7 Most Haunted Places in Lincoln

The city of Lincoln has a rich history and at one time was among the most important towns in all of England. Many key historic events have taken place here, so it comes as no surprise that the town has plenty of ghosts if you know where to look.

Let’s go to it and take a look at the 7 most haunted places in Lincoln:

Lincoln Castle is also said to be haunted. There have been various different reports of paranormal activity throughout the castle including frequent sightings of a lady who is seen walking down the stairs of the Old Victorian Women’s Prison carrying a  baby.  There have also been unexplained lights seen inside the chapel and the doors have a habit of opening and closing by themselves. Over at the male prison, doors slam shut and visitors have reported hearing keys jangling, footsteps and disembodied moans and screams. As if all of this wasn’t more than enough paranormal activity for one location, Cobb Hall also plays host to a lady dressed in black who goes up and down the stairs leading to the old gallows, the Observatory Tower is a hotbed of strange shadows and dark shapes descending the stairs. Finally, there have been growls and the sounds of crying in the prisoners’ graveyard as well. That is a lot of ghosts! It is easy to see why Lincoln Castle makes it onto the list of Lincoln’s most haunted!

One of the Lincoln ghosts that are said to haunt Doddington Hall has a very sad back story. On the anniversary of her somewhat brutal death, a young woman is sometimes seen falling from the roof screaming the whole way down. She was apparently a maid who was attempting to escape from the ‘overly affectionate’ master of the house. She ran from him and ended up on the roof where she lost her footing and fell to her death.

Another ghost that is linked to Doddington Hall is one that is seen far more often. She is The Brown Lady and is said to particularly haunt newly married ladies who come to visit. She is considered to be fairly harmless, although that hasn’t stopped her terrifying many an unsuspecting visitor! She appears in the bedroom when a new bride is alone there and sits on the edge of the bed smiling at the young woman. Witnesses have said that they get a sense of her giving them her blessing or maybe just fondly remembering her own wedding. She has been described as wearing an old fashioned, long, stiff brown dress and never stays for long. Although some have been scared by the apparition, most ladies say her presence makes them feel at peace!

Jew’s House is a restaurant that occupies a 900-year-old Grade I listed building in the old part of Lincoln. It dates back to 1150 and is said to be the oldest dwellinghouse in Europe. Back then, Lincoln was the third most important city in England after London and York and Jew’s House would have been one of the largest and most luxurious dwellings in town! However, the house’s reputation did not remain so prestigious. In 1255 it was the centre of much gossip and speculation in the famous ‘ritual murder of little Hugh’.

As you might imagine given its history, the house is alleged to be haunted. As of yet, there have been no confirmed sightings of any apparitions, but there are regular reports of other spooky occurrences such as footsteps in the staircase, thumps coming from the unoccupied attic, items moving around in the kitchen and even disembodied voices!

The Strugglers Inn is said to be haunted not by a human spirit, but by a ghostly dog! It is believed that the dog actually belonged to William Clarke, a Lincolnshire countryman who was hanged for the murder of a  gamekeeper. The legend says that Clarke’s dog wanders around the castle walls in search of his owner and that he is often seen and heard scratching to be let into the office at The Strugglers Inn. If the scratching is ignored, the dog allegedly starts to bark incessantly until someone pays attention and opens the door! Many of the Inn’s customers have reported seeing a ghostly dog sitting at one end of the bar and others have felt the dog brush past them. It is believed that the dog hangs out at the Inn because the owner took him in after Clarke was executed. When the dog died he was so distraught that he had a taxidermist stuff the dog and displayed him behind the bar! The original stuffed dog now resides in the castle museum, but the dog’s spirit has stuck around at The Strugglers Inn!

Brown’s Pie Shop is a very popular place to eat which you will find on Lincoln’s Steep Hill. It is also a place that has become synonymous with haunted Lincoln – even featuring on a popular paranormal television show. You see, Brown’s Pie Shop is home to what is arguably Lincoln’s most famous ghost.  Known as ‘Humphrey’ the spirit appears as a young boy. On at least one occasion, a customer has complained to staff about children being allowed to run around in the restaurant while people are eating – except there were no children in the place at the time! He is known to be mischievous as so many youngsters are and he will make noise and move things around. He is particularly prone to mischief when his intended target fails to acknowledge him. One chef who was often working alone in the mornings reported hearing someone running around the restaurant, but when he would investigate there would be no-one there. Often when she returned to the kitchen his pots and pans would have all been moved. He was understandably spooked, but decide to simply say out loud ‘Don’t mind be Humphrey’ and the activity ceased. Now people know to simply confirm that they know Humphrey is there if they need him to settle down!

Gainsborough Old Hall is apparently haunted by the ghost of Elizabeth Burgh, the daughter of former Lord of the Manor Thomas Burgh. You see, Elizabeth fell in love with a man that was beneath her station – likely a soldier or even a servant. She had plans to run off and marry him, but her father discovered their plan and punished Elizabeth by locking her in one of the room. She died a short time later, still locked in the room – some say as the result of a broken heart. Now her restless spirit is doomed to walk the halls of Gainsborough Old Hall eternally searching for her lost lover. The most common area where she is sighted is the Tower Room which could be where she was kept locked up. In fact, during renovation work a few years ago – a secret door was discovered and this is where she tends to disappear!

There is also the ghost of a small boy who is spotted in the West Range which now serves as a gift shop for the Gainsborough Old Hall and staff have also reported light anomalies and orbs in various areas of the building.

The White Hart Hotel is known as on of Lincoln’s most haunted places and its most prominent ghost is probably the highwayman who was killed in the former stables when a coachman thrust a lit torch into the man’s face. The stables have since been converted into the Orangery restaurant and the deceased highwayman is frequently reported striding through the dining area hiding his burned face with his cloak. The restaurant is known to be very cold and no matter what the owners try they simply cannot get rid of the chill!

The hotel also has a few other spooky residents including ‘The Mobcap Girl’ – a maid who caught the eye of the local rat catcher. She spurned his advances and ended up being brutally murdered for her troubles. Guests have seen her cowering in a corner on the first-floor landing. A more contemporary ghost haunts the hotel as well – believed to be the soul of a guest who committed suicide in one of the rooms in the nineteen-sixties. Those sleeping in that room describe an overwhelming sadness washing over them. There is also an elderly lady who walks around the lower floor’s corridors.