It’s a hard graft, you know, choosing a haunted hotel to stay in. I didn’t know it was such a big thing. But honestly, go on Trip Advisor and type in Haunted hotels – it’s like a digital hunger games with everycunt doing their best to prove their ghost is better than all the others
When my Mum and I first decided to go on a big ghostly weekender, the hotel we were planning to stay in was apparently haunted by a naked woman wearing clogs who stalks around the car park. In the end we decided against it because all of the reviews said it was too noisy outside and they couldn’t sleep… although I don’t know what they expected really, from a car park haunted by Naked McClogface.
Another hotel we looked into boasts that their ghostly apparition is Mary Queen of Scots…. Yeahhh ok I’m sure it is. Like she doesn’t have anywhere better to go!? It’s a bit like how The Excelsior in Liverpool is still resting their laurels on the fact that Hitler drank there once.
Eventually we decided to stay in The Black Swan, which claimed to be the most Haunted Hotel in York with just three bedrooms – each with it’s own resident ghost. I was hoping for the man in the bowler hat who tuts rather than just the pair of legs that apparently roamed around one of the rooms all night. Russian Roulette though, amiright?
After seeing nothing paranormal on the first night, we decided to take our hunt further afield to the many ghostly pubs in York, and this is where I come into my own – because if there’s one thing I know, it’s decent drinking establishments. So here are my top four creepy pubs in York:
#4. The Golden Fleece
Famously the most haunted pub in York claiming to has 15 resident spooks… which is why it doesn’t get number one on this list. Not because it wasn’t creepy AF… but with a big “most haunted” sign above the door, you feel like you’re promised a ghostly sighting on entry, so you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment. Well worth a visit though, if you can find a seat!
#3. The Old White Swan
Ok, technically I didn’t really spend any time in this pub – but it gets a mention on the list for having the cutest courtyard I’ve sat in for a long time. Picture a Georgian courtyard… but with fairy lights and heaters! Also, rumour has it, that in 1781, the world’s tallest man was exhibited here, (honestly I don’t know whether he was alive or dead – I had assumed alive when I was told the story but, honestly, now I’m not so sure) and the then landlord charged onlookers a shilling.
#2. The Black Swan Inn
I might be being a bit biased because we stayed here – but between the roaring log fire and the weird and wonderful paraphernalia dotted round the bar this was definitely the type of place you can imagine to be haunted. Plus it had a really decent little beer garden in the sun, which I loved – even if I did get bollocked for climbing a fire escape to have a look round.
(Cute photo of me and all my mates.)
#1. House Of The Trembling Madness
This was my absolute favourite pub in York, that we came across completely by chance after drunk-googling karaoke bars one night. You have to go through an off-license and up a flight of sketchy stairs to find it – but when you you’ll find this quirky little medieval bar that apparently dates back to 1180!
Maybe it was because we were actively looking for them, or maybe it’s because ghosts don’t exist, but we didn’t see anything spooky -truthfully, I think you would have seen a Scarlett-shaped hole in the door had I actually seen a ghost. Although, I did see a 600 year old hand… but I guess that’s a story for another day.
Until next time… x
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