Why do we love to be scared? Tell the kids about a haunted house and they won’t be able to resist the temptation to push open the door and take a peek inside – only to run screaming at the rustle of the trees of a creaky floorboard.
London has got more than its fair share of haunted houses – but which are the most haunted of the lot?
Head over to Romney Road, Greenwich if you’re in the area and take a look at The Queens House, built in 1635 for Henrietta Maria, the first queen of Charles this is definitely one of the most elegant buildings in the area – with its own resident ghosts. The story goes that back in 1966 a couple took a photograph of the unique Tulip designed staircase only to discover two figures in the photograph once they’d returned home and had the film developed. The skeptics among you may like to know that a bucket load of experts have been unable to discover anything other than the fact that they were actually present when the photograph was taken.
Oh, I’ve gone all shivery and I’m not even close to Greenwich!
Another spooks delight can be visited in Handel’s House Museum on Brook Street, Mayfair, London. The newly built house was home to George Frideric Handel for a total of 36 years, he actually died in his bedroom there in 1759. The house was opened to the public as a museum in 2001 when mysterious goings on began to be reported. Has the spirit of Handel been reawakened in the house? Numerous people have reported sightings and lingering perfumes – the trust even called in a Priest to see what was going on.
If you’re interested in “things that go bump in the night” it may well be worth a visit. Incidentally, the legendary Jimi Hendrix lived next door in the late 60’s and also reported seeing ghosts whilst he was there.
Go take a look – if you dare.