Londons Ghosts & Gruesome Past Nighttime Walking Tour

Explore London’s dark past on a chilling nighttime walking tour. Uncover the city’s ghostly history as you wander through haunting sites, guided by expert storytellers. From gruesome tales of public executions to the horrors of the plague, this immersive experience promises an entertaining yet educational journey into the macabre legends that have shaped the capital’s streets. What secrets lie hidden in the shadows of Smithfield Market and Charterhouse Square? Dare to discover the haunting truth.

Key Points

• This 2-hour nighttime walking tour explores the dark and haunting history of London, taking visitors to sites associated with public executions, plagues, and notorious serial killers.
• Knowledgeable guides captivate the audience with chilling ghost stories and true crime accounts, creating an immersive and memorable experience.
• Highlights include Smithfield Market, Charterhouse Square, St. Bartholomew the Great, Holy Sepulchre Church, and the Old Bailey, each with a grim and macabre past.
• The tour blends spooky narratives with historical context, providing a unique blend of entertainment and education for visitors.
• The tour has received positive customer reviews for its engaging delivery, informative content, and the ability to create an atmospheric and haunting experience.

You can check availability for your dates here:

Tour Overview

The tour, titled "London’s Ghosts & Gruesome Past Nighttime Walking Tour," offers visitors a captivating experience exploring the macabre history and haunting tales of the city.

Priced from $49.00 per person, the 2-hour tour is wheelchair accessible and conducted in English. Guests can reserve their spot and pay later. Cancellations are free up to 24 hours in advance.

The tour departs from Farringdon Underground Station, taking participants to historical sites like Smithfield Market, Charterhouse Square, and the Old Bailey.

Led by professional storytellers and scholars, the tour promises an entertaining blend of spooky narratives, history, and humor.

Itinerary Highlights

The tour begins at Farringdon Underground Station, where participants explore several key stops along the route.

At Smithfield Market, they learn about the site’s dark history of public executions.

Next, they visit Charterhouse Square to discuss the devastating impact of plagues on London.

The group then heads to the 900-year-old St. Bartholomew the Great, which holds haunting stories.

They also stop at the William Wallace Memorial to gain historical context about Scotland’s freedom fighter.

The tour concludes at the Holy Sepulchre Church, which has a history of grave-robbing and body trade, and the Old Bailey, the site of England’s most notorious serial killer.

The Guide and the Tour Experience

Professional storytellers and scholars guide participants through this immersive nighttime walking tour.

The content explores macabre tales, including:

Chilling ghost stories, true crime accounts, public executions, and the impact of plagues – a deep dive into London’s macabre past.

• Chilling ghost stories rooted in London’s haunted past

• True crime accounts of infamous serial killers

• Historical narratives surrounding public executions and grave robbing

• Captivating discussions on the impact of plagues on the city

This atmospheric experience leads visitors through haunted graveyards, plague pits, and other historical sites, blending spooky narratives with humor and historical context.

Guests praise the guides for their informative, entertaining, and passionate delivery.

Customer Reviews

Tourists overwhelmingly praise the London’s Ghosts & Gruesome Past Nighttime Walking Tour, awarding it an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 14 reviews.

Reviewers highlight the knowledgeable and engaging guides, who bring the macabre tales and history to life with passion and humor. Customers appreciate the well-crafted blend of spooky narratives, historical context, and entertaining commentary.

The tour’s ability to transport participants through haunted graveyards and plague pits while delivering a memorable experience is widely commended.

More Great Tours Nearby

Smithfield Market: Echoes of Public Executions

One of the first stops on the tour is the iconic Smithfield Market, a site that has borne witness to the ghastly spectacle of public executions throughout London’s history.

This grim legacy is still palpable, as visitors can sense the echoes of the past within the market’s walls. The tour guide recounts the chilling details of these public events, which served as a form of entertainment and a warning to the populace.

The market’s macabre history includes:

• Hangings of heretics and criminals

• Burnings of "witches" at the stake

• Beheadings of political dissidents

• Disembowelments of traitors

Charterhouse Square: The Scars of Plague

As the tour moves on from the grisly history of public executions at Smithfield Market, the group now finds themselves in the serene confines of Charterhouse Square.

This historic site served as a plague pit during London’s devastating outbreaks. The guide explains the immense toll these pandemics took, with mass graves scattered across the area.

Visitors can feel the weight of this somber history, as the square’s peaceful ambiance belies the suffering that once took place.

The guide recounts harrowing tales of the Black Death, painting a vivid picture of the fear and devastation that gripped the city during those dark times.

St. Bartholomew the Great: Haunting History

The 900-year-old St. Bartholomew the Great stands as a haunting relic of London’s dark past.

Once a place of refuge, this historic church now carries tales of the macabre.

Visitors will explore:

• The church’s role in hosting the trials of heretics and the condemned.

• Rumors of ghostly apparitions, including a monk who wanders the cloisters.

• Chilling accounts of the church’s use as a morgue during the Great Plague.

• The mysterious death of a priest, whose spirit is said to linger within the sanctuary.

Stepping into this hallowed ground, the tour uncovers the haunting history that whispers through the ancient walls.

The Holy Sepulchre Church: Grave Robbers and Body Trade

Amidst the historical tapestry of London’s churches, the Holy Sepulchre stands as a somber reminder of the city’s grim past.

This medieval church has witnessed the darker side of human nature – the macabre trade of body snatching. In the 18th and 19th centuries, grave robbers would exhume fresh corpses to sell them to medical schools, a practice known as "resurrecting".

The church’s crypt served as a hiding place for these illicit activities, a chilling testament to the lengths people would go to further scientific knowledge.

Today, the church’s solemn atmosphere evokes the harrowing history that once unfolded within its walls.

The Sum Up

London’s Ghosts & Gruesome Past Nighttime Walking Tour offers a captivating exploration of the city’s haunting history. Guided by expert storytellers, visitors embark on a 2-hour journey through eerie sites, uncovering grim tales of executions, plagues, and notorious criminals. This immersive experience provides an entertaining yet educational glimpse into London’s macabre past, leaving participants with a newfound appreciation for the city’s chilling allure.

You can check availability for your dates here: