Halloween is nearly upon us but as the nights draw in, remember that not all spooky goings-on are confined to All Hallows’ Eve.
Rather than settling down to a scary film this year, why not get out into the crisp night air and hunt out your own ghosts, as part of a spooky ghost trip or even a haunted pub tour?
With over 300 years of history at Chatham’s Fort Amherst, illness, death, and war have all left their imprint. Learn about the past and the unexplained events that have plagued the fort’s history by signing up for its Halloween and winter events.
There are plenty of opportunities for scares in and around the Fingerprint offices, but if you want to head further afield, keep reading for some other great options.
Fort Amhurst, Chatham: The Spooky Fort
Situated a stone’s throw from Fingerprint Financial Planning’s offices, Fort Amhurst is Britain’s oldest and best-preserved Napoleonic Fort. Now belonging to the Heritage Trust, it was originally built to defend Chatham’s historic dockyards.
While spooky tours are available over Halloween weekend, its ghost trails and spirit investigations run throughout the winter.
You might opt for the one-hour ghost tour starting at 8.00 pm and 9.00 pm, while braver souls might choose the Spirit Investigation. This ghost hunting option will see you supplied with pendulums, dowsing rods, and other ghost hunting equipment as you head into the tunnels of the fort for nearly five hours of investigation.
Will you be able to connect with the spirits that haunt the forts centuries-old walls?
Finally – and only for the truly brave! – you might take up the challenge of a 12-hour ghost hunt, including an overnight stay within the fort itself.
This 7.00 pm until 7.00 am experience gives you the best chance to investigate the paranormal activity at Fort Amhurst, if you dare.
Tours are available once a month and remember that the tunnels are cold and that appropriate footwear, and a torch, are essential.
Other local ghost walks, tours, and eerie experiences
1. Canterbury Ghost Tour, Canterbury
Join “award-winning Ghost Hunter, author and local historian, John Hippisley”, on a tour through the beautiful – and just possibly haunted – streets of historic Canterbury.
During a 90-minute tour, packed with spooky facts, historical insight and more than a dash of humour, you’ll uncover the cathedral city’s dark side.
What secrets is a local tearoom hiding about the fate of a mother and her tragic children? Why should you never mess with a Ouija board? And how brave do you have to be to work as a Canterbury Cathedral guard, and what might you encounter after dark if you do?
2. Haunted London Pub Tour, London
London has plenty of ghost tours on offer, including a Ghost Boat tour and a Jack the Ripper tour. But if you’re looking to mix your ghostly sightseeing with a trip to a haunted pub or two, try the Haunted London Pub Tour.
This two-hour trip – which describes its paranormal activity as “moderate” – begins at Temple Underground station.
On a leisurely 2km walk, you’ll discover the Professor of Profanity, the pub in which Dr Johnson supposedly enjoyed an ale or two while working on his famous dictionary. You’ll also pass Sweeney Todd’s Barber Shop.
And when the spooky atmosphere gets too much, try to enjoy a drink in the three haunted pubs that are also part of the trip. Be sure to keep an eye out for the handsome phantom!
3. Pluckley, Kent
The village of Pluckley lies in the beautiful Kent countryside, but that hasn’t stopped it from being described as the most haunted village in England.
Take a walk around and see if you can spot any of its spectral inhabitants.
At the Church of St Nicholas, keep an eye out for a flickering light at the windows and the sound of knocking from the Dering family crypt.
Or see if you can spot the Greystones monk who died of a broken heart back in Tudor times yet was last seen by an American journalist in 1989.
Other local characters unwilling to move on include the invisible ghostly woman, often accompanied by a ghostly man and dog.
At Rose Court, you may well witness the love interest of the heartbroken Greystones monk, said to look longingly in his direction forevermore.
Visitors have reported articles moving around in the night, groans, and sighs, as well as an eerie atmosphere in the garden.
