Hellfire Club, Co Dublin, Ireland
Berkeley Castle , Gloucestershire
Even the appearance of this abandoned hunting lodge sends shivers down the spine. Overlooking Dublin, it’s a popular attraction for hikers – although it was once a meeting place for the 18th century Hellfire Club, once described as “a brace of monsters, blasphemers and bacchanalians”. One night, after members invited the devil to join them, the place went up in flames. Ever since, visitors have reported bad smelling odours, hearing voices, and even feeling a hand around their necks. It’s possible to see the ruins from several hiking trails. But to get the full experience, take a Horror Hike with Hidden Dublin Tours.
Some fates are unthinkable for even the most murderous of kings.After beheading his cousin at Pontefract Castle and being cast out by his wife and her lover, King Edward II spent his remaining days in the depths of the oldest continuously occupied castle in England and was struck down with a terrible illness. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Queen Isabella, his estranged wife, allegedly instructed two men to thrust a funnel through his rear end and insert a red-hot spit into his bowels. Unsurprisingly, his screams can still be heard today.
From £16 adults; £8 children.Visit berkeley-castle.com
From €49/£41.Visit hiddendublintours.com
Berkeley Castle , Gloucestershire
Hellfire Club, Co Dublin, Ireland
Leap Castle, Offaly, Ireland
Leap Castle, Offaly, Ireland
Making the Game Of Thrones saga seem like a fairy-tale, a history of bloodshed has shaped this castle. Many have lost their lives over the centuries, including The Red Lady, often seen carrying a dagger through the corridors, and two young girls plummeting from the battlements. Brave guests can hunt for ghosts in The Bloody Chapel and the Murder Hole Room, where owner Sean Ryan shares stories of ghostly encounters, from hearing chanting within the walls to objects being thrown across rooms.
Visit leapcastle.net
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