With almost half a million, Bristol is one of the most populist cities in the United Kingdom and attracts just under half a million tourists every year. Those who visit the English city often spend much of their trip taking Bristol’s most famous historic sites and tourist attractions such as Blaise Castle, Colston Hall, and The Old Duke.

However, a small percentage of Bristol tourists are not so eager to see the typical points of interest. Instead, they come searching for the paranormal and visit the city’s supposedly haunted locations in which some of the UK’s most famous (or infamous) ghosts are said to dwell.

Many people who visit Bristol are unaware that the city is so steeped in the paranormal, so if you’re planning a trip there any time soon, there are some places you might want to read up on.

DISCOVER THE MOST HAUNTED PLACES TO VISIT IN BRISTOL BELOW

1. Brunel's SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard

haunted SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol BS1 6TY

One of the most famous ships on this side of Boaty McBoatface, the SS Great Britain saw many a voyage from its launch in 1843 to the day it was retired in 1886.

Equipped with some of the most advanced machinery of its time, the SS Great Britain could hold up to 730 passengers and 1200 tons of cargo in its heyday.

The ship braved the Atlantic ocean waves, carrying thousands of passengers from England to the United States of America before the seawaters finally began to take their toll and it could no longer serve its purpose.

A shadow of the ship it once was, the SS Great Britain was little more than a source of materials to repair other boats damaged during World War II.

The SS Great Britain is today docked at the Great Western Dockyard and attracts thousands of tourists each year as a museum ship. However, many of the ship’s original passengers seem to be a little reluctant to disembark.

Captain John Gray, who served on the SS Great Britain as Captain, has been spotted countless times by passengers and museum staff.

The Captain is believed to have committed suicide by throwing himself overboard, which nobody has been able to explain. Gray was popular among his crew and passengers (though there were rumours of him being unwell).

Captain Gray’s footsteps can often be heard echoing throughout the ship as his spirit tours the halls and rooms once under his command.

Before the SS Great Britain’s reopening over a decade ago, staff were shocked to discover a woman standing on the Promenade Deck.

It was assumed that the unrecognised lady was simply an eager tourist, and staff approached her to inform her that the exhibit would not be open for another couple of days. However, before they could speak to her, she vanished into thin air.

Learn more about the ghosts of SS Great Britain

2. All Saints Church, Corn Street

haunted all saints church
All Saints’ Church, 30 Clare St, Bristol BS1 1YH – Image Credit: Weird Bristol

Bristol’s All Saints Anglican Church is a much different site today than when it was first built nearly 1000 years ago, but remnants of its past can be found everywhere.

One of the most famous hauntings at the church concerns a phantom monk, who was reported dozens of times leading up to his final appearance on Christmas Day 1948.

The ghostly figure would be seen strolling purposefully throughout the church and the grounds outside. It is believed that he was guarding something, possibly treasure which he buried at the church during his time on Earth.

Just why the monk stopped appearing at All Saints church is unknown. It is, of course, likely that he is still present at the building and is just waiting to be seen again.

Strange events have also been reported in the house on the church grounds, although these occurrences seem to be much more sinister than a monk watching over his former possessions.

In 1840, the Jones family, who occupied the All Saints church house, began to report unexplainable events such as strange noises and an overwhelming sense of dread and fear.

In a highly conservative period, Mr Jones, who was the man of the house, grew increasingly fearful of an unseen entity and was ultimately left shaking on the floor while tears poured from his eyes.

His wife, for her part, reported experiencing something not unlike demonic possession, as she would frequently have to fight the urge to throw herself from an upstairs window.

3. Odeon Cinema, Union Street

Haunted ODEON Cinema, Bristol
ODEON, Union St, Bristol BS1 2DS

In the mid-1940s, the United Kingdom, much like the rest of the western world, was in the process of rebuilding after the Second World War.

Returning to everyday life was indeed a daunting task, but humanity went at it with the same enthusiasm and determination which had won the war in the first place.

Shops reopened, businesses were founded, and film studios began churning out more pictures than ever for the public to enjoy when they had a spare 90 minutes. One such movie was a screen adaption of The Light That Failed.

On the 29th of May, 1946, the movie was aired to an audience of 2,000 people at Bristol’s Odeon Cinema. The film captivated the audience and pretty much sucked them into another world, which is why nobody in attendance heard the gunshots that rang out from the theatre manager’s office.

Robert Parrington Jackson, the cinema manager at the time, was found a little later on by an employee. He had been shot in the head.

