Scary London

Description:

Ignore, if you can, the crass antics of the touts outside with their guillotine, severed heads, blood-soaked bandages etc. Although this new kid on the chopping block - voted best scary attraction in the UK two years running - is very much a London Dungeon lookalike, in our opinion it's a more rounded and possibly (?!) less gross attraction than its neighbour. OK, we were chased by a nutcase intent on ripping out our lungs and eating our eyeballs, but before that we were treated to tall tales, special effects and a good helping of humour by well-informed costumed guides and holograms of characters from the past. So, as well as being scared half to death, you can learn about the history of the bridges, "experience" the fires that destroyed the most famous London Bridge and find out, among other things how the rhyme 'London Bridge is Falling Down' came about.

Description:

This ghoulish place was designed to chill the blood while reproducing the conditions of the Middle Ages. Set under the arches of London Bridge Station, the dungeon is a series of tableaux more grisly than those at Madame Tussaud's. The rumble of trains overhead adds to the atmosphere, and tolling bells bring a constant note of melancholy; dripping water and caged rats make for even more atmosphere. Naturally, it offers a burning at the stake, as well as a torture chamber with racking, branding, and fingernail extraction, and a spine-chilling "Jack the Ripper Experience." The special effects were originally conceived for major film and TV productions. They've recently added a new show called "Judgment Day." You're sentenced to death (by actors, of course) and taken on a boat ride to meet your fate. If you survive, a Pizza Hut is on-site, and a souvenir shop sells certificates that testify you made it through the works.

Our Local Expert Says:

Saturated with fascinating history, spend the day

Description:

This ancient fortress continues to pack in the crowds with its macabre associations with the legendary figures imprisoned and/or executed here. There are more spooks here per square foot than in any other building in the whole of haunted Britain. Headless bodies, bodiless heads, phantom soldiers, icy blasts, clanking chains -- you name them, the Tower's got them. Centuries after the last head rolled on Tower Hill, a shivery atmosphere of impending doom still lingers over the Tower's mighty walls. Plan on spending a lot of time here.

The Tower is actually an intricately patterned compound of structures built through the ages for varying purposes, mostly as expressions of royal power. The oldest is the White Tower, begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 to keep London's native Saxon population in check. Later rulers added other towers, more walls, and fortified gates, until the buildings became like a small town within a city. Until the reign of James I (beginning in 1603), the Tower was also one of the royal residences. But above all, it was a prison for distinguished captives.

Every stone of the Tower tells a story -- usually a gory one. In the Bloody Tower, according to Shakespeare,...

Description:

An evening tour around London's haunted spaces and cemeteries in the special decked out "fright bus", a black Routemaster double decker bus lead by a cast of sinister actors.

Daily tours leave from a bus stop outside the Grand Hotel on Northumberland, just off of Trafalgar Square. Book ahead in October.

Not for young children.

Our Local Expert Says:

Respectable pub considering the history and tourist aspect

Description:

The Ten Bells pub is home to history, the infamous Jack the Ripper met a number of his victims prior to their fate. Yet,the only reference to Ripper in the pub are copies of original illustration that line the stairs en route to the toilets. Ten Bells is riding the coattails of the East End's trendy revival, with a DJ often in attendance. Adding to the establishment's ambiance, the bar is overflowing with coffee machines, candlesticks, flowers, not to mention reasonably-priced drinks.

Description:

Follow the blood-soaked footsteps of murderer Jack the Ripper down narrow, gas-lit alleyways on a walking tour of London that will have you trembling with fear! You'll visit all four murder sites in Whitechapel, accompanied by an expert "Ripperologist" who will provide all the clues to this real-life Victorian Whodunit.

The year is 1888. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has just published his first Sherlock Holmes story...and in Whitechapel, in London's East End, five women are brutally murdered by the world's first recognized serial killer, Jack the Ripper.

Led by a renowned London Blue Badge guides, you will visit four murder sights, while your "Ripperologist" runs through some of the suspects in this unsolved case that led Scotland Yard to Queen Victoria herself.

After the walking tour you have the option to enjoy a traditional fish and chip supper in one of London's most historic pubs (not included in the tour price). If you decide to partake in this wonderful English tradition, the fish and chips supper costs approximately GBP7.00 to GBP10.00 and is payable locally.

Our Local Expert Says:

Not squeamish, then watch videos of modern surgical techniques, including brain surgery & see the effects of syphilis on the body.

Description:

Discover almost everything about the history and development of surgery. Located in Holborn, the museum is found in the Museum Mile district. It is predominantly made up of the collection of John Hunter, the 18th century surgeon and anatomist. The eight galleries explore almost everything to do with the history of surgery including the 'Story of Surgical Instruments,' which explores the design, manufacture and development of surgical instruments in the medical and dental professions. The museum is successful in providing a deep, detailed insight into the world of surgery. Make use of the free guided tours every Wednesday at 1p. Admission is free.

Description:

A stone's throw east of Hampstead Heath, Highgate Village has a number of 16th- and 17th-century mansions and small cottages, lining three sides of the now-pondless Pond Square. Its most outstanding feature, however, is this beautiful cemetery, laid out around a huge 300-year-old cedar tree and laced with serpentine pathways. The cemetery was so popular and fashionable in the Victorian era that it was extended on the other side of Swain's Lane in 1857. The most famous grave is that of Karl Marx, who died in Hampstead in 1883; his grave, marked by a gargantuan bust, is in the eastern cemetery. In the old western cemetery -- accessible only by guided tour, given hourly in summer -- are scientist Michael Faraday and poet Christina Rossetti.

Description:

Historic gin palace pub built on a the former site of a prison with former cells in the cellar. Legend says it's one of London's most haunted spots. Mostly a drinking only pub serving the local professionals.

Description:

This is one of the most popular walking tours of London. You are led around the city by an author whose books include "Walking Haunted London" and "Walking Haunted Britain and Ireland", and who is a member of the Magic Circle. The walk includes the recreation of many psychic phenomena such as spirit writing, ESP and poltergeist activity. This, linked with Richard Jones's excellent story telling ability, makes it an experience never to be forgotten. This walk will take place whatever the weather - the worse the better!! Not for the faint hearted! A Jack the Ripper walk is also available. - Caroline Collard