilst ghost hunting they also serve delicious tapas.
3.15pm: Pendle Hill, Lancashire (Next Stop: 1 Hour 58 Minute Drive)
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Getty Images/iStockphoto)
After a relatively short drive, you’ll find yourself at Pendle Hill, home of the Pendle witches that were famously executed for witchcraft in 1612 and are said to still haunt the walkways.
For this stop make sure to bring appropriate shoes as it’s a slightly strenuous walk but well worth it for the views and spookiness along the way.
7pm: The Black Swan Hotel, York
Finish up a long day of hauntings with dinner in The Black Swan Hotel where sightings of ghosts are so common that the bar staff have even named the small Victorian boy who is said to haunt the passageway ‘Matthew’, a pickpocket known for making things go mysteriously missing.
In the kitchen, there have been reports of a figure of a man in horse riding gear that frequently appears singing.
His sightings baffled the staff until they realised that the kitchen was built over the original stable yard.
Day 3
10am: Croft Castle, Leominster (Next Stop: 1 Hour 33 Minute Drive)
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David Merrett /Wikipedia)
Begin your day in 1,500 acres of haunted territory – Croft castle was owned by the Croft family for over 700 years.
But when financial problems forced them to sell the property the ghosts of the generations of family reportedly came back to haunt the castle and can be seen causing disturbances to this day.
1.30pm: Aston Hall, Birmingham (Next Stop: 57 Minute Drive)
Perhaps the most troubled ghosts of all the road trip locations, Aston Hall is said to hold many angry ghosts.
Spectre sightings include servant ‘Dick’ who hung himself after being caught stealing.
Not only can you tour the manor and gardens but there’s a stable café if you want to stop for lunch if you can stomach it.
5pm: Derby Gaol, Derby (Next Stop: 28 Minute Drive)
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Derby Telegraph)
The gaol (jail) opened in 1756 and has a very gruesome history, with nearly 60 hangings occurring for crimes as petty as stealing a goose – so there are said to be several angry ghosts haunting the premises.
The cells are even available for brave souls to spend the night if they can handle it.
7.30pm: Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, Nottingham
Finish your day with a tipple at the most haunted pub in Nottingham.
The building and the caves below are thought to date back as far as 1068 AD, with the walls full of scratches from prisoners whose haunted souls are said to still remain in the property.
If you arrive at the right time you’ll even hear their screams.
Day 4
1.30pm: Berry Pomeroy Castle, South Devon (Next Stop: 1 Hour 25 Minute Drive)
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Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Begin your day at Berry Pomeroy Castle where ghosts have been caught on film and 30% of all visitor reviews say that they’ve had a paranormal experience.
Beware of the blue lady in the tower – she will beg and beckon you to join her but if you do legend has it that she will push you to your death.
5pm: Jamaica Inn, Cornwall (Next Stop: 1 Hour 51 Minute Drive)
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Getty Images)
Cornwall’s most famous smuggler’s inn is not for the faint-hearted, even TV programme ‘most haunted’ said the spot gave them one of their spookiest episodes of all time.
Luckily, not only is it a hive for paranormal activity, but it has an extensive dining menu so you can fuel up for your final stop.
9pm: Chambercombe Manor, Ilfracombe
On October 30, you can attend a Halloween special event from 9pm to 2am for a fully immersive paranormal experience.
Spectre sightings are said to regularly include pirates, the house’s most famous ghost goes back to 1865 when the then tenant carried out repairs to the roof and came upon the outline of a window that didn’t have a matching room.
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