Humans are both fascinated and terrified by the unexplainable. The call of the void. The things in life we can’t comprehend. For many the bane of contention is focussed on the self and within the realm of the living, what makes us alive. But for many, this curiosity is based less on who we are … and more focussed on who they are. Who, you ask? The spirits that run rampant around Brighton.
Frequently considered the most haunted place in Britain, Brighton is filled with wraiths, bodachs, spectres and any other word for ghost you could imagine. The most infamous being The Hair-raising ‘Blue Nun‘, a ghost that appears throughout Brighton, excusive to nowhere, but still favouring certain locations.
If that intro fascinates you, than you’ve heard nothing yet. So grab your Spirit box, hoist up your jumpsuit and keep the streams clear, as I take take you through Brighton’s most famous haunted buildings. Read on if you dare!
1. The Theatre Royal
The Theatre Royal is a historic venue dating back to the 19th century. It is believed to be haunted by the ghost of an actress, with many visitors to the theatre having reported seeing her ghostly figure around the building, most commonly in the dressing rooms. The first reported sighting was in the backstage area in 1960 by the theatre’s then manager, Melville Gilliam.
This would mark the first official staff reported sighting, giving credence to the rumours and unverified accounts that had been circulating for many years prior. Another manager would later spot the same figure in the 1st Dressing room.
That manager was Mr. Jack Keates, who believed that the elegant-looking woman resembled French actress Sarah Bernhardt, a one-time performer at the theatre in 1894. Unfortunately, this is unlikely, with Bernhardt having little to no affinity with the Theatre, given she only performed here once.
Further sightings suggest that the spirit may actually be that of Mrs. Nye Chart, a former manager and actress who was hugely influential in building the Theatre’s reputation between 1867 and 1892.
Her husband was officially the owner, but Ellen Chart was very much the real boss. Using her “imagination” and “sound economic sense” to attract both audiences and talent whilst keeping the finances in control
Aside from the dressing rooms, the Grey Lady has appeared in various places around the Theatre. In 1976, a woman wearing a grey chiffon dress appeared in the bar near the theatre’s entrance. Joy Merta, who was running the bar at the time, described the ghost as “A very gentle lady who was in no way frightening” adding “before I could say anything, with a sweet smile she vanished.”
The mystery of who the Grey Lady is still yet to be uncovered. The Theatre Royal often feels particularly eerie on quiet nights, with many reporting the sensation of goosebumps and hair standing on end even without an encounter with the grey spectre.
Address: New Rd, Brighton BN1 1SD Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton
2. The Old Ship Hotel
Another historic building (get used to that opener) this one dating back to the 17th century. There have been many reports from visitors staying here of ghostly apparitions, strange noises, and unexplained movements. Some people have reported seeing a ghostly figure in the hotel’s restaurant, whilst others report seeing an eerie figure in a long black cloak across varying parts of the hotel.
Whether these are the same is as yet unknown, but many believe The Old Ship is home to more than just one phantom. Visitors to the hotel have also reported other unexplained noises, including footsteps and the sound of a child crying.
Its original construction used ships’ timbers and with the pubs first mention being in 1665, making that the latest it could have been built. The building grew in size with the addition of assembly rooms and a ballroom in 1767, followed by further extensions in 1794 and 1835.
The hotel was once host to notable guests like Charles Dickens, Henry Irvin, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Winston Churchill. It’s no wonder the Old Ship Hotel has become famous for its ghostly inhabitants.
Among some of the most famous ghost stories from the site was that of a young chambermaid. While working in the west wing of the building, she witnessed two separate apparitions. Upon entering one of the bedrooms which she had believed to have been empty, was startled to see a man and woman sitting on the bed, feeling embarrassed by her intrusion she apologised but the two figures quickly faded away.
Easily passed off as tiredness and darkness playing tricks on the mind.
But a far less explainable encounter would come in 1986. Two porters were going about their day, chatting casually, before becoming aware of a strange mist emanating around the lower part of the stairs. The mist dissipated slightly, allowing the men to make out a small child, softly weeping within the vapour. Understandably terrified, they were rendered immobile until the apparition dissolved into the shadows.
