I visited the UK’s ‘most haunted city’ where you can buy your own ghost | UK | Travel

York is visited by millions of tourists both from the UK and overseas every year, but as well as those coming to visit its ancient architecture, quirky Shambles and over 350 pubs, the city also has a rather spooky draw. The city is known to be the UK’s most haunted city, and in 2002, it was declared the most haunted city in the world by the Ghost Research Foundation International.

Given that the city is packed full of ancient buildings, including The Norman House dating back to the 12th Century and Lady’s Row thought to have been built in 1316, it’s no surprise that many believe ghosts lurk behind these walls.

I’m not one for anything particularly spooky, but when I visited York in mid-March and ventured up the famous Shambles, I was intrigued by some ghostly sights. 

It’s a busy street no matter what time of year you go, but as I made my way through the crowd my interest was piqued by a long queue of people eagerly waiting to make their way through one of the tiny doorways into an eclectic-looking boutique. Workers dressed in traditional, Edwardian uniforms, once worn by workers on the Shambles, shepherded people into an orderly line, and a glimpse through the medieval shopfront revealed a wood-lined and whimsical interior.

This, I came to learn, is York Ghost Merchants – a place where people quite literally queue up to buy their own ghosts. It’s a destination that is world-renowned for its handmade, unique souvenirs made from locally sourced materials, though this remains something of a trade secret kept by the shop’s founders Angus McArthur and David Bloodworth and their team.

As a nod to the city’s haunted reputation, the York Ghost Merchant delivers playful ghost figurines individually crafted as a memento of your visit to “The City of One Thousand Ghosts”.

The boutique currently occupies a building which dates back to 1780, with the ground floor acting as a sales space and the upper levels are home to a workshop where these spectral beings are created. Once inside, as well as the option to purchase a ghost of your own to take home, the shop also has lots of secret peepholes and paintings with quirky, ghostly scenes hidden within.

Or, if you wander near York Minster, you may catch a glimpse of the “young plague girl.” This ghostly little girl is often recounted by people to have been spotted sitting in the window. Hello-Yorkshire revealed: “It is believed that she started to present with symptoms of the Black Plague, so rather than stay with her, her parents locked her in the small room and fled. It seems that to this day she has never left and is still hoping that her parents might return.”

In fact, as recently as 2023, people have reported spotting ghosts in the city. In June of last year, a riderless bike was spotted on CCTV cycling its way across the Shambles before falling to the ground.

Whether or not you believe the spooky goings-on is a matter of judgment, but if you do want to learn more, then there are plenty of ghost tours to embark on. With a labyrinth of alleyways and hidden corners, there are plenty of opportunities to feel a chill run up your spine.

If you want to take your ghost-hunting holiday that step further, the city is also home to several hotels which claim to be haunted. One of the most famous is The Dean Court Hotel, in the heart of York. You probably wouldn’t think it to be haunted from the outside, as it is a buzzy and welcoming inn with a grand exterior. However, spook-seekers claim a well-known ghost dubbed the “Mad Maid” lives here.

Ghosts or not, the hotel has a fantastic score on Booking.com with couples in particular rating it 9.9 out of 10. Prices vary depending on the time of year but stays here can be booked from £119 per night, based on Booking.com data at the time of writing.

The good news is, though, whether you love the idea of things that go bump in the night or like me prefer to steer clear of the paranormal, there are plenty of things to see and do in the capital city of Yorkshire and it makes for a fantastic weekend away.

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay in York, you can read our review of our chocolate-inspired stay at Hotel Indigo York here.