With Halloween just around the corner, the team here at the Amsterdam Hotel have been spooking each other out by recalling some of London’s scariest Ghost stories.

Never ones to keep all the fiendish fun of the season to ourselves, we shared a few of our favourite terrifying tales below, along with all the information you need to track down more London Ghost Stories for yourself.

Haunted Hampton

Did you know that many of London’s royal palaces are rumoured to have a number of ghouls and ghosts roaming their hallowed halls.

Roughly half an hour away from our Kensington hotel sits Hampton Court Palace, regarded as perhaps the most haunted of all royal residences.

It’s here where The Grey Lady, better known as the ghost of Dame Sybil Penn has been spotted on several occasions, and where, in 2003, visitors frequently saw an ominous apparition which has since been named ‘Skeletor.’

It’s also here where Henry VIII spent much of his time, and where each one of his six wives resided whilst married to the Tudor king. According to witnesses, some of those wives never actually left.

Catherine Howard is largely known to be the figure of the ‘Screaming Lady’ which haunts the palace’s public gallery, though perhaps the most tragic of all Hampton Palace’s many ghost stories is that of Jane Seymour.

The ghost of Jane Seymour

Arriving at the palace originally as a maid servant to Henry’s first wife, she eventually attracted the affections of the King. The two were married within 24 hours of Henry’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, being beheaded.

There are some that say Boleyn’s demise was a carefully orchestrated plan by Seymour, a political move designed to place her on the throne. There are others who said that Jayne was Henry’s one true love, and that the two would have found a way to be together no matter what.

What is certainly unquestionable, is that Seymour gave the king the one thing he wanted more than anything; a male heir. Unfortunately, tragedy struck soon after, and the new mother died within a fortnight of giving birth.

Today, her spirit is said to roam the corridors outside the room where she both birthed her son and passed away. The ghost of Jane Seymour usually appears once a year, around the anniversary of her son’s birth, each time wearing a white gown and carrying a candle.

It is also believed that, upon entering it, those of a more ‘sensitive’ nature can still feel the sadness, pain, and heartbreak that lingered in the room where she died.

London’s Most Haunted House

If you’re looking for the one place sure to provide more London Ghost Stories than anywhere else, look no further than the 50 Berkeley Square, Mayfair.

Labelled the most haunted house in the whole city, the building was first designed in the 1700s, and and it is said that something very sinister lurks within its very foundations, causing several past guests and residents to go completely insane or die of fright.

You can reach 50 Berkeley Square yourself by heading from our hotel to Earls Court Station and taking a 15 minute tube journey to Green Park in Mayfair.

There’s also a fascinating documentary about the house which is well worth a watch.

Ghost Tours

To hear even most ghost stories about London’s long-ago residents, we recommend venturing into the city to take one of the highly popular ghost tours.

The majority of these tours are run by renowned paranormal expert Richard Jones, author of multiple books about London’s ghastly and gruesome past. Richard has appeared on countless TV shows talking about the city’s supernatural side, and was even the historical consultant for hit Living TV show, Most Haunted.

Richard and his team lead several different ghost walks throughout the capital most nights of the week. For full details, see: http://www.london-ghost-walk.co.uk/

The 4th Duke of Norfolk

A little over three miles away from our Kensington hotel, Coutts Bank stands as tall and proud today as it has since the 1600s, making it the seventh oldest bank in the entire world.

Yet as prestigious as it may be, Coutts hasn’t always had reason to be cheerful.

Back in the early 90s, staff at the institution called in renowned spiritualist Eddie Burks, hoping he could help rid the bank of the strange, disturbing phenomenon taking place there.

Lights were known to flicker on and off, ghostly apparitions were seen standing in windows and, in one especially gruesome instant, a beheaded figure appeared before one terrified staff member, almost causing her to have a heart attack.

Burk held a séance and conjured forth the headless figure, revealing it to be the 4th Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Howard. Back in 1572, Howard was falsely accused of treason, and executed for a crime he didn’t commit.

Since that day, the Duke had held a grudge against those responsible for his death, a grudge so strong and so bitter than he was unable to rest in peace, and had been tormenting staff at the bank -close to the site of his execution- ever since.

The spiritualist was finally able to convince Howard to go, and a ceremony was officially held to send him onto his resting place, and his spirit was never seen again.

Do you know a scary story about London or the people who once lived here? Have you ever seen a ghost in the city yourself? Share your stories and experiences with us and other Amsterdam Hotel guests on our Facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/amsterdamhotel