Ghostly goings on: Haringey and Enfield's most haunted places

Sites across Haringey and Enfield have hosted many ghostly sightings and experiences that have dumbfounded experts and lent weight to those who believe in the undead.

Here, we explore some of north London's most haunted hotspots and unearth the legends and stories behind their reputations...

Forty Hall, Forty Hill, Enfield (above)

Visitors to this historic building have experienced ghostly goings on since it was opened to the public in 1951. People have reported feelings of being watched or followed by a ghost as they make their way around the corridors of the 17th Century building.

Most of the paranormal experiences have occurred on the first floor landing on the main staircase, as well as what locals call ‘Raintom’s Bedroom’. Several years ago, when the room was sealed off to the public, the bedclothes were often found disturbed, as though someone had been sleeping in them. A group of paranormal investigators visited the museum last year and reported feeling a presence on the first floor landing.

Bruce Castle, Lordship Lane, Tottenham (above)

This grade-one listed 16th Century manor has received a reputation as the home of ‘the Ghostly Lady of Bruce Castle’. Little is known about the early life of the woman but it is speculated that she committed suicide and her spirit roams the grounds of Tottenham’s oldest park.

Highgate Cemetery, Swains Lane, Highgate (above)

Numerous ghostly sightings have been reported at the burial place of the late political philosopher Karl Marx. David Farrant, a British occultist, claims he saw an eerie seven foot tall spirit outside the gates of the cemetery. The spirit was nicknamed ‘The Highgate Vampire’. A group of ghost hunters named the North London Paranormal Investigators backed up Mr Farrant’s claim, insisting they also ran into a tall dark figure that appeared in front of them on a visit.

Gloucester Drive, Finsbury Park

Residents claim the footsteps of an invisible and unknown pedestrian can be heard on Gloucester Drive, in Finsbury Park, late at night. Witnesses say they hear the footsteps starting outside number seven and continuing across the front gardens, with cracking twigs breaking the deadly silence of the dark street. Gloucester Road's reputation earned it the title of Britain’s fifth most haunted street.

Number 8 Ferrestone Road, Hornsey (above)

This seemingly normal residential property in north London became known as the haunt of the ‘Hornsey Coal Ghost’ after many sightings and paranormal experiences over the best part of a century. A violent poltergeist was said to be tormenting the house in the 1920s, and a number of strange events were reported in the property in 1999, including sudden changes in temperature. A crypt was discovered submerged in the garden under foliage some time ago, providing a possible clue as to the reasons for the spooky experiences.

The Rose and Crown, Clay Hill, Enfield (above)

This popular old-fashioned public house was once owned by the grandfather of infamous highwayman Dick Turpin. Rumour has it that the serial robber would use the drinking hole as a hideout after his violent crimes. For decades, punters have reported seeing his ghostly figure outside the pub, sometimes accompanied by his horse.

Myddleton House, Bull’s Cross, Enfield (above)

This impressive historic estate was formerly the home of Edward Augustus Bowles, one of Britain’s most famous self-taught gardeners, artists and expert botanists. A caretaker working at the 19th Century home claims she once saw a man in a suit walking towards an exhibition group while she was cleaning the ground floor. But as she followed him in to tick him off the list, he vanished, leading to a widely-held  belief that the estate is haunted.

Hadley Road, Enfield (above)

Legend has it the ghost of a witch who lived in Hadley Road in the 1600s haunts this sometimes eerie country lane. She was reportedly executed in 1622 for witchcraft and residents insist that on cold, misty nights, her ghostly form returns.