As Autumn ensnares us in its cosy, cooling embrace, and as we all start to turn on the heating and cuddle up with mugs of hot chocolate, one thing is for sure: Halloween is on its way to our fair city. And as the spooky season approaches, we’re all weighing up our scaredy-pants nature with a desire to explore London’s haunted side. If you’re looking for a haunted woods or a ghostly moors to explore, you’re in luck, because recent research* has uncovered where to find the UK’s spookiest waks. And one of them is right here in London.
Wistman’s Wood took the crown as the spookiest walk in the UKthanks to eerie twisted trees and “local legends of ghostly hounds and ancient druids”. The Aevbury Stone Circle snuck into second position on the list, closely followed by Culloden Battlefield. Rounding out the list in 10th position (it still counts!) was our own Highgate Cemetery.
To find out where the UK’s spookiest walks are located, the team at GO Outdoors analysed Tripadvisor reviews for mentions of spooky keywords and cross-referenced with paranormal sightings in the area.
While Highgate Cemetery only came in at number 10 on the list, it scored higher than any other spooky walk in many categories. Highgate Cemetery had the most overall reviews mentioning ‘spooky’ keywords (1,269), and in turn had the highest percentage of its reviews mentioning ‘spooky’ keywords (40.5%). It’s also situated in the most haunted area, with the highest score for “total paranormal sightings (county)” with a whopping, and foreboding, 666 sightings.
The UK’s spookiest walks
Looking for somewhere to take an eerie stroll this autumn? Here are the top 10 spookiest walks in the UK:
- Wistman’s Wood, Devon
- Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire
- Culloden Battlefield, Highland
- Greyfriars Kirkyard Walk, Edinburgh
- Pendle Hill, Lancashire
- Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire
- Whitby Abbey & Clifftop Walks, North Yorkshire
- The Rollright Stones, Oxfordshire
- Hound Tor, Devon
- Highgate Cemetery, London
Just remember to be respectful as you head out on your haunted hike. Said Natalie Wolfenden, Author and Hiking Enthusiast at GO Outdoors:
“While walking through a spooky setting can be exciting, remember that many of these locations are steeped in history. Whether it’s ancient woodlands or historic battlefields, make sure to be respectful and leave no trace.”
*Research conducted by Go Outdoors using data from September 16.
