London's Spookiest Pubs

When people think of the streets of London, they see red buses, large palaces and that shadowy figure stalking the streets at night. A city like this has such a long and prominent history that people will often claim to have seen ghosts and phantom figures from the past.

Individuals come from far and wide just to see where criminals were hanged for petty crimes or where a Queen was locked away before her execution. But, there’s more to London than these famous sites. Maybe that bar you’re so fond of has a dark secret you knew nothing about?

The Flask in Highgate

Like the Flask in Highgate. According to local legend, two ghosts haunt this 18th Century pub. One is a Spanish bar maid who ended up in an unrequited love affair with the bar owner; in a fit of rage, she hanged herself in the basement. It is said you can see her spirit late at night. Meanwhile, upstairs in the bar, people have said they have seen an unknown soldier wandering the room.

“This pub has a very interesting history,” said the Flask’s Assistant Manager Brian Graham. “I once heard that it was a place for chopping up dead bodies. I think it was for dissections, but I can’t say for certain.”

The Volunteer on Baker Street

For some people, dealing with the spirit world has become an everyday occurrence. The Volunteer on Baker Street is haunted by a Victorian gentleman called Rupert Neville; his house burnt to the ground hundreds of years ago killing his family.

“It’s become a running joke now,” said Juan Teixeira, a barman. “Every time something goes wrong in the bar, we just blame Neville, like when the coffee machine stops working someone always says ‘oh Neville, not again.”

The Viaduct Tavern, St. Pauls

But when it comes to pubs with a dark past, the Viaduct Tavern near St Paul’s Cathedral has one of the blackest histories imaginable. The cellar still has five prison cells intact. Many prisoners died as these cells would often hold at least 20 people in a confined space. If you ask politely, the bar staff will take you to see them.

People often congregate in the Viaduct to perform séances and many of the punters have had strange experiences there. One woman is said to have felt a cold hand on her face when entering the cells and fainted; she has never stepped foot in there again.

“Strange things happen when people rent the bar out for a séance,” said Magda Tomala, the Bar Manager. “I remember seeing a table fly across the room on one occasion. Another time, I was in the bar when I heard some rattling in the cells downstairs, I thought someone must have separated from the group as I knew everyone was upstairs, but when I went down there I couldn’t find anyone.”

So, if you decide to pop into one of these spooky pubs between visiting museums and seeing shows, think twice before you shrug off that cold breath on your neck.