York’s Haunted Pubs: A Ghostly Crawl Through Centuries of Spirits

York is Europe’s most haunted city. Its over 2,000 years of turbulent history has created the perfect environment for lingering spirits. On this walking tour, you’ll visit the city’s most haunted public houses, each one teeming with tales of poltergeists, ghostly figures, and unexplained phenomena.

The tour starts at Bootham Bar, one of York’s ancient gateways to the city. You’ll weave through medieval streets to visit historic pubs like the Hole in the Wall, where a prison hatch once allowed patrons to pass drinks to unfortunate inmates, and the Guy Fawkes Inn, named after one of Britain’s most notorious would-be assassins.

Along the way, you’ll find out how the city’s pubs have been the setting for tragic deaths, sinister plots, and unexplained hauntings that continue to this day. You’ll hear about the Mad Maid who still cleans the Dean Court Hotel, the ghostly Roman soldier in the Hole in the Wall’s cellar, and the bride who appears only to those suffering from recent heartbreak. The tour ends at the Black Swan, home to some of York’s most unusual paranormal activity, including the mysterious Topless Man – a pair of legs seen walking down the stairs before vanishing into thin air.

On this 45-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• Visit the Golden Fleece, which proudly claims to be York’s most haunted pub, home to a dozen different spirits
• Hear the tragic tale of Marmaduke Buckle at the Snickleway Inn, whose face can still be seen staring from an upstairs window
• Encounter cursed objects like the deadly chair and mysterious clay pipe at The Black Swan
• Learn why the Royal Oak is haunted by the flirtatious ghost of a former prostitute who still brushes against male patrons
• Walk the same ancient Roman roads where legionaries once marched – and, according to witnesses, still do
• See the window where a WWII airman fell to his death, whose spirit still haunts the room where he stayed
• Pass by the Treasurer’s House, the site of one of York’s most famous ghostly encounters

This spine-tingling tour offers a unique way to experience York’s pub culture while digging into the darker side of its fascinating history. Feel free to stop at any pub along the way – if you dare!