Somerset has earned a chilling reputation as one of the UK’s most haunted regions, with 44 documented ghost sightings in its pubs, hotels, and restaurants—ranking it fifth nationwide for paranormal activity.
This eerie insight comes from research conducted by Where The Trade Buys, which analyzed over 1,300 ghostly encounters cataloged in The Paranormal Database. The findings reveal the UK’s most haunted hospitality hotspots just in time for Halloween.
In Bath, spectral activity is rife. Staff at the Salamander pub report glasses mysteriously flying from shelves and unexplained footsteps echoing through the night. At the Raven pub, the spirit known as George is said to haunt the vicinity of a once-believed bottomless well. Meanwhile, the Garrick’s Head Hotel and the adjoining Theatre Royal are home to the sorrowful ghost of a 19th-century actress, who tragically ended her life after uncovering her husband’s infidelity. Witnesses claim to have seen her wandering in a grey feathered dress.
Somerset’s market towns and villages share their own ghostly legends. The Holman Clavel near Culmhead is reputed to have a playful spirit that pours pints after closing time. Wells locals have reported sightings of a phantom Cavalier roaming the stairs of the King Charles Parlour. Over in Wincanton, Uncle Tom’s Cabin staff recount eerie experiences including the giggling of unseen children, shattered glass, and sensations of breath on their necks. The historic pubs of Norton St Philip—Tucker’s Grave and the Fleur de Lys—are entwined with tales of tragic deaths and restless souls.
Hotels throughout Somerset also hold spectral stories. At Glastonbury’s George and Pilgrim, a monk and a woman, forbidden lovers, are believed to wander the hallways. On the A38 near Wellington, drivers tell of a mysterious hitchhiker appearing and vanishing beside the old Heatherton Grange Hotel site.
Emma Thompson, Marketing Director at Where The Trade Buys, highlights the significance of these findings: “Our research shines a light on the incredible history and individuality within the UK’s hospitality scene. Many venues have rich stories, often with a spine-tingling supernatural twist.”
Overall, Greater London tops the list with 79 ghost sightings, closely followed by Sussex and Lancashire. Somerset joins Kent and Devon to complete the UK’s top five most haunted regions for hospitality venues.
Pubs emerge as the most haunted hospitality setting, hosting 871 reported ghost encounters. Brighton leads with 33 haunted pubs, trailed by York, Sheffield, and Edinburgh. Cities like Bolton, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Birmingham also share a wealth of ghostly pub tales.
Hotels hold second place with 451 reported hauntings, notably in Edinburgh, Brighton, and Aberdeen. York, Liverpool, Exeter, and Bath showcase diverse paranormal events—from sudden chills to unseen footsteps—in historic buildings such as manor houses, coaching inns, and Victorian seaside retreats.
Restaurants rank third with 64 hauntings across the UK, including spots in Lincoln, Chester, York, Royal Tunbridge Wells, and Padstow. Guests and staff alike report eerie footsteps and ghostly figures who seem to have never left these establishments.
As Halloween approaches, Somerset’s haunted hospitality venues invite visitors to uncover the supernatural secrets hidden within their historic walls.