Old Town Ghost Walk
Online Ghost Walk
1. Hastings Castle Dungeons
The 'whispering dungeons' take their name from the tormented talk of prisoners who have perished in horrific circumstances. The influence of the 'whispers' is said to be so overwhelming that it causes suicidal madness in all those who are unfortunate enough hear it.
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2. The Anchor Inn
Renowned as the 'most haunted pub in Hastings' many mysteries surround the Anchor Inn, including that of the gentlemans portrait which frequently changed expressions and the tale of the ghostly jewellery thief.
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3. 13 Croft Road
The benevolent spirit that frequents this typical fisherman's cottage is that of an elderly Edwardian lady. The sound of rustling taffeta and the faint but distinct scent of lavender advertise her appearance. Witnesses have seen this apparition 'floating up the stairs' and claim that she used to live in the cottage and loved it so much that she decided to haunt it for eternity.
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4. The Old Post Office
The famous Post Office building was once home to a coffin making business. Managed by two fiercely competitive brothers, this afterlife enterprise was rather too successful for its own good. One night, the inebriated siblings fought over the affections of a beautiful girl. During the course of this ugly conflict, one of the brothers was rendered unconscious and his body nailed into an air-tight coffin for the wrong kind of beauty sleep. The sound of panic-stricken fingers scrabbling against unforgiving wood can still be heard to this day and is a chilling testament to how the story ended.
Nearby you'll find 23 The High Street. Once a major Coach Station, this building was a key trade link for London entrepreneurs. Coaches would depart from the station, loaded with goods, packages and people destined for the city. One fateful evening, a phantom fog drifted from the face of the sea resulting in the disappearance of a coach load of passengers. Now, whenever there is fog in the Old Town, you will hear the clatter of horses hooves as if the coach is trying to return to Hastings.
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5. Waterloo Passage
Here Molly Hawkins, the daughter of a fisherman, was chased for the theft of an apple from a market stall. At the end of the passage, she slipped and fell into the icy embrace of the river Bourne. Her drowning was considered to be one of the greatest tragedies of the time. Witnesses now claim that her cries can often be heard and there have even been sightings of the skipping figure of a young girl.
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6. The Stables Theatre
Although the theatre has been restored over the years, the building itself dates back to 1740. The spirit that haunts the stage is known as 'the pretty ghost' and her appearance is associated with the success of a show. Legend has it that she was once a young lady who fell in love with a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. After his death on the battlefield, she would appear in the theatre on regular occasions, waiting for his return in vain.
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7. All Saints Graveyard
Although it is an idyllic garden of calm by day, the graveyard is a playground for pantomiming shadows and spectres by night. According to legend, the graveyard is haunted by the 'scurrying ghost' of a young priest who was hanged on the beach for helping smugglers to hide their contraband goods. Suspiciously wealthy witnesses claim that if you follow the priest, he will lead you to a secret stash of gold.
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8. The Stag Inn
Here you will find the grisly spectacle of the 'Mummified Cats'. These creatures once accompanied a Hastings witch known as Hannah Clarke. Riding on her broomstick, she provided an unconventional form of aerial surveillance for the town, giving valuable advance warnings of many assaults. The cats kept the Old Town free of rats - a delicacy that Hannah enjoyed. The Hearth Tax of 1622 brought her spellbound reign to an end when collectors took Hannah's broomstick from a ledge in the chimney where she and her cats liked to sleep. Hannah left Hastings in search of a new broomstick and never returned. Her cats remained here and during the Great Plague of 1665, they were bricked into the fireplace on the ledge where she used to sleep.
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9. The Lookout Point
The figure of a lady who lost both her son and her husband to the hunger of the sea can often be seen on the lookout point. It is said that she is waiting for the sea to return what it has stolen from her.
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10. The Lord Nelson
In 1821, the young fisherman Joseph Swaine was mistakenly shot by Excise men on suspicion of smuggling. A haunting reminder of the horrors of injustice, his spirit has often appeared to regulars at the Lord Nelson pub who have commented on the inexplicable chill that lays claim to the air.
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