Haunted Harrogate: Ghosts and Shadows

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​Harrogate is famed for its elegant spa-town architecture, Victorian history, and relaxing springs — but when the sun sets and the autumn chill creeps in, another side of this beautiful town quietly comes alive. For lovers of the paranormal, Harrogate offers more than just foliage and pumpkin spiced lattes: ghost stories, eerie tours, and spine-tingling events await. The Camberley, The Lodge or Camberley Cottages, are centrally located and whilst we don’t have any ghosts of our own (that we know of anyway), we do provide the ideal place to stay as you explore the spookier side of the Harrogate district. 

The Harrogate Ghost Walk
With Five Stars on TripAdvisor and priced at a very affordable £8, you won’t want to miss the Harrogate Ghost Walk.  It’s led by paranormal enthusiast Paul Forster, and this award-winning walk winds through Harrogate’s historic streets, sharing tales of apparitions, strange noises, poltergeists, and phantom figures alongside lesser-known local history too.   The walk takes place on the first and last Friday of each month and you can find out more and book your tickets, here.  

Paul has also written a book, Haunted Harrogate, which includes even more ghostly goings on and makes the perfect memento of your trip to Harrogate. 

The Halloween Ghost Walks are taking place on 24 and 31 October this year and are well worth booking.

Harrogate has such a long and colourful history, and a wide range of period buildings so it is no wonder that visitors have reported strange encounters.  Observers have described phenomena as diverse as hearing footsteps in empty corridors, seeing fog-like shapes, or feeling sudden chills when no draft seems to account for them.

Ashville College, a local private school, has a ghostly “Green Lady” who haunts the clock tower and is believed to be a nursing sister, whilst The Harrogate Theatre is haunted by an apparition known as "Alice” whose appearance is sometimes associated with the scent of peppermints and a sudden chill falling over a person as she passes by.

Harrogate gives you everything for a ghostly getaway and, of course, the combination of walks and after-dark events gives you time to enjoy the town’s cafés, gardens and spa heritage by day, and its supernatural stories by night.

By day, you can expect stunning autumn colours, particularly in the Valley Gardens and RHS Harlow Carr, but also, the Stray is surrounded by trees and boasts a beautiful cherry walk too.  As the light starts to fade, and night draws in, the trees on the Stray twinkle with thousands of lights.  Mists are not unheard of, and add to the Halloween ambience.  As you walk around Harrogate, lights from the trees and shops cast a glow that is diffused by the mist in a very spooky manner. 

We do recommend booking ahead, particularly if you plan to take part in the Ghost Walk, which often sells out, particularly around Halloween.  Once you have your tickets, it's time to book your cosy room.

On arrival, you can expect a warm welcome and the chance to order your breakfast (The Camberley only) before getting settled in.  With plenty of options for eating out, you will be spoilt for choice.  We have some suggestions on our blog for great places to eat. 

After a day exploring the streets, shops and attractions of Harrogate, and perhaps a sneaky Pumpkin Spice Latte, it's time to eat, and then wander amongst the buildings of Harrogate to see who, or what, might appear out of the darkness. 

This is Yorkshire, so we do recommend warm clothing and sturdy shoes if you plan to do the Ghost Walk, or indeed take a midnight wander to see what might appear.  You may want to bring a small torch, or use your phone torch, particularly if you plan to explore areas that may be dimly lit. 
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The Camberley, The Lodge and Camberley Cottages, are all within easy walking distance of the Ghost Walk starting points so they are the perfect base for your spooky stay.  So bring that volume of Ghost Stories that you’ve been meaning to read, or buy the Haunted Harrogate book, and after your ghost tour has ended, return to your room, and read until you’ve scared yourself silly.  All our rooms are very well lit, if you need them to be…. But we are sure you won’t need to sleep with the light on… will you?