Ghost Hunting in York

York has been one of Britain's most important cities for centuries. Over the ages, it has been a Roman fort, a Viking stronghold, a bustling medieval city and one of the economic powerhouses of Victorian England. With its tumultuous history of war, migration and upheaval, it's no surprise that York has the reputation of being one of the world's most haunted cities. The historic medieval city center is crowded with buildings known for their ghosts.

St. Mary's ruins (wiki image)

Ghosts infest private homes, churches, streets, shops, pubs and hotels in York. One of the most haunted buildings in Britain's most haunted city is The Golden Fleece, a historic pub founded in 1503. Legend has it that this inn is home to over a dozen ghosts, including the spectre of a WWII Canadian airman, apparitions of Roman soldiers and the shade of a Victorian child trampled by a horse.

A tragic episode in York's history is marked by the haunting of Clifford's Tower, a ruined medieval fortification. Anti-Semitic riots in 1190 drove members of York's large Jewish community to seek refuge in the fortress. Surrounded by the angry mob, many of the trapped victims took their own lives, while others were massacred by the crowd. Today, the victims of this horrific crime are said to haunt the ruin of Clifford's Tower. Ghostly flames are seen and cries are heard, and the blood of those killed in the massacre is believed to stain the ground red.

Clifford's tower (wiki image)

Anyone who has ever walked the winding, narrow streets of central York at night will understand why these historic buildings are said to be haunted. 35 Stonegate, said to be York's most haunted house, has 14 reported ghosts. The most famous, Tom, repeatedly appears in an upper room used for seances. Unlike some of the historic haunted buildings in the city, this one is a tourist attraction, with visitors charged to enter the ghosts' rooms.

35 Stonegate is only one of a number of haunted buildings in the same area. A shop at 18-20 Stonegate is said to be home to a young woman who haunts the changing rooms, while another property at 41 Stonegate has an apparition of a small girl who paces the stairs and occasionally perches atop a shop counter. She is believed to be a young girl who died in a fall during the 19th century.

Ghostly children are almost as common as their adult counterparts in York; among the most famous examples are the children of Bedern Arch, who are believed to have died at a nearby school for orphans in the 1800s. People walking in the shadows under the arch have reported feeling a child's small hand slipping into theirs.


These are only a few of the dozens of ghosts believed to haunt York's streets and buildings. Dozens more are known, from inexplicable sounds to distinctive characters with names and personalities. A night-time walk around York can be a trip into a world of the strange and macabre.

Of course, York offers some more pleasant things to do away from the specters of the city. Why not stay at one of the beautiful hotels in York, eat at a stunning restaurant or enjoy a beautiful day time walk?