Murder, monks and mystery, highwaymen and pirates – we take a stroll through haunted Bristol, city of ghosts.
Bristol is a brilliant city. You’ve got great food, indie shops, street art at every turn, and more than enough harbour-side fresh air to justify that second slice of cake. So why, when we visited a while ago, did we find ourselves heading straight for the dark side?
Simple, really. We love a good ghost walk, and Bristol’s history is deliciously murky. You can book a guided tour with theatrics and a guide in a top hat, and honestly, we’d recommend it. But we also went exploring on our own, tracking down some of the city’s most notoriously haunted spots. Here’s what we found.
Bristol Old Vic
Britain’s longest continuously running theatre, so of course it’s haunted. The ghost most often encountered is Sarah Macready, who managed the theatre for nearly two decades from 1829 until her death in 1853. By all accounts a formidable woman, she clearly has no intention of leaving.
Over the years, many people have sensed her ghostly presence, caught a whiff of her lavender perfume, heard her voice and even felt her breath on their face. One particularly memorable encounter involved a security guard doing his evening rounds with his Alsatian, Rex. The dog, usually unflappable, rooted himself to the spot and refused to move, just before a woman’s voice rang out from the darkness: “Get out.” The guard caught the unmistakable scent of lavender and, wisely, chose to leave.
Then there’s Richard, a backstage worker killed in an accident, who apparently expresses his displeasure by moving props around and switching lights on and off. Theatre people are famously superstitious. Richard is not helping.
The Llandoger Trow
Dating back to 1664, this is one of King Street’s most iconic buildings, with its distinctive timber-framed gables. It closed in 2019 to considerable local dismay, but after nearly two years of closure with a major restoration, it reopened under new owners in June 2021.
The literary connections alone are worth the visit. Legend says Daniel Defoe met Alexander Selkirk here, a Scottish privateer who had spent more than four years as a castaway on an uninhabited island, and Selkirk’s story supposedly inspired Robinson Crusoe. Robert Louis Stevenson also allegedly based the Admiral Benbow Inn from Treasure Island on this very pub.
And then there’s the small matter of a young local named Edward Teach, who later became rather better known as Blackbeard. He regularly boozed in King Street and almost certainly drank in The Trow.
As for the ghosts, paranormal activity is said to take place on the upper floor, with staff describing hearing a disabled boy with a metal plate on his leg crying and pulling himself across the old wooden floorboards. The pub reportedly houses at least 15 ghosts in total, all apparently vying for attention. One would imagine the atmosphere is lively.
Pembroke Road, Clifton
We were staying in Clifton Village, and had strolled up and down Pembroke Road several times before discovering it was once called All Gallows Lane.
The junction where it meets Clifton Down was the territory of 18th-century highwayman Jenkins Protheroe, who plied his trade there until he was eventually caught, hanged at the very spot he’d terrorised, and buried at the crossroads beneath it. It’s a green space now. Perfectly pleasant in daylight. We’ll leave the night-time assessment to braver souls.
Christmas Steps Arts Quarter
One of Bristol’s most charming streets, all indie shops and art galleries. But before it was a nice place to browse vintage prints, this narrow lane had a considerably grimmer reputation.
Back in the 1660s, public gallows stood nearby, and people walking through have reported hearing a man screaming for his life, with no visible source for the sound.
The street has had a few names over the centuries, including Knyfesmyth Street after the tradesmen who worked there, and even a brief stint as Lunsford’s Stairs, named after Cavalier officer Colonel Henry Lunsford reportedly killed on the steps during the Civil War.
Other alleged sightings include a young Victorian girl and a woman in black who, according to one rather rattled local, once joined someone uninvited at their dinner table. Charming.
The Rummer Hotel
One of the oldest coaching inns in the UK, the Rummer Hotel has entertained guests like Elizabeth I and Oliver Cromwell. But it also has its fair share of otherworldly visitors.
There’ve been several sightings of a wraith-like young girl in the hotel, and the torso of a man has been seen warming himself at an open fire. Just the torso. No further details on that one.
Perhaps he’s waiting for someone to buy him a pint.
The White Hart
Built in 1674 on the site of an old priory, you might expect the monks to be the ones causing trouble. But no. The spiritual disruptor here is George, killed by his own brother during a brawl in the 1700s, who has apparently never quite got over it.
Staff and regulars regularly report sensing his presence, and there’s a long-standing tradition of leaving flowers on the bar to keep him calm. Whether it works is, frankly, anyone’s guess. Spooky orbs have also been captured on the pub’s CCTV, which is either fascinating or an excellent reason to upgrade the security system.
The Odeon Cinema
This one is less ghost story, more unsolved murder mystery, and it has haunted this corner of Bristol for nearly eighty years. The iconic art deco building on Union Street opened on 16 July 1938, finally closing in 2026.
During a 1946 screening of Rudyard Kipling’s The Light That Failed, five gunshots rang out in Screen 3. Everyone assumed it was part of the film. It wasn’t. The cinema manager, Robert Parrington-Jackson, was later found dead in his office, in what appeared to be a robbery gone wrong, except the keys to the safe were still in his pocket. The case remains officially unsolved, though a petty criminal named Billy ‘The Fish’ Fisher allegedly gave a deathbed confession to his son in 1989 claiming responsibility.
Before it closed witnesses claim to have seen a male apparition matching Jackson’s appearance. He was most frequently spotted wearing evening dress, which was the standard uniform for cinema managers at the time and visitors to Screen 3 have reported seeing a figure in the third row, cold spots, and unexplained banging. The kind of noises you’d very much rather were the central heating boiler!
Wonder where Jackson hangs out now.
SS Great Britain
Brunel’s masterpiece, and genuinely one of Bristol’s finest attractions regardless of whether you’re interested in the supernatural. But if you are, there’s plenty to work with.
The ship’s most retold haunting is that of Captain John Grey, who vanished one night after falling ill during a voyage and was never seen again, with some saying it was suicide and others claiming he was murdered for gold stored in his cabin. Ever since, passengers and staff have reported hearing the heavy tread of hobnail boots across the deck.
A sailor who fell to his death from the rigging has been witnessed all over the ship, along with the ghost of a young newlywed who died on board. And before the ship opened to the public, a group of workers reportedly watched a woman walking the Promenade Deck who had no business being there.
Haunted or not, the SS Great Britain has an amazing atmosphere, thanks to the restoration work that’s been done.
Want to do it properly?
If a self-guided wander sounds a little too DIY, Bristol has several excellent organised options. The Haunted and Hidden Bristol tour, run by John, a guide with nearly 20 years’ experience, has won TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award and combines eerie local history with sharp humour, a pub stop, and even some TV and film locations along the way. The Bristol Ghost Tour runs from March through to the end of December, departing at 7:30pm from outside Bristol Cathedral on College Green.
If you’ve enjoyed browsing our website, learned something new, or just had a smile because of what we do – we’d love your support to keep the good stuff brewing!
Travelling soon? Things to do and attractions not to miss with Get Your Guide …
Where to next?
• Haunted Hotels in Brighton and Hove
• Ghost towns of Britain
• Best UK ghost walks