To this day, sightings are still being reported, with more and more braving the hallowed halls of this Hotel steeped in stories and rich with the lives of previous inhabitants.
Address: The Old Ship Hotel, 32-38 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 1NR Website: www.oldshipbrighton.co.uk
3. Preston Manor
Preston Manor, the former manor house of the ancient Sussex village of Preston, where the ghosts of Sussex’s rich and famous are said to haunt the halls. This place is known nationally as a hotbed of paranormal activity, earning its reputation as one of the most haunted houses in all of Britain.
The air is thick with an otherworldly energy, many finding themselves uneasy before even entering the building. famed for many different apparitions: The grey-clad woman, the blonde excommunicated nun, the floating hand, and even a phantom riding a toy tractor are said to haunt these halls.
The White Lady, as she is known, is the most famous and earliest of the ghosts. First mentioned in the 16th century, sightings of her peaked in the late 19th century before her last recorded appearance in 1903.
One of Eleanor Stanford’s offspring, already well-acquainted with the descriptions of the ghost, claimed to have come face-to-face with it in 1896. The figure was seen walking from the drawing room to the staircase, and disappeared as soon as the child tried to touch it.
But the paranormal activity would later become more malevolent . Another daughter was said to have seen the same spectre at the top of the stairs, describing the presence as a bad omen.
Early in the 20th century, she also reported an “immensely evil” presence in the southwest bedroom, moving around the room and then leaning over the bed. In the same room, a visitor to the house once thought she saw a floating hand, not attached to any arm, attaching itself to her four-poster bed and moving up and down it. Another visitor later reported an identical experience, and also said that the bed seemed to be shaking during the encounter.
There’s so much more to learn about by going, with many eye-witness accounts from residents and even a famous séance that was performed in 1896.
Address: Preston Drove, Brighton BN1 6SD Website: brightonmuseums.org.uk
4. The Druids Head
The Druids Head is a historic pub that dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to be haunted by several ghosts, including a ghostly figure known as ‘The Blue Nun’. Visitors have reported seeing her ghostly figure in the pub’s cellar. If you’ve seen many horror films you might be able to guess what the pub’s built on. A cemetery. So it’s no surprise The Druids Head is one of Brightons most infamously haunted buildings.
Most sightings related to the pub have been more recent, with many in the last 30 years. Often the mediaeval spirits appear to be Monks or Nuns. The Blue Nun haunts all of The Lanes, but has been seen perhaps most often in the proximity of The Druids’ Head.
According to those who have witnessed her, she has a troubled look on her face, a blue habit or aura radiating around her form, and when viewed up close her face appears to be blue. In 2009, a Japanese student was left in tears after an unexpected encounter with her late at night. Legend has it that her order sealed her in a wall following an affair with a fisherman or soldier, which could explain her suffocated and blue appearance.
Address: 9 Brighton Pl, Brighton BN1 1HJ Website: www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/pubs/east-sussex/druids-head/
5. The Black Lion Inn
The Black Lion Inn, a pub dating back to the 16th century has a past with a rich history of ghost sightings. Among the reported spirits is that of the former owner, Deryk Carver. Burned alive in a barrel for his Protestant beliefs in 1555, he was the founder of this still loved Inn.
His spectre is often sighted in the depths of the pub’s cavernous cellars, or gazing out from the top window, searching for the sheriff who arrested him for his faith. An arrest that would spell his aforementioned execution at the stake.
It was Deryk’s burning, along with the other Sussex martyrs that were burnt as part of the Marian Prosecutions, that inspired the annual Lewes bonfire celebrations that continue to this day.
After the pub was rebuilt in the 1970s, staff members claimed to have seen beer crates moving when they were alone in the cellar. It is believed that Deryk’s ghost still haunts the pub’s cellar, a reminder of his tragic story that occurred there so long ago.
Address: Black Lion, 14 Black Lion St, Brighton BN1 1ND Website: www.blacklion.pub
