Here’s 5 spooky places to visit in Hampshire, because even the season can influence your travel choices.
And, you don’t have to go that far from home to get your travel fix, take a look…
I love a good ghost story and Hampshire really does have its fair share of charming little anecdotes. I think these are really fun to share on a walk or visit, bringing a place to life in a completely different way!
Now get ready with your best ‘Once upon a time’ voice…
Royal Victoria Country Park, Southampton
75 Victoria Rd, Southampton, SO31 5RA
Royal Victoria Country Park is a great place to kick this little list off. This was once the world’s largest military hospital but, now only the chapel remains and it has so many spooky parts to its history. By all means research this one because Google will deliver on this one!
The most popular by far, and the one that terrified me as a kid is… the ‘Grey Lady’.
Apparently the ghost of a Victorian nurse haunts the chapel tower and grounds of the country park. When the full hospital was standing she haunted the wards and corridors. It’s rooted in truth, there was a Victorian nurse who threw herself from the chapel tower.
It’s not known why she killed herself though. There’s so many stories from her love being killed in the war to her going mad with grief. The most circulated story is that she accidentally killed a patient and then took her own life – an act of remorse!
Who knows but, walk around the park at twilight or on a miserable day and there’s such a spooky vibe.
Bolton’s Bench, The New Forest
Beaulieu Road, Lyndhurst, New Forest, SO40 7BQ
Bolton’s Bench is in Lymington and sits right next to Lyndhurst Park Hotel, you can’t miss it.
The hill of Bolton’s Bench is said to have grown from the Blistern Dragon that was slain there by Sir Maurice de Berkeley. The experience drove Sir Maurice mad and he returned to the hill to die, the big yew tree grows in the spot where he passed away. Sir Maurice’s ghost, and his two loyal hounds, now haunt the hill at Bolton’s Bench.
It’s a beautiful spot, often inhabited by the famous New Forest ponies, and there’s a lovely view from the top of the small hill.
Netley Abbey, Southampton
Abbey Hill, Netley, SO31 5FB
The Abbey was once home to Cistercian monks, a religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the role of Saint Benedict.
The Cistercian Monks’ that lived at Netley Abbey had a loyal servant called Blind Peter. When Blind Peter passed away he was given the task of guarding the monk’s treasure. Apparently the monks hid it at the end of a long tunnel in the ruins.
It’s said on Halloween Blind Peter appears, and apparently a man went looking for the treasure once but was frightened to death by what he discovered.
I mean, what did the guy discover? I’ve always been terrified by this story, I love Netley Abbey but, I always think of this story when I go. Will I one day stumble across the ghost of Blind Peter? Will you when you visit? Eek!
Rufus Stone, New Forest
Minstead, Lyndhurst, New Forest, SO42 7HD
There’s a car park in Lower Canterton opposite the woodlands by the stone. You’ll need to park up and follow the brown signs along the path to find it. There’s lots of walks to, from and passing by the stone too, so if you like a good forest stomp don’t forget your boots!
On the stone is an inscription, and I remember visiting when I was a child with my Grandad. It’s funny the little things you remember, I’m not sure if it was
Rufus Stone marks the spot King William II, aka William Rufus or Rufus the Red, died on 2 August 1100. The cause of his death is unknown, he was either murdered or it was a hunting accident. Either way, what a horrid way to go!
His ghost is meant to haunt the route his body was dragged from here to Winchester. Some say it’s all year round on the anniversary of his death. Apparently he follows a trail of blood along the track. Gruesome and grizzly, let’s hope you don’t come across his ghost.
Vernham Dean, Andover
Vernham Dean Village, Andover, SP11 0HB
The village is in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and also home to another ghost with a horrible historic story. It’s full of quaint thatched cottages and it is excellent for walking.
The ghost story here is a selfish tale. When the Black Death hit the village of Vernham Dean in 1665 the vicar abandoned the villagers. He left them to die. What a scoundrel!
His ghost has been seen along the Chute Causeway struggling to make his way back to the village. That’s one guilty ghost.
For a nice circular walk here visit the Rambler’s Association webpage.
5 Spooky Places to Visit in Hampshire
Oh I found this so hard to narrow down to 5 spooky places to visit in Hampshire. There are so, so many in Hampshire. I mean the UK is just one big haunted house basically, once you start looking into it. 😂😂😂
I decided to pick these based on the stories I knew from my childhood and various ghost walks I’ve been on. These places are particularly pretty too, and good for walks.
Thanks to the 2020 pandemic, I made sure these places can be visited easily, with social distancing.
Let me know what you think, and if you’ve been to any of them!
If you liked this, take a look at these other great places to visit in Hampshire and things to do …
- THE A TO Z OF THINGS TO DO IN HAMPSHIRE
- WHERE TO FIND STREET ART IN PORTSMOUTH
- A GUIDE TO PUMPKIN PICKING IN HAMPSHIRE
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Ooh this is chilling!
There’s some spooky stories in there – especially the ones rooted in truthful
Oh I love this! About 15 years ago I went to the Royal Victoria country park and Netley Abbey in one day. Both fascinating and ive always wanted to go back but not made it yet! I took a photo at Netley Abbey on a really old digital camera, and when I was going through them there was clearly a monk in robes standing on one of the cut off walkways! Unfortunately my computer crashed some years later and I lost the photo but was really spooked by it. I wonder if it was Blind Peter?!
Ohhhhhhh Spooooky! It must have been Blind Peter! Maybe he also sabotaged the computer?
That sounds like a great day out! They are both excellent locations for ghost hunting, and both absolutely beautiful – I don’t know when you visited but it’s definitely worth going back. Usually there’s a big pumpkin festival on (obviously not this year) and I know some work has taken place and I think you can go in the chapel now, it was shut for many years. Worth double checking the website when you return!
Loved hearing your story, and now I’ll be watching out for Blind Peter for sure!
Has anyone ever seen an enormous white cat with slanting eyes at Queen Victoria Country Park – or am I the only one? It must have been 1987/8 or so when my youngest daughter was still in the pushchair, that I had taken my daughter’s there, and we were walking on a path around the outside of a derelict building and it’s perimeter wall (later to become part of the police training centre) adjacent to the graveyard. My older daughter’s had walked ahead and turned a corner of the wall, and then I turned – and on my left, part of the wall had collapsed. I glanced in, and then stopped dead. A large animal was sitting not 10 yards from me inside the perimeter, facing me! At first I thought it was a dog because of its size. For a full 6 seconds or so we just stared at each other. Then all of a sudden it got up, turned on its heel and loped away. At once I could see that it was a huge cat! Try as I might, I’ve not been able to find anyone else who has seen it! Was it a ghost – or real?
Who knows Dawn, it’s definitely got spooky vibes! What do you think?