Whether thoughts of London conjure up a dirty, overpopulated city that's fraught with danger or a multi-cultural metropolis that pulsates with an atmosphere unmatched elsewhere, there's no denying that London is impossible to visit without emotions being aroused, whether good or bad.
But there's more to London than immediately meets the eye. With more ghosts and ghouls per square mile than any other city, London is an eldorado for the many thousands of ghost-hunters that flock to England's capital every year.Consider that London's history can be traced back to the Roman invasion in 43AD and it's hardly surprising that more than just a few souls have become caught in the city, unable, or perhaps unwilling, to let go.
The Tower of London
Built in 1098 by William the Conqueror and once used as a goal, The Tower of London is said to be rife with the ghosts of those who were tortured and executed there. Considered one of the most haunted collections of buildings in Britain, the Tower is home to the ghosts of some very famous and influential people as well as an infamous political activist.
Anne Boleyn
The most famous of the Tower's ghosts is undoubtedly that of Anne Boleyn, former Queen of England and wife to Henry VIII. If only Anne had known what her fate would be. In 1536, having grown tired with her and without the option of divorce, her husband ordered her beheaded. Her body was later buried in St. Peter's Chapel, within the Tower's grounds and Anne is said to regularly roam the grounds, scaring the guards at night.
Lady Jane Grey
Another unlucky queen was Lady Jane Grey who married Guilford Dudley at the tender age of 15. Her reign lasted just nine days before the English people proclaimed Henry VIII's daughter, Mary, Queen of England and Jane was marched past Traitor's Gate before being incarcerated at the tower. She was tortured in the hope that she would renounce her religion and join the Catholic church but refused. On the morning of her execution on 12th February 1554, she announced that she would die a "true Christian woman". Lady Jane is said to appear every year on the anniversary of her death.
The Two Princes
In 1495, almost sixty years before Lady Jane Grey was executed, two young princes, Edward (12) and Richard (10), were ordered killed at the Tower by The Duke of Gloucestershire (later to become Richard III). The children were eventually given a proper burial after workmen found the remains of the two boys in a chest during 1674 but still their spirits haunt the Bloody Tower.
Others
The spectral presence of English explorer and adventurer, Sir Walter Raleigh, is also said to haunt the tower along with Guy Fawkes and a number of lesser known spirits.