How to Make it a Historic Halloween

Halloween isn't all about grizzly costumes and carving pumpkins. The tales enjoyed at this time of year, of witches, ghosts and even a devil dog, are knitted into English folklore and have made their mark on our culture and on hundreds of our historic buildings and places.

We have drawn together a list of places across the country which have occult, spooky or ghostly heritage. From the buildings which witnessed the trials and deaths of those accused of witchcraft, to marks in the landscape supposedly left by the devil, follow our unique guide for an alternative, historic Halloween.

  • Witchcraft

    Witch fever swept across the country when witchcraft was made a capital offence in 1563.

  • Devil Folklore

    The Devil has long featured in British folklore, where his supposed sinister acts have marked the landscape.

  • Ghost Stories

    Tales of queens and Roman soldiers to artists and evil masterminds, many of whom are believed to have passed away in unusual ways.

  • Halloween Tales

    Stories of a vampire rabbit perching above a doorway in Newcastle to a Printer's devil crouching in a York shop.

Also of interest

Discovering Witches’ Marks