IgoUgo

London Journals

Best of IgoUgo

Ghostour

A September 2006 trip to London by Cindy Grant

Tower of LondonMore Photos
Quote: Beginning in London, ending in Cambridge, I had a ghostly time inbetween! Took in tourist sights - Changing of the Guard, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, and some night photography. A week of haunted and creepy activities followed. This was a wonderful experience; I recommend it highly!

Travelodge Kings CrossBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "A Basic, Decent Hotel"

Quote: The best thing about this hotel, (if you are a fan of Harry Potter), is how near it is to the Kings Cross tube station. You can even go in the station and see platform 9 3/4! This hotel is very clean and basic, but overpriced. I paid 130 pounds, about $205. The room was small, but clean, but no air conditioning. The front desk provided me with a fan, which helped considerably. The two complaints were that there was a very noisy apartment building behind the hotel, but the noise stopped after dinner-time. The noise from the tube did not stop, and made sleeping difficult. The area is full of restaurants, pubs, and little shops.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 12, 2025

Travelodge Kings Cross
GRAYS INN ROAD London, England
+44 870-191-1757

London Eye (Millennium Wheel)Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Spectacular Views"

Quote: No visit to London would be complete without a visit to the London Eye. The Eye can carry 800 passengers, and each revolution of the wheel takes 30 minutes; you can see 25 miles away on a clear day, all the way to Windsor Castle! The Eye was known as the Millennium Wheel when it was built in March of 2000, and has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in London. There is even a skating rink during the colder season.
The Eye has various open/closing times; normal hours are 10 am - 8 pm.
17.95 pounds adult ($28.76), 9.50 pounds per child ($15.22); online purchases are less.

www.londoneye.com

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 15, 2025

London Eye (Millennium Wheel)
Westminster Bridge Road London, England SE1 9TA
+44 (870) 500 0600

Highgate CemeteryBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Do Not Mention Vampires"

Quote: Highgate Cemetery is a truly creepy destination. The cemetery was built in 1839. It has an eastern side, with gravestones belonging to Karl Marx, and the writer George Eliot. Then there is the old and wonderfully overgrown western side. Many of the graves had symbols on them to signify what the profession the dead had followed in life. It may sound like a creepy place for an afternoon stroll, but it is very beautiful in a dark sort of way.

The caretakers of Highgate Cemetery do not want to hear the word vampire mentioned at all. In the 1970's, figures were seen in the cemetery, and some groups decided they would kill the vampire. The culprits were jailed for vandalism.

Highgate is open from 10 am weekdays, 11am weekends, and closes: 1st March - 30th October 5pm (last admission 4.30pm) 31st October – 28th February 4pm (last admission 3.30pm). Tickets are cash only, 3 pounds for adults ($4.75) and 2 pounds for students ($3.17).
http://www.highgate-cemetery.org/

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 12, 2025

Highgate Cemetery
Swain's Lane London, England N6
+44 20 8340 1834

The Spaniards InnBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Highwaymen, Bangers and Mash"

Quote: The Spaniards Inn was built around 1585, and is a beautiful oak pannelled pub near Highgate Cemetery. Because of an old toll gate directly across the street, the pub actually sits far enough out into the road to reduce passing cars to only one lane. Dick Turpin, the notorious highwayman, is thought to have been a frequent visitor to this area, lying in wait for wealthy Londoners to rob.
The pub was listed as one of Britain's Best Pubs in 2009. We dined on fish and chips, and bangers and mash, which is sausage and mashed potatoes. The food was hot and excellent, along with the selection of beers.

