Haunted underground stations in London

Haunted underground stations in London

With a story going back about 2,000 years, there's no question that London is a city steeped in history. And what does history mean? Hauntings of course! And there's no place where you're more likely to spot a ghost around the city than on the dark and subterranean London Underground network. If you want to meet some of the ghosts of the Underground we can suggest some of the top places where you might see a spirit for yourself. This is our guide to haunted underground stations in London – don't have nightmares.

In this guide
  1. London's haunted tube stations
    1. Farringdon – Listen for the screams
    2. Covent Garden – Murder victim in Theatreland
    3. King's Cross St Pancras – Site of a tragic fire
    4. Elephant & Castle – Mystery passenger
    5. Liverpool Street – Station on a plague pit
    6. Holborn – Stalked by an Egyptian princess
    7. Bethnal Green – Wartime terror
    8. Bank – Stalking the station
    9. Aldgate – Miracle-working ghost
    10. Embankment – Spooking the staff
    11. South Kensington – Unexplained ghost train

London's haunted tube stations

Farringdon

Listen for the screams

Sometimes the Hammersmith & City line is enough to make you scream but that's not the source of the sounds sometimes heard after dark in Farringdon station. Many witnesses have reported hearing these horrible noises over the years and they're rumoured to be caused by Anne Naylor, a 13 year old apprentice hat-maker who was murdered by her employer in the 18th century. Farringdon station sits on the site where her body was abandoned.

Covent Garden

Murder victim in Theatreland

Covent Garden is always bustling with the living but sightings of the dead have been reported here too. A tall man wearing a hat and cloak is reported to roam the station at night, having terrified some TfL workers so much they've requested transfers. This mystery man is claimed to be William Terriss, an actor who was murdered in 1897. Whilst alive, he frequented the bakery that stood on the present-day site of Covent Garden station.

King's Cross St Pancras

Site of a tragic fire

As noted by a small memorial inside the station, in 1987 King's Cross St Pancras station was the site of a devastating fire that killed 31 people. Since the 1990s, a woman has frequently been seen screaming and crying in the station. She is often sighted in a distressed state running past (and sometimes through) bemused commuters.

Elephant & Castle

Mystery passenger

The winding corridors of Elephant & Castle station mean it's a prime hotspot for haunting action. Numerous passengers and transport workers have reported mysterious noises, unexplainable footsteps, and doors that are opened by unseen hands. Most creepy of all though, it's often been reported that a young woman boards the train at this station but is never seen to get off again. To date, no one has come up with a plausible explanation of who she is or where she goes.

Liverpool Street

Station on a plague pit

Both passengers and transport workers have reported spooky sightings at Liverpool Street station for years now. Unusual figures have been spotted at night on the CCTV cameras and numerous passengers have reported seeing a man in overalls pacing the platforms. For years it was claimed that the station was built on a mass burial site, and in 2015 it actually turned out to be true. Thousands of skeletons were found buried on the site in a plague pit.

Holborn

Stalked by an Egyptian princess

British Museum station was abandoned decades ago but the ghost here is so malevolent that the effects can be felt in nearby Holborn as well. The terrifying ghost here is rumoured to be the Egyptian princess Amun-ra, and she's been blamed for the disappearance of two women from Holborn station in 1935, as well as for mysterious marks appearing on the walls and strange sounds in the station's tunnels. 

Bethnal Green

Wartime terror

Like many underground stations, Bethnal Green served as an air raid shelter during World War II. As noted by a memorial outside the station today, tragedy struck in 1943 when almost 200 people died during a stampede to get into the station for safety. Numerous workers at the site have reported hearing the sounds of panic and women and children screaming and crying. The noise is said to start off quietly before growing into a loud cacophony.

Bank

Stalking the station

The sheer size of Bank station can make changing trains feel a bit creepy if you're alone but there's reason to suggest you really should be afraid. A sinister dark figure has been seen wandering the station at night, known as the Black Nun. She stalks the station mourning her executed brother, who worked on the site when it really was a bank. A vile smell and a sense of melancholy have also been reported here. It might be just because of how far you have to walk or it might be because the station is built on a mass grave.

Aldgate

Miracle-working ghost

Aldgate is another station that's allegedly built on top of a plague pit. Unexplained sounds and mysterious moving objects have often been seen at the station, but the most compelling story is the case of an electrician working on the site who was electrocuted with a fatal voltage but somehow survived. Colleagues claimed to have seen a transparent woman stroking his hair just before the electrocution.

Embankment

Spooking the staff

At Embankment station there's a tunnel that's not accessible to the public, known as Pages Walk. It's still frequented by TfL employees and numerous workers have reported strange experiences here. Multiple staff members have recounted feeling like they're being watched, encountering unexplained cold spots, and seeing doors inexplicably open and close when no one else is around.

South Kensington

Unexplained ghost train

Ghosts aren't always people – at South Kensington they take the form of a train too. As recently as in 2013, unsuspecting passengers waiting for the last train at the station have reported hearing a sharp whistling sound before seeing a train pull in with a ghostly figure clinging to the side of it. A moment later, the train heads off into the tunnel. It was first sighted in the 1920s and no records have ever been able to account for it.

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Editors

At Thatsup, we have extensive experience of guiding our readers to a city’s hidden gems. Since 2008, our editors have been writing insightful guides covering restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, and hairdressers, among other things. Our guides consist of carefully selected tips based on our local knowledge and are regularly updated with the help of our focus group, where we collectively discuss selections and content. We are constantly working to inspire and provide you with the best possible experience, no matter where you are or what you are looking for.