Many spectacular spirits haunt 50 Berkeley Square, the "London's most haunted house".
According to legend, all you have to do is touch the outer wall to feel a tingling sensation.
As the year draws to a close, let me tell you about this very special home.
Haunted House London: article summary
The story of London's haunted house
50 Berkeley Square is a house located in Mayfairin central London. In the 19th century, it became the "London's most haunted house". But where does this reputation come from?
The house was once the home of George Canning, former Prime Minister, until his death in 1827.
It was then occupied by Miss Curzon until her death at the age of 90. Strange things began to happen when its new owner moved in in 1859.
Thomas Myers lived in the house until the early 1870s. Rumor had it that he'd been rejected by his fiancée and had slowly gone mad.
Strange lights and noises in the night
The house was falling into disrepair and people feared the lights and strange noises of the night and its mad inhabitant.
Myers even got into trouble with the local council for not paying his council tax. When he failed to appear in court, the magistrate excused him, taking pity on his health.
There are stories of numerous incidents in the house. Above all, his attic room. It is said that in this place, the spirit of a young woman who committed suicide there haunts the house.
The girl is said to have thrown herself out of the room's window after being mistreated by her uncle. According to stories handed down from generation to generation, her spirit appears either as a mist or as a white figure.
London's haunted house: the tenants of 50 Berkeley Square
In addition, the ghost of a little girl, killed by a sadistic servant, is said to haunt the attic. There's also the story of a young man who was locked in the attic and fed only through a hole in the door, until he died of insanity.
There are so many stories that the house was said to be haunted by many spirits seeking revenge.
The Mayfair Magazine published an article in 1879 about a chambermaid who had a strange encounter in the attic that drove her mad.
Her fiancé's name was Captain Kentfield. When he came to visit the Berkeley Square house, the maid went to the attic to prepare a room for him.
Terrified by her cries coming from the attic, they went upstairs and found her lying on the floor, in a near-comatose state.
Where do these stories come from?
Many people didn't believe these ghost stories. A common conclusion was that the neglect of the house had inspired them.
Lady Dorothy Nevill wrote in her 1906 autobiography The Reminiscences of Lady Dorothy Nevill, that she was a relative of Mr. Myers and that his behavior was the only scary thing in the house.
Skeptics claimed that these stories were the product of journalists' imaginations.
Indeed, the newspapers of the time carried a number of stories that did not make the popularity and hauntings of the place.
Can you visit London's haunted house?
In the past, 50 Berkeley Square was a place to visit in October, during the month of Halloween. Nowadays, the building is no longer open to the public.
However, you can always walk past and scan the top-floor windows. You may see a ghostly shape beckoning you.
London's most haunted house is a well-known landmark and a perfect example of London folklore. Make a detour there on your next London vacation!
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