Halloween 2014: From the Screaming Man of Pluckley to the 'White Lady' of the Tower of London - Britain's 20 most haunted places

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/halloween-2014-from-the-screaming-man-of-pluckley-to-the-white-lady-of-the-tower-of-london--britains-20-most-haunted-places-8908708.html

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As the nights draw in, the clocks go back and a chill returns to the air, it's time once again to turn our thoughts to all things spooky, spectral, mysterious and monstrous.

Yes, it's Halloween time again.

Amid the news this week that more people believe in aliens and ghosts than God, and following a year of unusually spooky news (including rather a lot about Black-Eyed Children from one newspaper), let us be your guide on where you should head if you're interested in seeking out the truth about scary spirits and awful apparitions for yourself.

As well as compiling a list of the 20 most haunted places in Britain for the supernaturally curious among readers, it's also worth taking a look at our guide to the spookiest castles around the world and our suggestions on what are the best films to bring a chill down your spine this Halloween.

But first, to our list of the spookiest places in Britain.

While researching our terrifying top twenty - one name repeatedly appeared: The Village of Pluckley, Kent.

The village, in the Ashford district of Kent and close to the North Downs, reportedly has between 12 and 16 ghosts, including 'The Screaming Man', whose howls of agony are heard in the area of the village Brickworks and are reputed to come from the spirit of a man killed after a wall of clay fell on him.

Pluckley ghosts also include the inocuous sounding 'Watercress Woman' - who is the spirit of an elderly lady who reportedly burnt to death when she fell asleep smoking a pipe.

The village is also said to be the home of the spirit of highwayman Robert du Bois who was killed by villagers sick of his criminal ways.

Among the other notable places that appear on our 2014 list is the Tower of London, which is often described as the most haunted building in Britain, and is claimed to host the spirit of a ghostly White Lady and a mournful ghoul said to be Henry VI.

Hampton Court palace also features on the list, infamous for its Royal ghosts, the spirits of Henry VIII's unfortunate wives Catherine Howard and Jane Seymour along with Edward VI's nursemaid, Mistress Penn, are all reputed to have made an appearance in the the royal chambers.