Spaniards Rd., Hampstead, London.
http://thespaniardshampstead.co.uk/

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 13, 2025

The Spaniards Inn
Spaniards Road London, England NW3 7JJ
(020) 8731-8406

London DungeonBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Dark Side of London"

Quote: The London Dungeon has it all - disease, torture, you name it. This attraction has live actors, who really get into their characters! Your visit begins in the Crypt, and you travel through the Great Plague and the Torture Chamber. Not for the faint of heart or little children! The Courtroom show may find you guilty and sentence you to death by the handman, Sweeney Todd may "take a little off the top", and a trip to the Surgery may find you missing one of your limbs! Every fateful event on the London historic timeline is covered here, including Jack the Ripper and the Great Fire of London. As with most attractions, the tour ends in a gift shop, where you can spend loads if you are into that kind of thing. And after all, you did pay to visit the "Dungeon"...

28-34 Tooley St., London, near the London Bridge tube station
www.the-dungeons.com
open 7 days a week
various open and close times, 9:30 or 10 AM open, 5 - 7 pm closing
there are also various ticket prices, ranging from 10 pounds ($15.83) to 23 pounds ($36.42)

Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 13, 2025

London Dungeon
28-34 Tooley Street London, England SE1
+44 20 7403 7221

Tower of LondonBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "An Iconic Fortress and Must See Attraction"

Tower of London
Quote: The Tower of London was first built in the early 1080's by William the Conqueror, and was added to by countless monarchs. The White Tower was built first, followed by St. Thomas's Tower, and Tower Wharf. There are many must sees here:

The White Tower is made up of the four turrets that are the highest part of the fortress.
The Yeoman Warders, also called "Beefeaters", who are part of the Queen's guards, and entertain visitors every 30 minutes with stories.
The Crown Jewels
The Ravens - legend has it that if the ravens ever leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall.
The Fortress itself, including the battlements.
The Tower Green, where criminals of privilege were executed in private.
The East Wall tour, where you can see the graffiti written on the walls by prisoners.
The Medieval Palace, located in St. Thomas's Tower.

Ghosts include many of King Henry VIII's wives, and even a bear! There are stories of people being buried here, of children disappearing, of Crown Jewels being almost stolen. Costumed actors tell stories and help with the history lesson.

There is also a large gift shop!

www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/
opens at 9 or 10 am, and closes 4:30 or 5:30 pm
18.70 pounds adult ($30.02) and 10.45 child ($16.78), discounts for online purchase

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 16, 2025

Tower of London
Tower Hill London, England EC3N 4AB
+44 (207) 709 0765

Fortune TheatreBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Perfectly Chilling"

Quote: The Fortune Theater opened in 1924, and was the first theater built after WWI. It is Art Deco in style.

The play currently showing is "The Woman in Black", appropriate for our Ghostour: a solicitor is called to a small town for the funeral of a reclusive widow. While there, he experiences chilling noises and is haunted. It is said that seeing the woman in black means that a child will die.

This play has been showing since 1989.

Theater is located on Russell Street, nearest tube station is Covent Garden.
http://www.1st4londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/fortune.shtml
Ticket price 23 pounds ($36.93)

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 16, 2025

Fortune Theatre
Russell Street London, England WC2B 5HH
+44 20 7836 2238

Borley Rectory and ChurchBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "A Beautiful Country Church"

Quote: This is believed to be one of the most haunted places in the world. Borley Church is located in the village of Borley, in Essex, near the Suffolk border. The site of the Rectory was near the present day church, and was built in 1863. It was destroyed in a fire in 1939.

Legend has it that a Benedictine monk had an affair with a nun. Upon discovery, the monk was executed and the nun was bricked up alive in the convent walls. After the Rectory was built, locals heard footsteps, children thought they saw the ghost of a nun, a phantom coach driven by two headless horsemen was seen.

In 1928, the skull of a young woman was found. After this, bells were heard, lights were seen in windows, and the carriage was seen again. Paranormal experts visited, and eventually rented the property and claimed to be in contact with multiple ghosts. People now believe that the investigators made up many of their claims.