Shortly after his death, Robert Parrington Jackson’s ghost began appearing in the theatre, which he once managed, but only in front of female staff members and only for a few minutes at a time.

Whether Jackson’s failure to appear to male employees is purely coincidental or not, we do not know, but what is known is that the manager had a colourful love life. His questionable romantic dealings were rumoured to be the cause of his murder.

4. Llandoger Trow, King Street

Haunted Llandoger Trow
Llandoger Trow, King St, Bristol, BS1 4ER

Dating back to 1664, the Llandoger Trow on King Street is a public house with a lot of history.

The pub was a popular haunt of actors and seamen, two professions which couldn’t seem any more different. While their careers took them to vastly different places, the men of the theatre and the men of the sea had little trouble co-existing at Llandoger Trow, which was a place for jubilation and merriment regardless of occupation.

The pub also served pirates—lots of them. It is believed that the notorious Captain Blackbeard, who was a native of Bristol, may have spent some time drowning his sorrows in the Llandoger between pillages.

Paranormal activity has long been reported at the location, and it is believed that the pub is haunted by the ghost of a young boy named Pierre.

Though many people have not seen Pierre, he is frequently heard by patrons and staff of the Llandoger Trow as he moves about the building. The boy’s footsteps are unmistakable and follow the unique pattern of one foot hitting the ground before the sound of another foot being dragged across the floor.

This has led many to conclude that Pierre walked with a limp during his life.

Several years ago, security monitoring CCTV at the Llandoger reported noticing two males drinking alone in different parts of the pub.

Assuming two troublesome revellers had somehow managed to hang around after the pub had closed for the night, the staff investigated.

However, they were shocked to find that the two men were nowhere to be found.

5. Arnos Manor Hotel, Arno's Vale

Haunted Arnos Manor Hotel Arnos Vale Bristol Somerset Front
Arnos Manor Hotel, 470 Bath Rd, Arno’s Vale, Bristol BS4 3HQ

Arnos Court (as it was originally called) was built in 1760 and was home to a wealthy merchant by the name of William Reeve.

Reeve even commissioned a church on the grounds of his new property, presumably because he wanted to pray in peace and not have to mingle with his pesky fellow man. In the mid 19th Century, an extension was added to Arnos Court, and it became the site of a nunnery and a school for girls.

It is said that a nun became pregnant during her time at Arnos Court and was so distraught and worried about the reaction of her peers that she took her own life.

When the other nuns discovered their fallen comrade’s body, they became fearful of a scandal, and rather than giving her a proper burial, decided to add a new wall to the mansion, in which they bricked up her corpse.

This tale was long considered purely legend until damage sustained in World War Two knocked down some walls in Arnos Court and exposed long-dead bones.

Arnos Court had been relatively quiet up to this point, but the discovery of the bones brought on an unprecedented level of paranormal activity in the building. William Reeve’s baby became a hub of disembodied voices, heavy footsteps, and broken plates.

Arnos Court was converted into a hotel and renamed “Arnos Manor Hotel” in 1959, meaning the spirit (presumably of the pregnant nun) had a larger audience than ever to disturb with her ghostly powers.

Those who have stayed in room 160 have reported witnessing the apparition of a figure dressed in a brown robe, as well as waking up in the middle of the night to find themselves unable to move.

Guests have also claimed to have heard their names gently whispered when they are alone, and bathtubs in the hotel have been known to fill up seemingly by themselves.

Learn more about the ghosts at Arnos Manor Hotel

Stay at the Arnos Manor Hotel

6. Clifton Suspension Bridge & Leigh Woods

Clifton Suspension Bridge Haunted
Clifton Suspension Bridge Rd, Leigh Woods, Bristol BS8 3PA

If you’re a Bristolian, you’ll likely know all about the city’s prodigal son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and his incredible engineering achievements. The famous Clifton Suspension Bridge is one of those you’ll know better than most. But what many people don’t know is that Brunel never lived to see the fruition of one of his most iconic projects.

Brunel’s distinctive top-hatted figure can be seen walking the paths through Leigh Woods, perhaps on his way to a viewpoint over the gorge, to oversee his engineering masterpiece.

Tragically, a spot for many suicides, the bridge has signs on approach with numbers provided for the Samaritans – a final lifeline for those about to make that irreversible decision.

Commuters have often reported dark figures approaching that fateful drop. There have also been several sightings of a male apparition dressed in modern clothing, in a hurry through Leigh Woods in the direction of the bridge.

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