Are you brave enough to take a tour of one of the most haunted places in Britain, where the spirit of Jane Seymour is said to linger?
On the eve of Halloween, Hampton Court Palace, the favourite residence of King Henry VIII launches a new series of tours punctuated with spooky stories and haunted happenings – if anywhere in Britain is haunted, surely it’s got to be here.
Beginning on Halloween and continuing through the winter season, these after-dark tours will take visitors through the palace’s deserted courtyards and state apartments. Keep your eyes peeled for the spirit of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, who died at the place just 12 days after giving Henry his much wanted male heir. Jane is said to haunt the area around Clock Court, walking across its cobbles carrying a candle, and on the anniversary of her and Henry’s son Edward’s birth (12 October) there have been reports of her on the stairs leading to the Silver Stick Gallery, however this latter area is out of bounds to visitors.
The tour will also tell you about the ‘Skeletor’, a ghostly figure who was captured on CCTV in 2003, and State Apartment Warders will take you to the grisly site of a mysterious shallow grave that was uncovered in the 1870s.
For one night only, on Halloween, a special late-night tour will delve even further into eerie tales of residents past, with the route taking in parts of the castle normally closed to visitors, from empty former Grace and Favour apartments to disused stairwells.
Ghost tours take place on select dates until February 2016 and last 105-120 minutes and cost £27.50 per person (minimum age 15). A selection of family ghost tours are also available.
The special late-night Halloween tour costs £35 (minimum age 18) and starts at 10.30pm tomorrow night. Price includes a glass of Champagne on arrival.
Phone booking only – call: 0844 482 7777.
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