During our visit, the church was locked up, but we managed to peep in the windows. The nearby residents do not like people around the church, but we did not see anyone while we were there. Just remember if you visit, that this is a parish church, and just be respectful. Our visit was on a sunny day, but it would certainly look different on a dark day! We also visited nearby Liston Church, which was open, and some of our group climbed up the tower for views of the countryside.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 16, 2025

Borley Rectory and Church
Village Of Borley, Essex, Near The Suffolk Border England, United Kingdom

The Mill Hotel and RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "A Mummified Cat and a meal"

Quote: Well, probably not in that order! We had a wonderful meal in the restaurant at the Mill Hotel. The location is a beautiful one, along the Stour River, in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. The restaurant had wonderful oak beams, and was an excellent place to relax. The water wheel is a prominent feature which can be seen through the windows while you are eating. There is also a hotel here, with 56 rooms.

Legend has it that a woman and her child drowned beneath the wheel while it was still a working mill, and their ghosts have been seen. The more famous draw is the mummified cat which is found in the lobby. Do not look for any information on this on the website - it is not mentioned. Through a glass panel in the floor, you can see the grave of a cat. Once it was thought that this would bring good luck, and would keep ghosts, witches, and other beings away. In 1999, the cat was removed; very soon the road outside the hotel exploded, the office flooded, and the person who moved the remains was in an accident. Nothing else happened once the remains were put back.

http://www.elizabethhotels.co.uk/hotel_SUD.htm

Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 16, 2025

The Mill Hotel and Restaurant
Walnut Tree Lane Sudbury, Suffolk, England CO10 1BD
01787 375544

Ye Olde Trip to JerusalemBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "A Good Meal and more ghostly tales"

Quote: Carved into the rock wall at the foot of Nottingham Castle, stands Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem inn. A very atmospheric place, more than 800 years old, with excellent food, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from 10 am - 11 pm. We dined on the fish and chips, which were hot and delicious.

Legend has it that the Knights of the Crusades gathered here before leaving on their quests.

Beneath the restaurant is a series of caves, which once contained a cockfighting pit and part of the castle gaol, where the condemned spent the last moments of their life.

During and after our meal, we were treated to many ghost stories. Sir Roger Mortimer, allegedly a lover of Queen Isabella, haunts one of the cave tunnels. He was hanged as a traitor. Queen Isabella's ghost is often seen. In 1212, King John held sons of Welsh nobels hostage, and ordered their execution. In the Rock Lounge, you will find a model galleon hanging from the ceiling, covered in cobwebs and dust. People who have cleaned it have died mysteriously, so no one cleans it anymore. Most curious is what is called the "Fertility Chair", which promises a baby to those who sit in it!

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 16, 2025

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
Brewhouse Yard Castle Road Nottingham, England NG1 6AD
(0115) 947-3171

The Original Lincoln Ghost WalkBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "A Master Storyteller"

Quote: Join Margaret Green for a fascinating ghost walk in Lincoln. Her tours run on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 pm from the Tourist Information Center in Castle Square near Lincoln Cathedral. Margaret is so knowledgeable about Lincoln, the area surrounding the Cathedral, and all of the ghosts! She told us many stories:

A ghostly horseman who was bringing a pardon for his friend, but arrived after his friend was executed.
A customer in a pie shop who complained about children playing in the shop - there were no children that day.
A shop owner who greeted his ghost every morning, but forgot one day, and was hit.
A very disturbing account was of the "plague pit" - on nights when Christian ceremonies occur, the dead would rise from the pit, pass through the "judgement door" and enter the church to sing.
In the area near the Postern Gate, people have reported tugs on their clothing when no one was there.

Margaret was an expert storyteller, and I highly recommend her very entertaining tour!

