There is nowhere to visit like Brighton, but it also has a spooky side! Here are Brighton spookiest spots…

Pastel-coloured fairgrounds on seafronts are a regular trope in horror genres. But with Brighton revealed to be the most haunted city in the UK, it seems a case of afterlife imitating art. With at least 129 sightings of ghost activity reported over the years, the seaside resort town has become cemented as a bona fide paranormal attraction. Here’s a roundup of the most interesting Brighton spookiest spots they have to offer year-round.

The Druid’s Head

The Druid’s Head pub on 3 Market Place is considered Brighton’s oldest watering hole and has been the subject of over a hundred ghostly sightings. Built on a Druidic sacrifice area, the tavern is also the starting point for a guided walking tour by Ghost Walk of the Lanes, taking place every Wednesday to Saturday evening from 7:30 pm for £8 a head.

Preston Manor

This 18th-Century manor is not only Brighton’s spookiest destination but the UK’s overall. It is thought to be haunted by a ghost called the White Lady, among other poltergeists, a term that literally translates as ‘noisy spirits’ according to the magazine of the medium website TheCircle. The website emphasises a poltergeist need not be an entity and can also manifest as an atmosphere. With both eerie sounds and reports of doors closing and opening without contact, Preston Manor seems to tick both boxes. The manor’s museum also hosts a series of art exhibitions open to the public half the year.

Hannington’s

Once Brighton’s most chic and sought-after department store, Hannington’s was the backbone of the town’s shopping city-centre before shutting its doors in 2001. The huge building still runs along North Street from Old Steine and has since been divided into a row of small boutiques and shops. But some say the ghost of a long-dead Hannginton’s employee still haunts the street. She protests the street’s modernisation by reportedly shoplifting.

Brighton’s West Pier

Before turning into an actual haunt, Brighton’s West Pier was a pleasure centre with an in-house orchestra throughout the 1920s. After closing during World II, it was reopened to be turned into a funfair before finally shutting permanently in 1975. All that remains of the old regency-era structure today is a metal frame, where apparitions of a young woman who died in the 1980s are rumoured to be seen. A recently-built observation tower known as the i360 also hosts a special Fright Flight on Halloween in the glass pod overlooking the pier – making it a must on our list of Brighton spookiest spots!

Marlborough Pub and Theatre

For a chilling experience that’s also very cosy – and a must on our list of Brighton spookiest spots, head down to the historic Marlborough Pub and Theatre on 4 Princes Street. Built in 1786, the venue became the setting of a murder case in 1900. Bar staff have reported witnessing ghosts smashing bottles and other creepy sightings. As well as being another stop-off on the Brighton Ghost Walk, the venue also hosts a varied live music and theatre programme perfectly suited to the faint of heart.

In spite of all the reported hauntings in Brighton’s top five spookiest spots, Brighton remains one of the brightest and liveliest destinations in the country. But if you’re ever binge watching The Haunting of Hill House and are in the mood to get spooked, you won’t have to wait for the next Halloween to come around on these coastal fronts.