This spooky season have a Halloween treat, travelling by train to one of SoGlos’s handpicked 10 destinations for a devilish day out.
All 10 of the spookiest places to visit by train are easily accessible on the GWR network from Gloucestershire train stations, including Cheltenham, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Cam and Dursley, Stonehouse, Moreton-in-Marsh and Kemble.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein in Bath
Offering two for one tickets when travelling on GWR services, visitors are invited to step inside the dark and disturbing world of Mary Shelley at Bath’s spookiest attraction. Learn about the author who invented science fiction and her tragic past, including her relationships with romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron; see a life-size animatronic version of Dr Frankenstein’s creation, just as Mary Shelley envisioned him; or try to escape from Victor’s Lair.
For the boldest souls, brave the venue after the sun sets at its 'After Dark Purgatory' events from Friday 21 to Monday 31 October 2022. Be warned, it's not for the faint-hearted, but thankfully there's a stiff drink at Bloody Mary's Bar, if you make it through to the end.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein is located on Gay Street, around a 12-minute walk from Bath Spa train station.
Bristol Old Vic
Said to be haunted by the ghost of its former manager, Sarah Macready, staff and visitors to the Bristol Old Vic theatre are said to have felt her spectral presence, smelt her lavender perfume and even heard her voice telling them to ‘get out’!
The architect behind the theatre’s redevelopment famously saw a ghostly figure wearing a white dress with long black hair that people believe to be Sarah Macready. Spooky!
Bristol Old Vic is on King Street, around 16-minutes’ walk from Bristol Temple Meads train station.
The Tower of London
As well as being home to the Crown Jewels, the Tower of London was once a fearsome prison where some of history’s most famous figures were incarcerated. After being accused of both adultery and plotting against King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn was imprisoned at the Tower of London before her execution on Tower Green in 1536.
Legend has it that Richard III imprisoned his young nephews in the Tower of London before their mysterious disappearance; Lady Jane Grey was kept at the Tower before being charged with high treason and sentenced to death; and following the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, Guy Fawkes was imprisoned and tortured at the Tower before his execution.
The Tower of London is around 35 minutes away from London Paddington via the new Elizabeth line from Paddington to Whitechapel.
Oxford Castle and Prison
Famed for being one of the most haunted places in the UK, Oxford’s Norman motte-and-bailey castle, which was transformed into a prison, has been terrifying visitors for 1,000 years.
Its annual Ghost Fest in October takes visitors on spooky ghost tours telling stories of its gruesome past, while dedicated ghost hunters can hire the castle exclusively and even brave the sleepover package to spend a night within its walls!
Oxford Castle and Prison is eight-minutes’ walk from Oxford train station.
Worcester Cathedral
The tomb of the heinous King John lies within Worcester Cathedral. His reign of terror included high taxes, rebellion and civil war and, as legend has it, the king asked for his corpse to be dressed as a monk to try and trick his way into heaven.
But John isn’t the only terrifying figure that resides in Worcester Cathedral. Visitors have reported seeing a spectral bear rise up on its hind legs as if to attack, before disappearing.
Worcester Cathedral is on College Green, around 12-minutes’ walk from Worcester Foregate Street station.
Cardiff Castle
From Roman fort, Norman stronghold to Victorian palace, Cardiff Castle is one of the most significant historical sites in Wales – and it’s rumoured to be haunted too.
On its ghost tours, as well as visiting the library which is supposedly haunted by the second Marquess of Bute, visitors to Cardiff Castle can also step inside the room in which the third Marquess of Bute is said to have conducted strange rituals and attempts to summon the dead. There is also a legend of a phantom horse and carriage which people believe is a harbinger of death!
Cardiff Castle is a 10-minute walk away from Cardiff Central station.
The Health Hydro in Swindon
This beautiful Grade II listed building is home to two Victorian swimming baths and the oldest continuously functioning Turkish bath suite, all on the site of the former GWR Medical Fund Society headquarters, known as ‘the blueprint for the NHS.’
But this historic site has more than meets the eye, as The Health Hydro in Swindon is also a hotspot for ghost hunters. According to paranormal investigators, two figures haunt the building, with visitors reporting objects moving on their own, lights turning on and off, inexplicable noises and odours in the air. Some have even reported hearing footsteps walking down the tiled corridors, as well as disembodied voices.
The Health Hydro is on Milton Road, a 10-minute walk from Swindon station.
London Dungeon
With 1,000 years of horrifying history brought to life, London Dungeon is a must-visit for fans of the macabre.
Descend below ground in the medieval lift; take a boat trip through Traitor’s Gate to the Tower of London; learn the explosive history behind the gunpowder plot; see inside the torture chamber; and meet a host of creepy characters, from Sweeney Todd to Jack The Ripper. For those brave enough, there’s even a Drop Dead: Drop Ride inspired by Newgate Gallows.
London Dungeon is around 25 minutes from London Paddington on the London Underground.
Brunel’s SS Great Britain in Bristol
One of Bristol’s most famous landmarks is also one of its most haunted. The impressive ship, built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, has many stories of tragedies, deaths and disappearances connected to it, which have led many to believe that ghosts may be aboard.
It was also featured on TV show Most Haunted, with the paranormal investigators looking for evidence of the ghosts who reportedly walk its decks. There’s even a chance to sleepover on the ship too.
SS Great Britain is around half an hour’s walk from Bristol Temple Meads station.
National Museum Cardiff
According to local legend, the National Museum Cardiff is haunted by two spectral figures. Visitors are said to have felt the ghostly presence of Lord Ninian Crichton-Stuart, son of the third Marquess of Bute, around the statue of him in the museum’s gardens.
Arnold Dunbar Smith, the building’s architect whose ashes were removed from the museum, is also said to haunt its halls.
National Museum Cardiff is around an 18-minute walk from Cardiff Central station.