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/norman.green53/ghostwalk.htm

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 16, 2025

The Original Lincoln Ghost Walk
Tourist Information Center In Castle Square Lincoln, England
01522 8744 056

Walking Tour of WhitbyBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Whitby, A Charming Seaside Town"

Quote: In North Yorkshire is a tiny gem by the sea. Perched above the town on the cliffs is Whitby Abbey, the haunting remains of a Benedictine Abbey that once overlooked the North Sea. The Abbey can be reached by climbing 199 steps, or by a leisurely stroll around the back side. The views of the sea were beautiful, as was the views of the town. Many of the houses and buildings had red roofs, which glistened in the sun. Standing at the ruins you look through the graveyard of St. Mary's Church and can see the Royal Hotel, which is where Bram Stoker wrote "Dracula". We had two walks around Whitby, and our guide for both was Harry. He was very entertaining, telling us that Stoker used some Whitby landmarks for the novel (the black dog and the Russian ship which ran aground in the harbor), and telling us so many ghost stories! They were especially spooky since it had turned dark! I think my favorite thing about the walk was the sign on the house that said "Beware of the Children"!

Our meal was at the Magpie Cafe, and I think it was the best fish and chips of the trip!

The Dracula Experience was a very commercial and short journey through the Dracula novel. You walk through a very dark room, and electronic special effects and costumed actors tell the Dracula story.

Also not to be missed is the whalebone arch, which pays tribute to the town's whaling history.

Whitby was a wonderful stop on our itinerary; I only wish we could have spent more time there!

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 17, 2025

Castle RisingBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Impressive Ruin"

Quote: Castle Rising, in Norfolk, England, is an impressive stone ruin from the 12th century. It has served many purposes, but the focus of our tour was Queen Isabella. She, along with her lover, Roger Mortimer, killed the King and assumed the throne. Of course, we found out from our visit to Nottingham, Mortimer was drawn and quartered and haunts the caves there, and Isabella is said to haunt Castle Rising. She did live out the rest of her life there once her son took the throne back.

The Castle is surrounded by huge earthworks, that cover a vast area, with banks that rise to 59 feet.

You visit the gift shop to get your admission ticket and an audio guide.
The Castle is open every day except December 24 - 26, from 10 am to 4 pm, and until 6 pm April through November.
Admission is 4 pounds ($6.35) adult and 2.50 pounds ($3.97) children.

http://www.castlerising.co.uk/main.html

Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 18, 2025

Castle Rising
A149, King's Lynn Norfolk, England PE31 6AH
01553 631330

Cambridge Ghost WalkBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "A Haunting Ghost Walk"

Quote: Cambridge was the end of our Ghostour, but not before getting in one more ghost walk! Our guide was Alan Murdie, a member of the Ghost Club, and Cambridge native. Cambridge is one of England's oldest university towns. So many ghost stories, and Alan weaves haunting tales!

There is a ghost in the vegetarian restaurant. And the Lady in Black, who was killed by the student she was seeing. During a home remodeling project, three heads were found behind the fireplace. There is a gate that was exorcised by a priest. Far more chilling is the story about an old church where you can see the ghosts of anyone in the town who will die - if they stay inside they will die, if they leave, they will live.

Cambridge was a beautiful town, and well worth an extended visit!

There were no prices posted on the website, but here it is:
http://www.ghostclub.org.uk/camghost.htm

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 18, 2025

Cambridge Ghost Walk
27 Philip Road Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 6DH
(01284) 756717

The Anchor PubBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Party Till You Drop"

Quote: This was to be our last night in England, and we always end our tours with a masquerade party. This time we took over the top floor of The Anchor Pub in Cambridge, which dates from 1864. The Anchor is conveniently located next to the River Cam, where you can take a scenic boat ride and soak up the atmosphere. But our mission was to eat and dance the night away! The Anchor is also famous for being a frequent stop for Syd Barrett, the founder of the band Pink Floyd.

The Anchor has a full menu with a wide variety to choose from, at very reasonable prices.

It is open Monday - Thursday, 11 am - 11 pm; Friday - Saturday, 11 am - midnight; and Sunday from noon to 10:30.

http://www.gkpubs.co.uk/pubs-in-cambridge/anchor-pub/

Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Cindy Grant on October 19, 2025

The Anchor Pub
Silver St Cambridge, England
01223 353 554

About the Writer

Cindy Grant

Cindy Grant
Petersburg, Virginia

Get the Word Out

Share this travel journal beyond IgoUgo with your favorite sharing tools.